May 25, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays shortstop
Yunel Escobar(11) and Boston Red Sox left fielder
Jonny Gomes(second from right) push each other as benches clear during the seventh inning at Tropicana Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Red Sox have lost ten consecutive games. It’s the first losing streak that long for the Sox since 1996. They’re now the first defending World Series champs to go this long without a win since the 1998 Marlins.
The Sox scored first when Brock Holt‘s single scored AJ Pierzynski. Sox fans didn’t have long to enjoy the lead. Evan Longoria homered off starter Brandon Workman (0-0 1.42 ERA) in the fourth inning to tie the game and then the Rays added another run to go ahead. For good measure the Rays tacked on another run in the fifth to go up 3-1.
But the Sox weren’t going to just give up. In the seventh inning Jonny Gomes, pinch hitting for Jackie Bradley Jr., tied the game with a 2-run homer. Hope springs eternal! But doesn’t always last long. In the bottom of the seventh Craig Breslow (2-1 2.87 ERA) allowed a 3-run home run and a 2-run double to bury the Sox 8-3.
It’s not over until it’s over. In the ninth Xander Bogaerts hit a single that scored both Holt and Pierzynski. But it would not be enough to change the Sox losing ways.
The Sox didn’t go down without a fight, if that’s any consolation to the fans. In the seventh inning Yunel Escobar hit a 2-run double and advanced to third. The Sox weren’t happy about this. Words were said from the dugout and benches cleared. In the end Escobar and Gomes were ejected.
Could this be the spark the Sox need to get going again? Could the far-from-classy move by the Rays to play “Sweet Caroline” at the end of the game provoke the team? This loss came on the same day as two ghosts from the Sox past made an appearance on the baseball stage. Josh Beckett threw a no-hitter for the LA Dodgers and Manny Ramirez was signed as a minor league coach for the Chicago Cubs.
The Sox head up to Atlanta next to take on the red-hot Braves for two games of a home-and-home set.