Franchy Cordero and Xander Bogaerts both homer as Red Sox avoid disaster, hold on for 9-8 win over Rays

The Red Sox put an end to their four-game losing streak with a series-opening win over the Rays on Friday night. Boston avoided disaster and defeated Tampa Bay by a final score of 9-8 at Fenway Park to improve to 61-65 on the season.

Michael Wacha, making his 16th start of the year for the Sox, allowed four runs on five hits, one walk, and two hit batsman to go along with six strikeouts over six innings of work. All four of those runs were scored within the first three innings.

The veteran right-hander got his night off to a tough start, as his very first pitch was deposited 411 feet over the Green Monster courtesy of a leadoff home run off the bat of Yandy Diaz.

An inning later, Wacha yielded a one-out double to Jose Siri. After fanning Francisco Mejia, he promptly served up a 431-foot shot to Ji-Man Choi that gave the Rays an early 3-0 lead.

Boston responded in the bottom of the second. Christian Arroyo led off against Ryan Yarbrough by ripping a 105 mph double to left field. He then moved up to third base on an Enrique Hernandez base hit and scored from there on an infield single from Kevin Plawecki that was deflected by Diaz at third base. Tommy Pham drew a two-out walk off Yarbrough to load the bases, but Alex Verdugo popped out to second to end the rally there.

Diaz returned the favor in the third with a leadoff double of his own. Wacha then plunked the next two batters he faced to fill the bases for Harold Ramirez, who brought Tampa Bay’s lead back to three runs with a sacrifice fly to right field. Wacha managed to limit the damage by getting David Peralta to ground into an inning-ending, 4-6-3 double play.

Perhaps that sequence helped Wacha settle into a groove, because the righty proceeded to retire nine of the final 11 Rays hitters he faced through the middle of the sixth. The 31-year-old hurler finished with a final pitch count of 93 (63 strikes). He induced 10 swings-and-misses while averaging 93 mph with his four-seam fastball.

The Red Sox lineup, meanwhile, took full advantage of Wacha putting up those zeroes. Franchy Cordero led off the fourth inning by wrapping his seventh home run of the season — and third of the week — 356 feet around Pesky’s Pole to make it a 4-2 game. Hernandez and Plawecki followed with back-to-back singles to put runners at the corners for Jarren Duran.

Duran drove in Hernandez on a sacrifice fly to right field. In the fifth, Xander Bogaerts led off with a single and Bobby Dalbec, who was pinch-hitting for Cordero, drew a one-out walk. Following a Tampa Bay pitching change that saw Shawn Armstrong take over for Yarbrough, Hernandez greeted the new reliever by lacing a game-tying single through the left side of the infield. Dalbec advanced to second on the play and scored the go-ahead run on a 104.3 mph RBI double off the bat of Plawecki.

After Verdugo and J.D. Martinez each reached base with no outs in the sixth, Bogaerts broke it open by cranking a no-doubt, 386-foot three-run home run over the Green Monster. Bogaerts’ 11th big fly of the season left his bat at 100.1 mph to give the Red Sox a four-run advantage at 8-4.

Matt Strahm took over for Wacha — who later picked up the winning decision — out of the Boston bullpen in the seventh inning. The left-hander worked his way around a two-out single in an otherwise clean frame of work. The Red Sox then received what would prove to be some much-needed insurance in the latter half of the inning on a run-scoring triple from Verdugo.

Taking a 9-4 lead into the eighth inning, Ryan Brasier nearly let that five-run cushion slip away. Celebrating his 53rd birthday on Friday, Brasier failed to record an out in the process of giving up a leadoff walk, a base hit, an RBI single to Peralta, and a three-run home run to Siri.

Brasier’s meltdown gave the Rays life and forced Red Sox manager Alex Cora to turn to Matt Barnes for the third time in as many days. As has been the case since he returned from the injured list earlier this month, though, Barnes proved reliable yet again by striking out two of the three batters he faced in a perfect inning of relief.

That paved the way for Garrett Whitlock to enter in the ninth, and he wasted no time in slamming the door on the Rays to secure the one-run victory and earn his sixth save of the year.

All told, the Red Sox went 7-for-20 with runners in scoring position on Friday. Pham, Verdugo, and Bogaerts each had two hits while Hernandez and Plawecki each had three.

