The Boston Red Sox’s 11-2 loss against the Toronto Blue Jays was one they’ll definitely want to forget about. But if there was one (sort of) positive, it’s that it was painfully obvious what the team needs to fix.
Starter Rick Porcello stunk right out of the gate Wednesday, giving up five runs, including two home runs, in the top of the first inning. The right-hander hasn’t won a decision since May 16 against the Seattle Mariners, and although not all of the outings in between were bad, the Canada Day disaster solidified Porcello as the weak link in the rotation.
Robbie Ross Jr. and Jonathan Aro also showed their weaknesses in long relief. Each gave up a home run of his own, and although Ross wasn’t all bad besides that, Aro gave up three runs in three innings and made it clear that Boston needs to bolster its bullpen.
But before we put this one in the books, let’s run down some notes from Wednesday’s contest.
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— Hanley Ramirez returned to the Red Sox lineup after a six-game absence due to a bone bruise in his hand. He went 1-for-4 with a stand-up triple and helped Boston avoid the shutout when Pablo Sandoval knocked him in on a groundout.
— Catcher Ryan Hanigan was supposed to be active for Wednesday’s game after coming off the disabled list, but his flight to Toronto got stuck in Philadelphia due to weather, per The Boston Globe’s Pete Abraham.
He did arrive late, however, so it’s possible he could be back in the lineup for the final game of the series Thursday.
— Mookie Betts lost track of how many outs there were in the sixth inning and threw the ball home after catching the third out. Jackie Bradley Jr. already made the same mistake Sunday, and needless to say, manager John Farrell wasn’t happy.
“There’s no excuse for that,” Farrell said, per The Providence Journal’s Brian MacPherson. “Losing track of the outs in the inning, it can’t be accepted.”
Betts, to his credit, took responsibility.
“I just lost focus for a second,” Betts said. “At least I caught it so that’s three outs. Sometimes you have mental breakdowns, especially after a long game. I messed up.”
— Steven Wright, whose name often comes up when there’s talk of adjusting the pitching staff, had a rather rough day of his own with Pawtucket. The knuckleballer gave up five hits and six runs in five innings, though only three of the runs were earned.
— We have to take time to appreciate Blue Jays first baseman Justin Smoak’s (second) monster home run in the third inning. The solo shot traveled a whopping 452 feet, per ESPN — the longest of Smoak’s career — and landed in the fourth deck at the Rogers Centre.
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And this was catcher Dioner Navarro’s reaction from the dugout.
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Thumbnail photo via Dan Hamilton/USA TODAY Sports Images
