Red Sox Wrap: Drew Pomeranz Falters; Boston’s Bats Quiet In 8-2 Game 2 Loss

Well, that certainly wasn’t what the Boston Red Sox were looking for in Game 2 of their American League Division Series against the Houston Astros.

The Sox fell to 0-2 on the series with another 8-2 drubbing after Drew Pomeranz failed to get out of the third inning. The offense didn’t help, either, though, as Boston’s bats were outhit 12-7 and posted just two runs, with the second one coming in the ninth inning.

Here’s how it all went down.

GAME IN A WORD
Yuck.

Pretty self-explanatory.

IT WAS OVER WHEN …
The Astros struck for four runs in the sixth inning.

Houston had a 4-1 lead in the third, which the Red Sox, in theory, could have bounced back from. But the bats were quiet all day, and an 8-1 lead was basically insurmountable at that point.

ON THE BUMP
— Needless to say, it wasn’t Pomeranz’s day. The left-hander got off to a bad start, giving up a two-run homer to Astros shortstop Carlos Correa in the first inning. Pomeranz did OK in the second inning, with his only blemish being a one-out walk to first baseman Yuli Gurriel, but everything unraveled in the third. The 28-year-old started the frame with a solo shot to George Springer, and third baseman Alex Bregman doubled in the next at-bat. Altuve followed Bregman with a single on the second pitch of his at-bat, and that was it for Pomeranz.

Pomeranz did OK in the second inning, with his only blemish being a one-out walk to first baseman Yuli Gurriel, but everything unraveled in the third. The 28-year-old started the frame by surrendering a solo shot to George Springer, and third baseman Alex Bregman doubled in the next at-bat. Jose Altuve followed Bregman with an RBI single on the second pitch of his at-bat, and that was it for Pomeranz.

He finished the day with four earned runs on five hits with one walk, one strikeout and two home runs over just two full innings.

— Carson Smith took over in the third, and it didn’t go much better. He walked Correa and designated hitter Evan Gattis to start things off before inducing a line out to Josh Reddick. That was it for Smith, and David Price took over.

Price induced two straight pop outs to end the frame and kept the Astros off the board in the fourth and fifth innings. The left-hander allowed a double to Springer and intentionally walked Altuve in the fourth, but he still got out of it without any damage being done. Price pitched a 1-2-3 fifth inning with strikeouts to Gattis and Reddick.

— Eduardo Rodriguez came on in the sixth and apparently was on a very short leash because he was pulled after giving up a single to left fielder Marwin Gonzalez and hitting catcher Brian McCann. However, his replacement Addison Reed let both of those runners score after a sac fly by Bregman, an intentional walk to Altuve, and a two-RBI double to Correa. Gattis added another run with a line drive single off Reed before the right-hander ended the frame by getting Reddick to ground out.

–However, his replacement Addison Reed let both of those runners score after a sac fly by Bregman, an intentional walk to Altuve, and a two-RBI double to Correa. Gattis added another run with a line drive single off Reed before the right-hander ended the frame by getting Reddick to ground out.

— Austin Maddox had a rough go of the seventh but still pitched a clean inning. The right-hander loaded the bases with singles by Gurriel and McCann and a walk to Springer, but Bregman popped out, and Maddox struck out Altuve to end the threat.

— Craig Kimbrel gave up a single to Carlos Beltran but pitched an otherwise clean eighth inning, punctuating by striking out Gurriel

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Mookie Betts got Boston’s first hit of the day with a double in the opening frame and went 1-for-4.

— Jackie Bradley Jr. (2-for-3) drove in the Red Sox’s two runs with RBI singles in the second and ninth innings.

— Chris Young scored in the second after hitting a leadoff double. He went 1-for-2 before Mitch Moreland, who went 0-for-2, pinch-hit for him in the sixth.

— Dustin Pedroia (1-for-3) singled and walked.

— Christian Vazquez (2-for-3) singled twice, walked and scored a run in the ninth.

— Xander Bogaerts (0-for-5), Andrew Benintendi (0-for-4 with a fielder’s choice), Hanley Ramirez (0-for-3 with a walk and two strikeouts), Deven Marrero (0-for-2 with two strikeouts) and Rafael Devers (0-for-2) all went hitless.

TWEET OF THE DAY
It definitely couldn’t hurt, right?

UP NEXT
The series moves to Boston in what will be a must-win Game 3 for the Red Sox. Doug Fister will get the ball for Boston and will be opposed by Brad Peacock in the 2:38 p.m. ET contest.

Thumbnail photo via Thomas B. Shea/USA TODAY Sports Images