Red Sox Bullpen, Defense Falters in 7-4 Loss to Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA – The Red Sox and Phillies were tied 3-3 when Boston’s bullpen door opened in the sixth inning.
The game wouldn’t be tied for much longer.
The bullpen gave up four runs in three innings of work as part of a 7-4 loss to Philadelphia. Joe Kelly (4-1) took his first loss of the year, giving up the go-ahead run in his lone inning of work. Drew Pomeranz was hammered for three runs.
Miscues by the Red Sox in the field directly led to three of Philadelphia’s runs. A throwing error by Rafael Devers in the fourth resulted in two unearned runs on starter Nathan Eovaldi’s line while a Jackie Bradley Jr. misplay in centerfield put the then go-ahead run at third base in the sixth inning.
Eovaldi went five innings, allowing three runs (one earned) on seven hits. He struck out five.
Phillies starter Vince Velasquez struggled with his command, lasting just 2 1/3 innings while allowing three runs. The righty walked four and threw just 31 strikes on 63 pitches.
Phillies catcher Wilson Ramos went 3-for-4 with three runs batted in and three runs scored.
The Sox and Phillies split the series 1-1 and the season series 2-2.
How it happened:
The Red Sox opened up the scoring with a three-run third inning. Velasquez worked his way into trouble by walking Eovaldi and hitting Andrew Benintendi. Brock Holt loaded the bases with an infield single. Mitch Moreland drove all three runners in with a double to center.
The Sox would load the bases again in the third, chasing Velasquez from the game, but reliever Hector Nerris induced a shallow fly ball from Bradley Jr. and struck Devers out swinging to retire the side.
The Phillies tied the game in the fourth inning on a Ramos RBI double, a Odubel Herrera groundout, and a Carlos Santana pinch-hit single. Only one of the runs was earned because the first runner of the inning reached of a Devers throwing error.
The Red Sox saw the would-be go-ahead run taken off the board in the top of the sixth inning on replay. Devers scored after an errant throw took Philadelphia first baseman Justin Bour off the bag at first, but after a review Bour was ruled to have kept his foot on the bag to put out Steve Pearce to end the inning.
In the home half of the sixth, Ramos tripled off Joe Kelly, aided by a poor route taken to the ball by Bradley in centerfield. Ramos, who had tripled just once before in his nine-year big league career, came around to score on a Scott Kingrey sacrifice fly.
The Phillies teed off on Pomeranz in the bottom of the seventh, extending their lead to 7-3. The lefty gave up three runs on four hits and saw his ERA rise to 6.24.
The Red Sox loaded the bases in the eighth and plated one run on a Mookie Betts pinch-hit infield single, but Phillies closer Seranthony Dominguez was called on to record the final out of the frame via a Benintendi groundout.
Up next:
The Red Sox return home on Friday to open up a series with the Tampa Bay Rays. Brian Johnson will take the ball for Boston (3-3, 3.95 ERA). The Rays have not announced their weekend pitching plans.
