The Boston Red Sox lost the second game of their three-game set against the Milwaukee Brewers, 9-4, at Fenway Park on Saturday.
Boston fell to 50-52 on the season, while Milwaukee improved to 5.
You can view the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox came out flat and showed little life in a fairly uncompetitive game. Nick Pivetta allowed a run before the Red Sox even came up to bat, and when they did step into the batter’s box, things got even more rough. Jarren Duran got things going with a leadoff walk… then got picked off immediately. It was a rookie mistake on a roster full of inexperienced players. The mental errors continue to mount for the ailing Red Sox, who are now 7-19 in July.
The team also entered the game ranking No. 25 in OPS this month, trailing the 38-61 Cincinnati Reds at No. 24. The Red Sox had their best shot to take the game back in the seventh inning, with runners on first and third and one out for J.D. Martinez. He hit a sac fly followed by a lineout by Alex Verdugo (which was hit 108.8 mph, the hardest hit in the game). It’s been a combination of mistakes and bad luck this month, and nothing changed on Saturday.
Even when the Red Sox started to crawl back into the game, Jake Diekman came in and allowed a hit batsman and a walk. Then on a wild pitch that rocketed off the backstop and back onto the field, the southpaw had a golden opportunity to gun out a runner in no-man’s land between first and second. He threw to third, where he had no chance to nab the runner. That runner scored from third on a sac fly — which would not have happened if he made the right throw in the previous at-bat.
From there, the Brewers just beat up on the Red Sox.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Christian Arroyo made his presence known in his return to action. The utility man went 3-for-4 with a triple and a run scored.
— Jaylin Davis was a surprising boost to the lineup on Saturday afternoon. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI and a run.
— Former Red Sox Hunter Renfroe hit a two-run bomb to extend the Brewers’ lead to 4-1 in the fifth inning. The tank was hit over the Green Monster, something he did frequently a season ago.
WAGER WATCH
Pivetta had +105 odds to hit the Under of 5.5 strikeouts against the Brewers on DraftKings Sportsbook. He only recorded four in a tough start, meaning a $100 bet against the right-hander paid out $205.
ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox will play the final game of the series, and the homestand, against the Brewers on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:35 p.m. ET following an hour of pregame coverage, and you can watch it all on NESN.
