Marathon Monday wasn’t as thrilling for the Red Sox as it was for the rest of the city of Boston.
Boston just couldn’t get things going on offense in their 8-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Monday at Fenway Park. Hector Velazquez took the loss for the Sox, as the team’s starting rotation continues to struggle.Â
Manager Alex Cora said there is still plenty of room for the team to improve in all areas of the game.
“We’ve got some good games and sometimes we don’t. it hasn’t been as consistent as we know we can be,” Cora told reporters after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “We haven’t been able to put good at-bats together in certain games. You know, today was a perfect example.”
But the Red Sox’s skipper still has confidence his squad can turn things around.
“We just got to keep working, keep preaching,” he said. “We know what we have to do as a group, from the coaching staff to the players. We keep talking the game, preaching, trying to get better, and it will get better. … There’s no timetable, I mean the sooner the better.”
The Sox fall to 6-11 with the loss as they prepare for a brief two-game series against the New York Yankees in the Bronx.
Here are some more notes from Monday’s Orioles-Red Sox game:
— Hector Velazquez made his second start of the season Monday, but it wasn’t nearly as impressive as his first. Velazquez gave up one earned run, two hits, and four walks over three innings pitched.
— Velazquez may have been tagged with the loss, but it was the rest of the bullpen that struggled the most on Marathon Monday.
Five pitchers came out of the bullpen in the series finale against Baltimore, each of them with issues of their own. Despite striking out nine, the bullpen gave up the majority of the runs scored by the Orioles while the Sox’s bats remained quiet.
— Not many were expecting Cora to start Vazquez at second base Monday, but the Sox’s catcher flashed his glove plenty while playing the infield. Vazquez made a handful of nifty plays on defense while filling the hole left by Dustin Pedroia, who entered the game as the team’s designated hitter.
Check out this 4-6-3 double play Vazquez helped turn in the first inning.
Then there’s this incredible play.
Wow.
— The Red Sox lost their eleventh game of the season just 17 games into 2019. In 2018, it took Boston 36 games before earning their eleventh loss, which came in early May.
— Boston left 20 men on base on Marathon Monday.
