Red Sox Wrap: Quiet Bats Hinder Boston Once Again In 2-1 Loss Vs. Rays

It’s one month into the 2019 season and the Boston Red Sox have still yet to meet expectations following a championship season in 2018.

Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday at Fenway Park was Boston’s 16th of the season, which many didn’t expect Boston to earn until much later in the season.

David Price gave the Sox another solid outing Saturday, despite taking the hard-luck loss. Price had gone 10-2 in his previous 17 games at Fenway Park, collecting 102 strikeouts along the way.

Rays’ starter Charlie Morton, meanwhile, gave up just two hits and struck out five in over six innings of work. He did walk four batters, but the Sox were unable to capitalize on the opportunities.

The Red Sox fall to 11-16 with the loss to the Rays. They will round out their series with Tampa at 1:05 p.m. ET Sunday afternoon, with Chris Sale set to take the mound for Boston.

GAME IN A WORD
Tantalizing.

Despite a late-game spark on offense, the Sox just could not eke out the win.

ON THE BUMP
— Price has been pitching well at home as of late, and that didn’t change much Saturday afternoon. The lefty gave up two earned runs on four hits over six innings pitched, striking out seven batters in the process.

Unfortunately, Price started his day by giving up a leadoff homer to Yandy Diaz in the first inning.

Price settled down for a while after that, but would get into more trouble in the fourth inning.

With just one out in the inning and runners on first and second, Mike Zunino slapped a long one-out RBI single off of the Green Monster that would load the bases for the Rays and give them a 2-0 lead.

Price would get out of the jam with a strikeout and a groundout, and breezed through the fifth and sixth with back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.

— Brandon Workman would take over in the seventh. After striking out the first two batters, the righty gave up back-to-back walks to the Rays, leading Cora to give him the hook.

— Marcus Walden came in to close out the seventh inning and got Diaz to ground out into a force out at second base. He would come back out for the eighth, allowing one walk and getting two out before being pulled from the inning.

— Colten Brewer was the next pitcher to take the mound for Boston, and was able to get Zunino to ground into a force out at second to end the eighth.

— Matt Barnes pitched a quick 1-2-3 ninth inning.

IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— Boston’s bats remained quiet for most of Saturday’s contest with just one hit between all nine batters through the first five innings.

There were glimmers of hope throughout the game, including this solo homer courtesy of Mookie Betts that kicked off the bottom of the eighth.

Then Rafael Devers smacked a single to right field that moved Bogaerts up to third, followed shortly by a Steve Pearce walk to load the bases.

But it was too little too late for Boston, as Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out to end the inning.

— Andrew Benintendi took another ball off his left foot when he was hit by a pitch in the fifth inning. He would remain in the game and appeared unfazed by the incident.

— Base-running mistakes also hurt the Sox, who left 20 men on base throughout Saturday’s match.

After Price gave up a second run to the Rays in the top of the fourth, the Sox had an opportunity to do some damage of their own. But they wouldn’t get the chance after Rafael Devers was picked-off at first base.

— Betts had two hits against the Rays, while Bogaerts and Devers each had one of their own. The four combined for the five hits garnered by the Sox.

— Boston struck out 11 times against the Rays on Saturday.

TWEET OF THE DAY
Things may not be perfect, but they are getting better.

UP NEXT
The Red Sox will complete their adjusted two-game set with the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday with Chris Sale slated to take the mound. First pitch from Fenway Park is set for 1:05 p.m. ET.