Next up: Hill vs. Springs

The Red Sox will go for a series win over the Rays on Saturday afternoon. Veteran left-hander Rich Hill is slated to start for Boston while fellow southpaw (and old friend) Jeffrey Springs is expected to do the same for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 4:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Xander Bogaerts: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox squander plethora of scoring opportunities, fall to Blue Jays, 6-5, in 10 innings

The Red Sox were unable to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays on Thursday night. Boston fell to Toronto by a final score of 6-5 in 10 innings at Fenway Park to drop to 60-65 on the season.

Kutter Crawford, making his 11th start of the year for the Sox, allowed four earned runs on 10 hits and two walks to go along with five strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings of work.

Two of those four runs came right away in the first inning. After giving up a one-out single to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and a two-out walk to Teoscar Hernandez, Crawford surrendered a scalding, 104.7 mph two-run double to Bo Bichette that gave the Jays an early 2-0 lead.

The Red Sox responded with two runs of their own in their half of the second. With Kevin Gausman on the mound for Toronto, Xander Bogaerts and Christian Arroyo led off with back-to-back singles. After Arroyo stole second base and Rob Refsnyder struck out, Reese McGuire got his productive night at the plate started with an RBI single that scored Bogaerts. Bobby Dalbec followed with a single of his own to drive in Arroyo and knot things up at two runs apiece.

In the third, Tommy Pham led off with a single and immediately went from first to home on a 106.7 mph RBI double off the bat of Rafael Devers. That gave the Red Sox their first lead of the night at 3-2, though it did not last long.

Crawford got the first two outs of the fourth inning with the help of a double play. The rookie right-hander then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk, which brought Vladimir Guerrero Jr. to the plate in a prime spot. Guerrero Jr. proceeded to lift a pop fly into foul territory that could have ended the inning. But Dalbec, the first baseman, failed to make the tough catch, which further prolonged the inning.

Guerrero Jr. took full advantage of Dalbec’s blunder, as the young slugger promptly roped a two-run single to right field to put the Blue Jays back up by a run at 4-3. Again, the Sox responded in the latter half of the fourth. Following a pair of singles from Refsnyder and McGuire that put runners on the corners with no outs, Dalbec drove in Refsnyder on a game-tying sacrifice fly.

Crawford came back out for the fifth and recorded the first two outs of the inning via strikeout. He then gave up a two-out double to Matt Chapman, which prompted Red Sox manager Alex Cora to hand things over to his bullpen. Crawford finished with a final pitch count of 85 (53 strikes). The 26-year-old hurler induced 11 swings-and-misses while averaging 94.6 mph with his four-seam fastball. His ERA on the season now sits at 5.30.

Matt Strahm was first used in relief of Crawford and officially closed the book on the righty’s night by punching out Raimel Tapia. The lefty then came back out for the sixth and served up a 388-foot solo shot to Danny Jansen that travelled over the Green Monster and put the Blue Jays back up, 5-4.

The Red Sox responded in their half of the sixth. After reaching base and taking second on a two-out throwing error, Dalbec moved up to third on a wild pitch from Blue Jays reliever Trevor Richards. Jarren Duran then plated him from third on an RBI double over the head of Lourdes Gurriel Jr. in left field.

Duran, however, was stranded at second base, which proved to be the ongoing theme for Boston on Thursday. After Jeurys Familia, who recorded the final two outs of the sixth, struck out the side in the top of the seventh, the Sox had two runners in scoring position with two outs in the bottom half. Franchy Cordero was deployed to pinch-hit for Refsnyder, but he fell victim to Anthony Bass to extinguish the threat and keep things knotted up at 5-5.

Following a scoreless top half of the eighth from Hirokazu Sawamura, McGuire led off the bottom half with his first career triple, which was misplayed by Hernandez in right field. Enrique Hernandez, who came on to run for McGuire, was then stranded at third base, as Adam Cimber punched out Dalbec and Pham and Tim Mayza got Devers got Devers to ground out to first.

More frustration arose in the ninth. After getting another scoreless frame from Matt Barnes, J.D. Martinez led the inning off with a hard-hit single off Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano. Alex Verdugo took over for Martinez and went from first to third on a sharply-hit double from Bogaerts.

With no outs and runners at second and third, the Red Sox were just one hit away from winning this. Toronto elected to intentionally walk Arroyo, which filled the bases for Cordero. Romero, like Bass, fanned Cordero, bringing Hernandez to the plate for the first time. Hernandez proceeded to ground into a back-breaking inning-ending 5-3 double play, sending this one into extras.

