Red Sox 3, Rays 8: Make It Stop

Read one writer’s descent into apathy on this Tuesday night.

8:51 AM: I just sat down in the office. The Red Sox are four games back and have three teams ahead of them. It’s so over.

8:59 AM: But what if it’s not?

9:01 AM: Okay, it probably is, but for the sake of killing 20 minutes this morning, why not do a quick scouting report on the Rays’ starter tonight?

Shane Baz is a right-hander coming off of Tommy John surgery. He features a four-seam, slider, curveball, and changeup. His fastball velocity hasn’t quite returned following surgery, but it’s still a solid offering at 95-97 MPH.

Pre-surgery, his slider was a dominant pitch but it hasn’t been the same this season, suppressing his strikeout rate. He’s made up for it by increasing his curveball usage, throwing the pitch in the zone more often this season to help earn strikes. Pitchers returning from TJS will often say breaking ball execution is difficult to relearn. That’s not important for tonight, but it would be nice to rough him up a bit before he comes back and dominates.

9:22 AM: Time to do my actual job, see y’all later.

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6:50 PM: Made it to my desk as Jarren Duran stepped into the box. Let’s do it.

6:53 PM: When the Rays find a changeup that works for Baz, he’s going to become ungodly.

7:01 PM: I wonder how easy it is for a hitter to identify a Nick Pivetta sweeper. The movement may be unexpected from his arm slot, but it feels like you’d almost be able to see the pronation of his hand on release.

7:06 PM: Junior Caminero pops out on a 3-0 pitch in the first at-bat I’ve ever watched from him. Bust!

7:09 PM: This feels like a good matchup for Yoshida. Baz’s breaking balls almost seem to match his bat path. Wilyer Abreu as well, but to a lesser extent.

7:14 PM: DING DONG! Triston Casas sends a ball to the right-field bleachers. 2-0, Red Sox.

7:15 PM: Remember when Casas hit his first career home run in Tampa and the fan didn’t know the significance of the ball but still wouldn’t give it back? That was a weird broadcast.

7:20 PM: How is someone taking second base on a fly ball to Tyler O’Neill? That feels like it shouldn’t be able to happen.

7:22 PM: Gotta love throwing strike three right down the middle and not getting the call. I’m sure this won’t come back to haunt him.

7:23 PM: Wow, it actually didn’t. Great fastball at the top of the zone for strike three to strand the runner at third and end the second inning.

7:28 PM: Dave O’Brien thinks Gerrit Cole intentionally walking Rafael Devers with the bases empty will be on the top ten moments of this season across the league? Sorry Dave, but that probably isn’t cracking the top 50.

7:34 PM: Trevor Story is incredible in the field. If he could stay healthy for a full season, he could win the Gold Glove by a landslide.

7:36 PM: 96 MPH on the fastball for Pivetta to end the third. He’s feeling it tonight.

7:41 PM: Wow what a play by Junior Caminero. Great swing by Yoshida to line one to the other way but the rookie showed off his athleticism and took away a base hit.

7:49 PM: Well this Caminero kid is going to be a problem. He took a pitch at his neck and lined it to left field for a home run. He’s also only 21 years old. 2-1, Red Sox.

7:58 PM: Dropped fly ball by Christopher Morel. Idiot.

8:04 PM: Went downstairs to put away my dishes. Walked back to Josh Lowe launching a home run. Tie ball game. 2-2.

8:08 PM: Nick Pivetta grabbed his shoulder after a strikeout. That’s not good.

8:09 PM: Here comes Cora and the trainer.

8:09 PM: He’s staying in the game. Pivetta has an expiring contract and has been in the league long enough that he’ll get paid as long as he isn’t injured. Props to him for staying in there.

8:11 PM: Maybe he should have come out. Another solo home run for Tampa Bay. 3-2, Rays.

8:13 PM: Yandy Diaz doubles and Pivetta is lifted. That’s a very frustrating outing as Pivetta was mostly excellent outside of about five bad pitches. He makes it through 4.2 while striking out six and is responsible for the runner on second. Here comes Bailey Horn.

8:16 PM: This is getting less fun. Horn had Brandon Lowe 0-2, but hung a breaking ball and Lowe took him deep. 5-2, Rays.

8:21 PM: Horn fails to record a single out, and Winckowski emerges from the bullpen. Still 5-2, but this may get ugly in a hurry. *Insert Pod on Lansdowne We Can Only Ask Or Wonder Tweet*

8:26 PM: Winckowski gets Morel to end the inning. Finally.

8:30 PM: Advertising parlays with massive payouts should be illegal. Just bet $5 and you could win $62! We won’t even mention how unlikely you are to win!

8:32 PM: I’m going downstairs to get something to eat. I can only imagine what the score will be when I get back.

8:45 PM: Got sidetracked talking to my roommate. Came back to watch Wilyer Abreu ground out to end the Red Sox half of the 7th. Will the Red Sox ever score again?

8:50 PM: NESN keeps showing a lot of unenthusiastic Red Sox fans. I’d probably be unenthusiastic if I was watching a dud of a game at the Trop too.

8:52 PM: End of the 7th. Still, 5-2. Time to hit.

8:56 PM: Romy! Gonzalez goes yard in a pinch-hit appearance. 5-3, Rays.

8:57 PM: Romy Gonzalez is a great bench bat. He plays a number of positions and mashes lefties. Really nice find by the front office.

8:59 PM: Man, the Red Sox really have hit Cleavinger in the top of the eighth but only have the home run to show for it.

9:04 PM: Devers strikes out to end the inning with Duran on first. That’s just how it’s been going lately.

9:07 PM: Winckowski is staying on for the bottom of the eighth, though Martin warmed in the bottom of the inning.

9:10 PM: Three consecutive singles for Tampa Bay to begin the inning. This game is about to be over.

9:11 PM: Trevor Story catches a blooper while under siege from shards of a broken bat. Great play.

9:14 PM: Winckowski gets a strikeout for the second out. Here comes Jose Siri.

9:15 PM: I hate Jose Siri. He’s such a tool. He also hit a blooper that Tyler O’Neill couldn’t make a diving play on and cleared the bases. 8-3, Rays.

9:20 PM: End of the eighth. Just put me out of my misery quickly in the ninth so I can go to sleep.

9:23 PM: Alex Cora and Josh Winckowski had a conversation between innings. I’m sure Winckowski thinks he let the team down, but that last inning really was a lot of weak contact that found the grass. I’ve been a Winckowski critic, but he pitched alright tonight, despite the box score.

9:24 PM: Sox go down 1-2-3 in the 9th. Rays win, and the Red Sox fall to a game under 0.500. 78-84 is so realistic it hurts.

There are no studs tonight. There are no duds tonight. I’m tired of the second half 2024 Red Sox, man.