The Red Sox have fallen to 2-9 on the season thanks to a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday. With Houston defeating the Cubs, that leaves Boston with sole possession of the worst record in the league.
For once, at least, the game was not a disaster-or not one caused by the Red Sox. Jon Lester spent most of the game being his usual, dominant self. He picked up his fifth, sixth, and seventh strikeouts in the fourth inning as he sat the side down in order. He allowed only two walks all game, and that was thanks to some very questionable calls from behind the plate.
It was in the fifth inning, though, that Lester ran into some trouble. With one out, Lester gave up three straight singles. They weren't poorly hit, but they definitely found holes better than the balls the Red Sox put into play. With still just one out and the bases loaded, Sam Fuld tapped the weakest of grounders up the first base line. Adrian Gonzalez ran to field it, and with nowhere else to throw it, fired home to no avail. The run scored on a hit that didn't even get close to first base.
Johnny Damon's seeing-eye single scored two more, giving the Rays a 3-1 lead.
The one run came on Darnell McDonald's first homer of the year, that gave the Red Sox their short-lived and only lead of the game. And that was about the only way the Red Sox were going to score. It wasn't that they were taking bad swings, but that every ball in play found a glove. Or, in the case of an Adrian Gonzalez shot up the middle, the backside of David Price. What would have been the extra run the Sox needed-and there's little doubt he would have scored given the rest of the inning-instead was deflected towards second base for the out
In some cases it was good defense. You can't slight the Rays in that department. Their outfield was all over the place, and they made some strong plays up the middle. But more often than not, the Red Sox didn't even give them a chance to show range. It just went right to them.
What is a disaster is this: The Red Sox have the worst record in the game, and are relying on John Lackey to save them from their third sweep of the season.