John Schreiber allowed the automatic runner at second base — in this case, Cavan Biggio — to advance to third on a Jansen groundout. He then got Springer to hit a soft groundball in the direction of Bogaerts. Bogaerts fielded the ball cleanly, but made an off-balance throw to Kevin Plawecki at home plate.

Biggio beat Plawecki’s tag to give the Blue Jays a 6-5 lead. Romano then picked up where he left off by retiring Dalbec, Duran, and Plawecki, in the bottom half of the 10th to send the Red Sox home losers. All told, they went 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position while leaving 12 runners on base as a team.

With the loss, Boston has extended its losing streak to four straight. It is now 3-13 against Toronto this season and 16-35 against divisional opponents.

Next up: Wacha vs. Chargois

Speaking of divisional opponents, the Red Sox will now welcome the Rays into town for a three-game weekend series. Veteran right-hander Michael Wacha is slated to start for Boston while fellow righty J.T. Chargois is expected to serve as an opener for Tampa Bay.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on Apple TV+.

(Picture of Kevin Plawecki: Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ James Paxton suffers Grade 2 lat tear, ending left-hander’s season

Red Sox left-hander James Paxton has been diagnosed with a Grade 2 tear in his left latissimus dorsi muscle, manager Alex Cora announced Thursday. He has been shut down from throwing and his season is now over.

This diagnosis comes exactly one week after Paxton was forced to exit his first rehab start in the Florida Complex League after facing just two batters due to left lat tightness.

While the Red Sox were initially hopeful that Paxton’s injury was minor, an MRI later revealed a Grade 2 tear, thus ending the 33-year-old southpaw’s season before it really even started.

Paxton originally signed a unique one-year, $6 million contract with Boston back in December. The deal includes a two-year, $26 million club option that the Red Sox can pick up at the end of the season. If they decline, Paxton could then exercise a $4 million player option for the 2023 campaign.

Given that he had undergone Tommy John surgery while with the Mariners last April, the Red Sox likely were not banking on Paxton pitching key innings for them in 2022. The veteran lefty was shut down for a period of time earlier this spring due to posterior elbow soreness, which further delayed his rehab. Still, he could have provided the Sox with some sort of boost down the stretch were it not for this latest, season-ending setback.

It should now be interesting to see how the Red Sox decide to roll with Paxton, who turns 34 in November, this off-season. Committing $26 million to a pitcher who has been limited to just six starts and 21 1/3 innings since the start of the 2020 season would certainly be risky.

At the same, time, however, Paxton has proven to be an effective starter in the major-leagues when healthy. From 2016-2019, for instance, the Canadian-born hurler pitched to a 3.60 ERA and 3.16 FIP in 101 total starts (568 innings) with the Mariners and Yankees.

If chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom and Co. elect to decline Paxton’s two-year player option, it would then be interesting to see how the Boras Corp. client responds. He could choose to exercise his player option and return to the Red Sox on a prove-it kind of deal next season. On the flip side, he could choose to test the free agency waters again over the winter.

“We’ll see how it goes,” Cora told reporters (including MassLive.com’s Christopher Smith) on Thursday. “We saw the guy making progress and getting to the point that he was actually getting to throw real games and that happened. As far as his arm and all that, we were very excited about it. Now it’s just see what we decide and what he decides. So we’ll get there when we get there.”

(Picture of James Paxton: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata extends scoreless innings streak to 18 in latest strong start for Double-A Portland

It appears as though Red Sox pitching prospect Bryan Mata may be ready for a promotion to Triple-A Worcester.

In his latest start for Double-A Portland on Wednesday night, Mata scattered five hits and two walks to go along with a season-high nine strikeouts over six scoreless innings of work in an 8-0 win over the Hartford Yard Goats. The 23-year-old right-hander threw 94 pitches (61 strikes) and induced 11 swings-and-misses.

Since making the jump from High-A Greenville in late June, Mata has posted a 1.85 ERA and 3.58 FIP with 58 strikeouts to 23 walks over 10 appearances (9 starts) spanning 48 2/3 innings with the Sea Dogs this season. He has not allowed a run in his last 18 innings pitched.

