BOSTON — The Red Sox reached an unlucky seven.
The Red Sox suffered their seventh consecutive loss Monday at Fenway Park. The Atlanta Braves downed the Sox 4-2, dropping Boston’s record to 11 games under .500 (27-38).
The current slide is Boston’s longest losing streak since the club lost eight straight last August. Wade Miley will start Tuesday as the Red Sox try to avoid matching that skid, but things aren’t looking good.
GAME IN A WORD
Cooked.
To be honest, Monday’s game was a snoozefest. The Red Sox showed very little life, particularly offensively, and one could sense an overall lack of enthusiasm throughout Fenway Park.
The Braves jumped out to a lead and it was all over from there. The Sox might be preaching about an “us against the world” mentality, but the world looks destined to win right now.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
The Braves scored three runs in the fourth inning.
Nick Markakis, a longtime Baltimore Orioles outfielder, opened the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single that plated Freddie Freeman, who singled and stole second base with one out. Markakis scored on a wild pitch by Rick Porcello after moving up to third base on Juan Uribe’s single and advancing to within 90 feet of home plate on a fly ball to right field.
Old friend — or enemy — A.J. Pierzynski knocked in Uribe with a single into right field. First baseman Mike Napoli wasn’t charged with an error, but the ball deflected off his glove on a play he typically made the last two seasons.
The Red Sox made a little bit of noise in the ninth inning, when they scored a run and put the potential tying run on first base. But Jason Grilli managed to close things out in spite of the rally.
One theoretically could say it was over when the Red Sox showed up Monday, as the team and the ballpark had zero energy. There aren’t many positives surrounding the Red Sox at the moment.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello’s personal losing streak reached five starts.
Porcello’s first season with the Red Sox isn’t going well. The right-hander fell to 4-7 after allowing four earned runs on six hits over 6 1/3 innings in a losing effort Monday. He struck out five and walked one.
Porcello didn’t pitch all that bad, especially when compared to a few of his most recent outings. But he needed to pitch far better with the Red Sox reeling and the offense not showing up for the series opener.
— Robbie Ross Jr. entered with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh inning. He surrendered an RBI single to Jace Peterson and forced Cameron Maybin to ground into an inning-ending double play.
The run was charged to Porcello.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Xander Bogaerts keeps bringing it each night. The shortstop homered into the center field bleachers in the seventh inning to provide the Red Sox with their first of just two runs in the game.
— Ditto for Dustin Pedroia, who reached base three times. Pedroia finished with two singles and a walk, raising his average to .313.
— Brock Holt reached base twice out of the No. 2 hole. He singled and walked.
— Pablo Sandoval, who has swung the bat well of late, provided Boston’s only extra-base hits other than Bogaerts’ homer. He doubled in both the seventh and ninth innings.
— Mookie Betts had three hits in his return to the lineup. He singled with two outs in the ninth inning to drive in a run and cut Boston’s deficit to 4-2.
— Alejandro De Aza pinch-hit for Sandy Leon with two outs in the ninth inning and the potential tying run on first base. He grounded back to the mound.
— Napoli went 0-for-4 in his return to the lineup, lowering his average to .196.
— The Red Sox grounded into three double plays in the first three innings.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Misery.
[tweet https://twitter.com/youngtrev9/status/610636047609950208 align=’center’%5D
UP NEXT
The Red Sox and Braves will play one more at Fenway Park before traveling to Atlanta for two games in the opposing barn. Wade Miley will face Julio Teheran on Tuesday in a game scheduled for 4:05 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Mark L. Baer/USA TODAY Sports Images
