The Boston Red Sox just can’t seem to make up any ground.
The Red Sox followed an encouraging series-opening win against the Tampa Bays with a 4-1 loss Saturday at Tropicana Field. The Red Sox fell to nine games back of the first-place Rays with the defeat, which also dropped Boston back to 10 games under .500 (33-43).
GAME IN A WORD
Quiet.
The Red Sox’s bats were silenced for much of the afternoon. Boston produced just three hits and spoiled another solid outing by Wade Miley, who has been sneaky good for the most part this season.
Matt Andriese tossed six shutout innings before giving way to Tampa Bay’s bullpen. Alejandro De Aza launched his fifth home run of the season in the eighth inning, but it wasn’t enough.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Jake Elmore snuck a two-run homer inside the left field foul pole.
The Rays had three home runs in the game. One would have done the trick, as Elmore’s two-run homer in the fifth inning gave Tampa Bay a two-run lead it didn’t relinquish.
Rene Rivera and Evan Longoria homered in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
ON THE BUMP
— Miley pitched very well, which has been a common theme since the beginning of May.
Miley allowed two runs on five hits over 6 1/3 innings. Both runs scored on Elmore’s fifth-inning home run. The left-hander struck out eight, walked two and threw 106 pitches (65 strikes).
Miley, of course, had his shouting match with manager John Farrell after surrendering five runs on nine hits, including three homers, over four innings June 11 against the Baltimore Orioles. And he allowed six runs (five earned) on nine hits over four innings May 30 versus the Texas Rangers. But Miley’s overall results haven’t been too shabby, especially given some of the rotation’s other issues.
— Matt Barnes, who was recalled from Triple-A Pawtucket before the game, surrendered two solo homers.
Rivera hit the first — an absolute bomb to left field — in the seventh inning. Longoria then responded to De Aza’s eighth-inning home run with a homer of his own in the bottom of the frame.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Xander Bogaerts singled into right field in the fourth inning and Brock Holt singled into left field with two outs in the ninth inning. Those were the only hits beyond De Aza’s homer.
— De Aza has been a nice pick-up for the Red Sox. The outfielder is hitting .333 (11-for-33) with nine RBIs and seven extra-base hits (two homers, three doubles, two triples) over his last nine games.
— Mookie Betts’ career-best 13-game hit streak was snapped with an 0-for-4 effort.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Those were the days.
[tweet https://twitter.com/LiamFishWalsh/status/614925650118508544Â align=’center’%5D
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Rays will conclude their three-game series Sunday afternoon. Justin Masterson, who replaced Joe Kelly in the Red Sox’s rotation, will face Rays ace Chris Archer in the finale.
Masterson’s start will be his first since May 12. The right-hander owns a 2-2 record and a 6.37 ERA in seven starts this season.
The Sox will have their hands full, as Archer enters the contest with a 9-4 record and a 2.10 ERA.
Thumbnail photo via Twitter/@RedSox
