Another one of those games that we won't speak of again.
Brandon Morrow was equal parts bad and unlucky. In the first, he had runners on bases loaded with 2 outs, got the ground ball he needed to get out of the inning but David Cooper tossed it over his head, for a two run error. That's why they teach first baseman to throw underhand to the pitcher covering. In the second he game up a single and double to cost himself a run, then had a very iffy balk called against him, moving a runner from second to third, making the soft fly, he gave up next, a sac fly. The fourth inning was just bad with back to back home runs.
Luiz Perez relieved Brandon, with 1 on and 1 out in the 6th and was terrible, giving up 3 singles and a home run before being pulled without getting an out. Joel Carreno gave us a decent 1.2 innings. Brad Mills faced 3 batters to start the 8th without getting an out. Danny Farquhar followed him. I really wanted to see Farquhar get into a game. He did. It wasn't good. He gave up 3 hits and 2 walks, while getting 2 outs. Chad Beck mercifully came in and got the last out.
On offense, Jose Bautista hit his 42nd homer and J.P. Arencibia got his 23. David Cooper went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles. Eric Thames went 2 for 4. Edwin Encarnacion was 1 for 3 with 2 walks. McCoy, Loewen and Woodward had 0 fors.
Jay of the Day is Jose Bautista (.184 WPA). I'll give Morrow (-.419), Perez (-.187) and Loewen (-.112) get suckage numbers, though I'll forgive Loewen because he made an amazing catch running into the Red Sox bullpen fence, in right center. Just a great catch, when the game was still close enough for it to mean something. He might not be your prototype CF but he looked like one there. I'm going to give suckage awards to Mills and Farquhar too, they didn't get the number, because the game was out of reach before they came into it, but I figure if you give up 7 runs in an inning you deserve the award.
Tomorrow at 1:30 Eastern Ricky Romero (14-10) tries to get us a draw in the two game series. John Lackey (12-12, 6.30) goes for the Sox.