Before I get into how bad the Red Sox look, I have to say the Tampa Bay ballpark is not a ballpark. It is an abomination. There is nothing more anti-baseball than Tropicana Field, a.k.a. The Plop.
I do not like blaming umpires or bad luck for losses. And the Sox were always going to lose this game. It's almost as if having your worst hitter be in a position have the most plate appearances is a losing strategy. But it adds insult to injury when a close call is missed and/or a foul out is spoiled by poor stadium design.
A questionable ball/strike call and the abominable design of The Plop made things more difficult for Eovaldi, but the Rays still hit his pitches and hit them hard. Bad breaks become really bad breaks when you can't get outs.
Andrew Benintendi looks dreadful. I know you need to get him to the plate to get him out of the funk he's in, but he can't be leading off anymore. Please. He can't be put in a position to get the most plate appearances. Putting him at leadoff makes his slump much more harmful to the team.
Man of the Game: Joey Wendle
He went 3 for 4 with a triple and a stolen base.
Honorable Mentions:
JD Martinez: 2 for 4, 2 2Bs
Charlie Morton: 5.2 IP, 1 ER, 5 K
Aaron Loup: 1.1 IP, 0 ER, 0 H, 0 BB, K, 9 pitches, 8 strikes
Shame Shares:
Nathan Eovaldi: 0.4 - 5 IP, 4 ER
Andrew Benintendi: 0.2 - 0 for 5, 2 K
Tropicana Field: 0.2
Xander Bogaerts: 0.2 - 0 for 4 (0 for 3 w/RISP)
