For a team that leads the Major
Leagues in runs scored (568), the Red Sox sure get shut out a lot. The Sox were blanked for the 9th
time this season in the opener of a 10-game road trip in Houston last night
taking the 2-0 loss.
Brett Oberholtzer looked like
Sandy Koufax out there in only his second Major League start. Oberholtzer was great pitching 7 innings
giving up only 4 hits while walking and striking out 2 apiece. A Red Sox player didn’t reach 3rd
base until the 7th inning when Jonny Gomes hit a double and was
moved to 3rd on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia sacrifice fly.
The rally was short lived however
as Stephen Drew and Brandon Snyder both struck out to end the inning and any
threat the Sox would put up all night.
Another rally fell short in the
eighth against the Astros’ bullpen as Jacoby Ellsbury walked to start the
inning. He moved to 3rd on a
2-out bloop single by David Ortiz. Josh
Fields came on for the Stros and promptly struck out Mike Napoli to end the
inning then Fields struck out all three batters he faced to earn his first save
of the season.
Offensively, the Sox were just
awful last night. They mustered only 5
hits and were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position which has become a theme
as of late. Eight men were left on
base. This has been something that has
been going on for the last two weeks.
Just too many men left on base and their batting average with runners in
scoring position is becoming worrisome.
Dustin Pedroia went 2 for 4 with 2 singles. Ortiz, Gomes and Drew were the only others to find some green last night. Gomes and Drew had doubles. Ellsbury, Ortiz and Salty all walked as well but that was it on the night. Not much to write home about.
It’s a shame too because John
Lackey pitched pretty well. His pitch
count was high as the Astros worked a lot of 3-2 and 2-2 counts. For one of the worst teams in the league,
they sure showed a lot of patience out there.
Lackey went 6 innings giving up 2 runs on 8 hits. He walked 2 and struck out 10 lowering his
ERA to 3.21. He takes the loss but it
certainly wasn’t his fault last night.
The bullpen was good as well as
Junichi Tazawa and Craig Breslow both pitched a perfect inning with a
strikeout.
The Astros also terrorized the
Sox on the base paths, stealing a season high six bases. The Sox knew they would try to run but were
only able to throw out 2 runners. This
is the first Astros game I’ve watched since the Opening Day night game on ESPN
at the beginning of the year and I have to say they impressed me last
night. They have a lot of no name
players who grind out at bats and play their butts off.
They’ll be back at it today, as
Steven Wright (2-0, 3.65) will get his first start of his career for the Sox. John Farrell elected to give Wright the start
to give his regular starters an extra day of rest. Wright has been spectacular out of the
bullpen as of late and hopefully he can stifle the Astros hitters tonight.
Jordan Lyles (4-5, 4.91) will be
on the mound for the Astros. He’s been
roughed up in last 4 starts and the Sox will look to make him work
tonight. He’s walked 7 in his last 4
starts and has given up 20 runs over that span.
SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE –
GAME MVP
John Lackey. Lackey was really good last night, striking
out 10 in 6 innings of work. Unfortunately he doesn’t bat and the Sox couldn’t
get any runs for him.
ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP
Mike Napoli. Naps stays ice cold and goes 0-4 with a
strikeout. The strikeout couldn’t come
at a worst time as they had an opportunity to score with a runner on 3rd
base.
PLAY OF THE GAME
Robbie Grossman’s RBI single in
the bottom of the 5th inning.
It would be all the Astros would need.
NEXT
Tuesday, August 6th in Houston
vs. the Astros.
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