The Red Sox lead the AL East by
only a ½ a game after Matt Moore’s brilliant pitching performance. Moore stifled the Sox bats pitching a
complete game shut-out to start the four game series with a loss for the home
team, 3-0.
Moore fired a two-hit shutout,
the first of his career by the way, and Tampa stayed hot with its 18th
victory in 20 games. He finished the
night with only 4 strikeouts and 1 walk but never allowed a Red Sox player to
even sniff home plate.
The Sox were 0 for 1 with runners
in scoring position. Yes, you read that
right, only 0 for 1. That’s how nasty
Matt Moore was yesterday. The only 2
with hits on the night were David Ortiz and Mike Napoli. Napoli also scored the only walk of the
night. Everyone else in the lineup had
goose-eggs. The bottom four hitters
(Gomes, Lavarnway, Snyder and Iglesias) had the 4 strikeouts.
There was absolutely nothing to
write home about offensively for the Red Sox.
It’s a shame too because Brandon
Workman pitched pretty well. He had a
tough first inning where he had to throw 29 pitches and escape some jams but
from that point on he cruised. Over six
innings, Workman scattered 7 hits while allowing only 2 runs. He walked 2 and struck out 4. It looks like Workman has earned Clay
Buchholz’s spot until he is healthy (if ever).
Workman did the bullpen a favor
after going 11 innings against the Yankees on Sunday night. Jose De La Torre went 2 and 2/3 innings
giving up 1 hit and 1 run while striking out 3 and walking 2. Craig Breslow had to pitch to one batter but
except for that everyone got some rest in the bullpen.
They’ll go back at it again tonight
as Jon Lester (8-6, 4.58) will take the hill.
Lester was pushed back a couple days because of arm fatigue but says he’s
fine. He’s coming off a so-so start in
Oakland where he allowed 3 earned runs in 6 and 1/3 but his start before that
in Seattle was bad giving up 5 earned runs in 5 innings. The Sox need a big lift today from the big
lefty.
The Rays will counter with Fausto
Carmona, ah, sorry, I mean Roberto Hernandez (5-10, 4.90). Hernandez has had some troubles as of late
giving up 3 or more earned runs in his last 8 starts. He was good the last time he faced Boston
however back on 6/11/2013. He went 7
innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits while striking out 7. The Sox need to get to him early tonight and
rattle him up. He doesn’t have a great
track record pitching at Fenway Park.
SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE –
GAME MVP
Brandon Workman. Workman delivered a solid performance for the
2nd straight game but again received no run support from his
offense.
ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP
Really, the whole offense can go
here but if I have to single someone out, I’ll go with Jonny Gomes who went 0
for 3 with a strikeout and he also grounded into a double-play.
PLAY OF THE GAME
James Loney’s sacrifice fly in
the top of the 1st to put the Rays up 1-0. It would be the only run the Rays would need
as the Sox bats were terrible.
NEXT
Tuesday, July 23rd at home vs.
the Tampa Bay Rays.
No comments:
Post a Comment