Among Eastern League pitchers who have thrown at least 40 innings to this point in the year, Mata ranks 23rd in strikeout rate (29.4%), ninth in groundball rate (52.2%), 26th in batting average against (.202), second in ERA, 21st in FIP, and 14th in xFIP (3.57), per FanGraphs.

Mata, who missed the entirety of the 2021 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery last April, is currently regarded by Baseball America as the No. 7 prospect in Boston’s farm system, which ranks second among pitchers in the organization behind only fellow righty Brayan Bello.

The Red Sox originally signed Mata for just $25,000 as an international free-agent coming out of Venezuela in January 2016. The Maracay native was added to Boston’s 40-man roster in November 2020 and seemed destined to make his big-league debut in 2021. But he tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow that spring, which ultimately required him to go under the knife.

Sixteen months later and Mata is once again putting himself on the map. The 6-foot-3, 230-pound was clocked at 100 mph with his four-seam fastball during an extended spring training start in May. His other offerings include a two-seam fastball, a slider, a curveball, and a changeup.

Mata, who does not turn 24 until next May, would become the latest in a long line of Red Sox pitching prospects to make the transition from Double-A to Triple-A this season. Bello, who has since made his major-league debut, and Brandon Walter were both promoted in May. Chris Murphy was promoted the following month while fellow southpaw Jay Groome — who has since been traded to the Padres– was promoted in July. Victor Santos was also promoted earlier this month.

(Picture of Bryan Mata: Brace Hemmelgarn/Getty Images)

Brayan Bello tosses 5 solid innings and Franchy Cordero homers, but Red Sox squander multiple scoring opportunities in 3-2 loss to Blue Jays

The shorthanded Red Sox fell to the Blue Jays by a final score of 3-2 in 10 innings at Fenway Park on Wednesday night. With the loss, Boston drops to 60-64 on the season and a measly 3-12 against Toronto.

In similar fashion to Tuesday night, the Sox jumped out to an early lead on Wednesday. While matched up against Jays starter Jose Berrios, Enrique Hernandez led off the second inning by drawing a six-pitch walk. Franchy Cordero followed by crushing a two-run home run over the Green Monster.

Cordero’s sixth home run of the season traveled 350 feet and left his bat at 98.7 mph. It also gave the Red Sox — and Brayan Bello — a 2-0 lead through the first two innings of play.

Bello, making his first start for Boston since suffering a left groin strain earlier this month, allowed two earned runs on six hits and one walk to go along with seven strikeouts over five solid innings of work.

Both of those runs came in the final two innings of his start. After facing the minimum through three scoreless frames, the rookie right-hander began to run into trouble in the fourth when he issued a leadoff single to George Springer and a five-pitch walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr.

After Lourdes Gurriel Jr. grounded into a force out that put runners on the corners, Alejandro Kirk drove in Springer with a hard-hit RBI single to left field. Bello got through the rest of the fourth unscathed with a pair of strikeouts. In the fifth, Whit Merrifield and Springer each reached base to put runners at first and second with two outs.

Following a mound visit from pitching coach Dave Bush, Bello proceeded to surrender another RBI single to Guerrero Jr. that got past a sprawling Hernandez in shallow right field. The Blue Jays knotted things up at 2-2 on Guerrero Jr.’s base hit and Bello’s night came to an end after he recorded the final out of the fifth.

Finishing with a final pitch count of 65 (46 strikes), Bello induced 13 swings-and-misses while mixing in his sinker, changeup, four-seam fastball, and slider. The 23-year-old hurler topped out at 98.7 mph with his four-seamer. He did not factor into Wednesday’s decision, though he did lower his ERA on the season by more than one full run.

In relief of Bello, Matt Barnes scattered two hits and struck out one in a scoreless sixth inning. Garrett Whitlock followed by retiring six of the seven batters he faced across two more scoreless frames.

The Red Sox lineup, meanwhile, had been completely shut down since Cordero went deep in the second inning. Berrios was able to settle into a groove and wound up striking out six in the process of twirling four shutout frames from the middle of the third inning on.

With Yimi Garcia taking over for Berrios out of the Blue Jays bullpen in the bottom of seventh, the Sox threatened by loading the bases with two outs. But Rob Refsnyder lined out to Jackie Bradley Jr. to extinguish that threat.

The same thing happened in the eighth. With two outs and the bases loaded following an intentional walk of Cordero, Anthony Bass proceeded to strike out starting shortstop Bobby Dalbec on three pitches.

