The Boston Red Sox officially dropped the three-game set with the Oakland Athletics on Wednesday in a 4-1 result.
The Red Sox were held to five hits and stranded seven batters on base, and on the other side of the ball, didn't see Eduardo Rodriguez's best start of the year.
Athletics pitcher James Kaprielian, making his Major League Baseball debut against Boston, picked up the win, and settled into his game after the Red Sox scored first early on.
But the Boston bats either were quiet or couldn't come up clutch from there, and despite a memorable play in the field from Hunter Renfroe, the Red Sox fell to a 22-16 record.
Here's how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Quiet.
The offense couldn't do much even with the bases loaded on two different occasions.
ON THE BUMP
-- It was not Rodriguez's best showing, unfortunately.
The ace put in six innings of work with nine strikeouts, but gave up four earned runs off seven hits, including a home run in the sixth he instantly knew was gone.
Most of the damage came in the top of the fifth when one of two Oakland runs scored on a balk.
Rodriguez threw 63 of his 99 pitches for strikes.
-- Eduard Bazardo came in for two innings of relief and held the score for Boston. He gave up one hit with two strikeouts while working around a two-out double to throw a shutout seventh.
-- Austin Brice got the ninth and had a strikeout in what was a quick inning.
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
-- The first innings was frustrating for Boston as it loaded bases on two occasions but scored just one run.
But an early lead is an early lead.
Marwin González got his team going with a leadoff double, Alex Verdugo walked and J.D. Martinez singled. Kaprielian got two consecutive outs including a strikeout of Xander Bogaerts, but walked Christian Vázquez to score González and reload the bases.
Three runners were stranded after Renfroe struck out.
-- It was the same deal in the fifth with men left on base.
González walked and advanced to second after Verdugo grounded into a fielders choice, and then took third thanks to a throwing error. Another fielders choice by Martinez got González thrown out at home, but the Red Sox had two runners on with just one out.
But no runs came out of the inning with consecutive strikeouts from Bogaerts and Rafael Devers.
-- González had the only multi-hit night for the Red Sox going 2-for-3 with a run and a walk.
-- Bogaerts, Verdugo, Vázquez, Franchy Cordero and Michael Chavis all went hitless Wednesday.
TWEET OF THE GAME
This is pretty incredible. Renfroe hosed down Matt Chapman in the second inning and we'll probably see this on SportsCenter later.
UP NEXT
The Athletics take the series, but the Red Sox look to avoid the sweep Thursday at 7:10 p.m. ET.
