The Red Sox’s recent good run of form came to a screeching halt Thursday night.
Boston had its four-game winning streak snapped as it dropped a 7-2 decision to the Detroit Tigers at Fenway Park.
Sox starter Jalen Beeks struggled in his MLB debut, allowing six runs (five in the first inning) on seven hits with three walks and four strikeouts over four innings.
The Red Sox fall to 43-20 with the loss, while the Tigers climb to 30-34.
Here’s how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Rough.
It was a rough night for Beeks, and in addition to his struggles, the Sox offense had trouble plating runs, as they left eight men on base.
ON THE BUMP
— The first inning was a nightmare for Beeks. With two outs and runners on the corners, Jeimer Candelario doubled a run in, then John Hicks brought a pair more in the next at-bat to make it 3-0. Leonys Martin followed up Hicks’ at-bat with a two-run dinger to make it 5-0 before Beeks got Jose Iglesias to fly out to end the inning.
Beeks loaded the bases in the second by allowing a single and two walks, but wiggled out of the jam without allowing any runs. In the third, however, he allowed a one-out triple to Martin, who scored during the next at-bat on an Iglesias double to make it 6-1.
The lefty finished his night with a 1-2-3 fourth inning.
— Brian Johnson cruised through his first three innings of relief, posting 1-2-3 frames in the fifth, sixth and seventh. He surrendered a run in the eighth, however, on a single from Iglesias to make it 7-2.
Johnson finished his night with one run on three hits with five strikeouts over four innings.
— Hector Velazquez struck out two in a hitless, scoreless ninth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— After the Sox quickly went into a five-run hole in the top half of the first, Andrew Benintendi responded by launching a solo home run to start the bottom half of the frame. It was Benintendi’s fourth home run in five games as he cut the lead to 5-1.
— With the Sox down 6-1, Blake Swihart led off the fifth with a double, and after advancing to third on a wild pitch, scored two batters later on a Xander Bogaerts groundout to cut the lead to four.
— While trailing 7-2, the Red Sox loaded the bases with one out in the eighth inning, but Sam Travis and Rafael Devers struck out to end the frame.
— Benintendi led the Sox with two hits, while Brock Holt, Mitch Moreland, Eduardo Nunez, Devers and Swihart each had one.
— Bogaerts, J.D. Martinez, Travis and Christian Vazquez all went hitless.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Always good to have Papi in the house.
*GOAT DH, 3x WS Champ, WS MVP pic.twitter.com/rawHKpDVCb
— Red Sox (@RedSox) June 8, 2018
UP NEXT
The Red Sox will begin a three-game set with the Chicago White Sox on Friday night. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 7:10 p.m. ET. Chris Sale is expected to get the ball for Boston and be opposed by Dylan Covey.
