BOSTON — The Red Sox lost for the 11th time in 13 games Tuesday night, allowing five first-inning runs en route to a 9-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox.
Pedro Martinez’s number retirement and Mookie Betts’ overturned, over-the-wall catch were the prevailing headlines from the evening, but there were a few other pieces of news floating around Fenway Park.
Let’s dive in:
— The Red Sox now have given up 19 runs in their last two games. They’ve also allowed 29 hits, 19 of which went for extra bases (14 doubles, three triples, two home runs). Obviously, none of those totals are conducive to success.
Starter Wade Miley allowed the five runs in the first inning — after Chicago plated four in the first Monday — but responded with four consecutive scoreless frames, though he allowed a runner to reach third base in two of them.
“Once again, they came out swinging the bat hot,” manager John Farrell said after the game. “They score the five. I thought (Miley) gave us everything he had to settle things down. He puts up four consecutive zeros, he’s into the sixth inning when we needed a starter to go a little bit deeper with an overworked bullpen. They’re not missing mistakes right now.”
Miley’s night ended when Betts’ did: after the center fielder tumbled into the Red Sox’s bullpen trying to haul in what ultimately ended up being a two-run home run for White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu. The left-hander added that the delay caused by Martinez’s ceremony did not affect his game preparation.
Justin Masterson worked the final 3 1/3 innings of mop-up duty, allowing two runs on four-extra base hits while walking one batter and hitting another.
— Abreu gave his scouting report on fellow Cuban native Rusney Castillo, who entered as the Red Sox’s center fielder following Betts’ injury.
“I played against him a lot in Cuba,” the Chicago slugger told The Boston Globe through an interpreter. “I know him very well. He’s a very good player and my advice for him is just to keep working hard every day because he’s got a lot of talent to show up here. He’s a five-tool player and he’s just trying to work hard every day. He’s a great, great player.
“I see him as the same player that he was in Cuba. Sometimes it’s difficult for a player to just play one game or two and not have that consistency of playing every day. He has to keep working his way, because his manager wants him to play hard.”
Castillo, who will see increased playing time following the trade of outfielder Shane Victorino, went 1-for-2 with a single in two plate appearances.
— Jeff Samardzija pitched eight-plus strong innings for the White Sox, and he also offered his take on the upholding of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady’s four-game suspension.
Samardzija, who played wide receiver at Notre Dame before deciding to focus his efforts on baseball, said Brady “should’ve just said he let air out of the ball a long time ago.”
“It’s not a big deal,” Samardjiza told WEEI.com after the game, referring to the deflated-footballs controversy that’s now dominated the news cycle for more than six months. “I don’t think anyone would’ve been mad at him. The only reason you don’t say something is you’re worried about your legacy. But I think his legacy was pretty established. I don’t think a flat football is going to change the opinion on him very much.”
The right-hander also was quick to point out that even if Brady’s case — which now will head to federal court — does not turn out in the quarterback’s favor, TB12 still has a pretty fantastic life.
“That’s OK,” Samardzija said. “He’s doing fine. He’s got (four) Super Bowls, a model wife. He’ll be OK.”
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
