Players Weekend wasn’t kind to the Boston Red Sox.
The Baltimore Orioles swept the Sox at Fenway Park with a 2-1 win Sunday, cutting Boston’s lead over the New York Yankees, who beat the Seattle Mariners 10-1, to 2.5 games in the American League East standings. Doug Fister turned the Red Sox’s pitching woes around with a solid outing, but once again, the offense failed to show up.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Tough.
This is going to be a difficult one for the Red Sox to swallow, as they had every opportunity to win. After losing four straight games, Boston now has four consecutive series against AL East opponents, including a four-game set at Yankee Stadium beginning Thursday.
IT WAS OVER WHEN …
The Red Sox couldn’t get anything going in the ninth.
Boston needed one run to keep the game alive, and one run it did not get.
ON THE BUMP
— It wasn’t the complete-game gem he tossed Tuesday, but Fister certainly put the Red Sox in a position to win Sunday. The right-hander faltered out of the gate, allowing a single to Orioles shortstop Tim Beckham, doubles to center fielder Adam Jones and left fielder Trey Mancini and a balk for two runs, but “Fist” held things down from there.
Fister pitched seven innings, allowing two earned runs on five hits to go with two walks and seven strikeouts.
— Addison Reed had a clean eighth inning, striking out third baseman Manny Machado and second baseman Jonathan Schoop before ending the frame by getting Jones to fly out.
— Craig Kimbrel gave up a leadoff single to Mancini but retired the side after that, adding a strikeout to Mark Trumbo.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— A slumping Rafael Devers had the Red Sox’s only multi-hit game, going 2-for-4 with two doubles and an RBI. He drove in Boston’s only run with a double to right field that scored Xander Bogaerts in the sixth inning.
— Left fielder Andrew Benintendi and first baseman Hanley Ramirez both went 1-for-3 with two walks apiece, while catcher Sandy Leon walked twice, too, and went 1-for-2.
— Mookie Betts and Bogaerts both went 1-for-4 with a double. Bogaerts added a run, while Betts walked and struck out in the sixth with the bases loaded.
— Chris Young went 0-for-3 out of the designated hitter spot before being replaced in the seventh by Mitch Moreland, who took a walk and went 0-for-1.
— Center fielder Rajai Davis went 1-for-4 with a strikeout and was caught stealing in the seventh.
— Second baseman Eduardo Nunez had a rough day, going 0-for-5.
TWEET OF THE DAY
Couldn’t hurt, right?
UP NEXT
The Red Sox head to Toronto on Monday to start a three-game series with the Blue Jays as part of a six-game road trip. Toronto will send their ace Marcus Stroman to the mound, and the Red Sox will counter with left-hander Drew Pomeranz. First pitch from Rogers Centre is scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Greg M. Cooper/USA TODAY Sports Images
