The Boston Red Sox should be glad most of New England’s focus Friday night was on deflated footballs.
The opener of a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays was a forgettable one for the Red Sox, who failed to plate a run in a 7-0 loss at Rogers Centre. It was Boston’s sixth loss in its last seven games — a span during which the Sox have scored more than three runs just once.
GAME IN A WORD
Punchless.
The Red Sox managed just two hits against Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez and none against two Toronto relievers as they were shut out for the first time this season.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Blue Jays extended their lead from 2-0 to 4-0 in the bottom of the sixth. Three innings still remained, but given the Red Sox’s shorthanded lineup was performing, it was difficult to imagine it producing five runs Friday night.
Boston made one final bid in the eighth inning, putting runners on first and second with no outs, but Toronto reliever Aaron Loup retired Dustin Pedroia and Pablo Sandoval before setting Mike Napoli down looking for the final out.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox were without two of their most powerful bats. Hanley Ramirez missed his third consecutive game with a sprained shoulder, and David Ortiz was unavailable as he served his one-game suspension
— The Sox had a golden opportunity in the fourth inning to take advantage of Sanchez’s inability to find the strike zone. The Jays starter loaded the bases with nobody out via two walks and a hit batsman, but Boston was unable to capitalize.
Rookie catcher Blake Swihart struck out looking on a filthy two-seam fastball that caught the inside of the plate, and Xander Bogaerts followed by grounding into a 6-3 double play to end the inning.
Bogaerts’ groundout, which stranded three runners, dropped the Red Sox to 4-for-49 with runners in scoring position in the month of May.
— Pedroia smacked a one-out single in the first inning, but Boston’s next hit did not come until Mookie Betts singled between third and short with out out in the eighth. Betts’ knock broke a streak of 25 Red Sox plate appearances without a hit and chased Sanchez from the game.
— Allen Craig, who has taken over in left field in Ramirez’s absence, nearly got the Red Sox off the schnide in the seventh. He initially appeared to beat the throw to first after grounding to shortstop Ryan Goins, but the Blue Jays challenged the call, and video revealed that Goins’ toss had, in fact, arrived in time.
[tweet https://twitter.com/Jared_Carrabis/status/596841009486651392 align=’center’]
The reversal robbed Craig of what would have been his only hit. He finished 0-for-3 with a hit-by-pitch.
— Travis Shaw made his major league debut for the Red Sox, starting at first base and batting ninth. He walked, reached on a fielder’s choice and grounded to shortstop in his three plate appearances.
ON THE BUMP
— Things got hairy in a hurry for Miley, who surrendered a towering solo home run to Josh Donaldson on his 10th pitch of the ballgame. The southpaw went on to allow a single and a double to the next two batters before settling down. Toronto managed just the one run in the opening frame, leaving runners at the corners.
Miley struck out the side in the second but not before allowing another solo homer, with Milford, Mass., native Chris Colabello doing the honors this time.
The next three innings were smooth sailing for the Red Sox hurler, who allowed just two singles and struck out four over that span, but he ran into trouble again in the sixth. Miley walked the leadoff man, then allowed consecutive singles to Russell Martin and Danny Valencia, with Valencia’s base knock scoring Edwin Encarnacion from second with Toronto’s third run of the evening.
The Jays tacked on another one batter later. Kevin Pillar lifted a sacrifice fly to right, allowing Martin to tag up and score from third. Miley struck out Colabello swinging to end both the the sixth inning and his outing. He departed having allowed eight hits and four runs while walking one and striking out a season-high eight.
— Right-hander Alexi Ogando worked a perfect seventh, inducing two groundouts and striking out one.
— Robbie Ross Jr. came on to work the eighth and immediately was roughed up. He did not record an out, allowing a triple, a double, two singles and three runs before getting the hook.
— Craig Breslow entered and stopped the bleeding, striking out Pillar and Colabello and getting Goins to ground out to third.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Pitching hasn’t been the only problem for these Sox.
[tweet https://twitter.com/redsoxstats/status/596852093710893056 align=’center’]
UP NEXT
Game 2 of the Sox’s trip north of the border is set for Saturday afternoon, with Boston’s Joe Kelly seeking his first win since April 11. Right-hander Drew Hutchison is Toronto’s scheduled starter.
Thumbnail photo via John E. Sokolowski/USA TODAY Sports Images
