The left-hander asked for Red Sox Nation’s continued support Friday, one day after he allowed eight runs on eight hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings as Boston lost to the Tampa Bay Rays 12-8 at Fenway Park.
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Price, now 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA in four starts against the Rays since being traded July 31, 2014, said his frustration went well beyond facing his former team.
Odorizzi (0-1, 2.41) also gave Boston (7-7) trouble last season, posting a 2.29 ERA in three starts and allowing a run over seven innings in a 5-1 win at Fenway on May 4. But tonight’s story: Archie needs to get right.
He held the Rays scoreless on two hits through five innings while the Red Sox opened the big lead against Archer. Mookie Betts, who appears to be emerging from a minor slump, crushed a two-run homer in the sixth that cleared the Monster seats and gave the Sox some life. The offense has scored only 18 runs in the last eight games and four regulars – Chase Headley, Mark Teixeira, Alex Rodriguez and Aaron Hicks – are hitting below.200. He is 0-7 with a 6.39 ERA in his last 10 starts. Two batters later, Desmond Jennings then ended Price’s afternoon with a double just beyond the reach of a jumping Jackie Bradley Jr.in left-center field. Sox 8-9. In the 9th inning with Noe Ramirez on the mound the Rays put the final nails in the coffin of this game for the Sox. “It was awkward at first, so hopefully I can get a little more accustomed to what he does as a pitcher and make it a little bit easier to have some success.”…
Longoria, 0-for-10 against his old friend, made it 5-2 with a solo shot in the third and the roof caved in on Price in the fourth. But it may have been a costly trip from first for Bogaerts, who left the after scoring due to left quadriceps tightness.
“Arch is fine”, manager Kevin Cash said before Wednesday’s game. “They kind of had a relentless attack going, really good approach”.
“That was one of those games where if you don’t win…it has a chance to set you back”, Tampa Bay’s Evan Longoria said after his team escaped with a 12-8 victory for a 2-1 series win.
Rays: C Hank Conger will be back behind the plate Wednesday in his first start in nearly a week. He’s 0 for 9 attempting to catch potential base stealers this season after throwing out only 1 of 43 while past year with Houston.
These are games the Red Sox likely couldn’t have envisioned losing when they signed Price.
Those numbers are more in line with the guy who was a 15-game victor the season before the Detroit Tigers swapped him for slugger Yoenis Cespedes.
“Heath comes up and he’s pressed into long relief, long duty right away”, said Farrell.
Lowrie doubled into the right-field corner against Barbato with one out in the 11th, then took third on a groundout by Khris Davis, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats.
“Yeah, that’s my job”, he said.
BRAVES 8, DODGERS 1: Tyler Flowers went 4-for-4 and drove in three runs, Mallex Smith had three RBIs and Atlanta beat Los Angeles.
“To me that’s the most disappointing thing”. We might have hoped that tonight would be the night that Archer got his groove back, and we’d see the sharp slider mixed with the 96 miles per hour rising fastball placed just so.
It was Ortiz’s 58th career multi-double game, most among active players.
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Rays starting pitcher Drew Smyly threw eight shutout innings against the Red Sox.
