3 Takeaways from Red Sox’ ugly 15-8 loss to Diamondbacks
![Apr 5, 2019; Phoenix, AZ: Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello reacts after giving up a fifth inning home run to Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones during the home opener at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)](https://985thesportshub.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/88/2019/04/Rick-Porcello-Red-Sox-Diamondbacks-copy.jpg)
Apr 5, 2019; Phoenix, AZ: Boston Red Sox pitcher Rick Porcello reacts after giving up a fifth inning home run to Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones during the home opener at Chase Field. (Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports)
By Matt Dolloff, 985TheSportsHub.com
The Diamondbacks blew the Red Sox away in their home opener on Friday, overpowering Rick Porcello and the Boston pitching staff with a 15-8 win in the first of a four-game series at Chase Field. It’s a short-memory kind of game for the Red Sox, who have no choice but to forget Friday’s ugliness and move on. It doesn’t help that it’s only the latest early letdown of a disappointing 2-7 start to the season.
Here are some quick postgame takeaways from the loss that continued to pile on the Red Sox’ poor start.
— Rick Porcello rocked for second straight start. Porcello escaped the first three innings with just one run allowed, but imploded in the fourth. Ketel Marte hit the first of his two home runs for the D’Backs, and Arizona pummeled Porcello for three more runs to make it 5-1 after four innings. Porcello started the fifth inning, only to give up another home run – this time to veteran outfielder Adam Jones, who signed with the D’Backs on March 11. Porcello is now 0-2 with a 13.50 ERA through two starts, totaling just 7.1 innings and posting a 3.14 WHIP.
— From bad to worse. Brian Johnson’s performance turned Friday’s game into a forgettable laugher for the Red Sox. After Johnson intentionally walked Christian Walker to load the bases, Marte smashed his second home run of the game, a grand slam to center. It got to the point where Alex Cora had no need to put any more actual pitchers in the game, so he had Eduardo Nunez pitch the bottom of the eighth. He allowed a solo home run to Alex Avila, but otherwise escaped his inning unscathed. Ultimately, Nunez was much better than Johnson.
— Red Sox’ offense too little too late. The Boston bats finally woke up in the final two innings, but they weren’t even close to getting back in this one. Top-3 hitters Andrew Benintendi, Mookie Betts, and Mitch Moreland combined to go 6-for-14 with 2 homers and 6 RBIs. Microscopic chance the Red Sox or any major league team comes back from a 15-1 deficit through seven innings.
The Red Sox and Diamondbacks get back to business on Saturday at 8:10 p.m.
Matt Dolloff is a digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff or email him at [email protected].