With things still tied up at 2-2, Reese McGuire led off the ninth inning with a sharply-hit single. Jarren Duran proceeded to ground into 4-6-3 double play before Refsnyder grounded out to short.

Ryan Brasier took over for Whitlock in the 10th and allowed the automatic runner (Bradley Jr.) to score when he gave up a leadoff double to Springer that bounced off the Green Monster.

While Brasier limited the damage to one run, the Red Sox failed to respond in the latter half of the 10th. Blue Jays closer Jordan Romano did not allow Refsnyder to advance past second base by retiring Alex Verdugo and J.D. Martinez for the first two outs of the inning. He then intentionally walked Rafael Devers before fanning Hernandez on five pitches to end it.

All told, the Red Sox went 0-8 with runners in scoring position on Wednesday. They left 10 runners on base as a team.

Next up: Crawford vs. Gausman in series finale

The Red Sox will look to avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Blue Jays on Thursday night. Kutter Crawford will get the start for Boston while fellow right-hander Kevin Gausman will do the same for Toronto.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN and MLB Network.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox unveil 2023 schedule: Opening Day is March 30 at Fenway Park

The Red Sox unveiled their schedule for the 2023 regular season on Wednesday afternoon. Unlike past years, the Sox will face off against all 29 other club as part of new, more balanced schedule that was implemented in Major League Baseball’s new collective bargaining agreement.

Rather than playing divisional opponents 19 times per season, the Red Sox will go up against the Blue Jays, Orioles, Rays, and Yankees 13 times per year beginning in 2023. They will also play a total of 46 interleague games against National League clubs, which is up from 20 in 2022.

Opening Day is scheduled for March 30. The Red Sox will open their season with a three-game series against the Orioles at Fenway Park and conclude it with a four-game set against the O’s at Camden Yards in Baltimore.

In between, the Red Sox will be playing the likes of the Pirates, Cardinals, Reds, Rockies, Marlins, Mets, and Dodgers at home and the likes of the Brewers, Phillies, Padres, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Giants, and Nationals on the road. The Braves are the only National League opponent they will be playing at home and on the road.

Among the highlights here are Boston’s second trip to Wrigley Field (July 14-16) in as many years, its first trip to San Francisco (July 28-30) since 2016, and Mookie Betts’ return to Fenway Park when the Dodgers visit from August 25-27.

The Red Sox will not play the Yankees until June 9, when the two sides open a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees do not visit Fenway Park until June 16-18. The two teams play again in the Bronx from August 18-20 and conclude their season series in Boston from September 11-14.

As far as road trips are concerned, the longest of the season will take place from May 19-28. It includes stops in San Diego, Anaheim, and Phoenix for a trio of three-game series against the Padres, Angels, and Diamdondbacks.

On the heels of the All-Star break in mid-July, the Red Sox will return to Wrigleyville for a three-game weekend set against the Cubs and will then travel to Oakland for three games with the Athletics. After a five-game homestand against the Mets and Braves, they will return to the west coast to visit the Giants in San Francisco and the Mariners in Seattle.

That takes them into early August, when they will begin their longest homestand of the season: a 10-gamer that consists of three games against the Jays, four against the Royals, and three against the Tigers. Following a three-game series against the Nationals in Washington, D.C., the Red Sox embark upon what may be their toughest stretch of the season.

From August 18-30, the Sox will play the Yankees, Astros, and Dodgers 13 times in 13 days. It stars with three games in the Bronx followed by four in Houston. Boston will then return home for three against Los Angeles (Betts’ homecoming) and three more against Houston.

September begins with six straight on the road against the Royals and Rays. Following a pair of homestands, the Sox’ regular season will end in Baltimore on Sunday, October 1.

In terms of holidays, the Red Sox will be hosting the Angels on Patriots’ Day (April 17), the Cardinals on Mother’s Day (May 14), the Yankees on Father’s Day (June 18), the Rangers on Independence Day (July 4). They are not scheduled to play on Memorial Day (May 29).

All told, the Red Sox are slated to play 162 regular season games in the span of 185 days beginning next March.

(Picture of Fenway Park: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Bobby Dalbec set to make first career start at shortstop for Red Sox

As the Red Sox look to bounce back against the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, Bobby Dalbec will be making his first-ever start at shortstop.

With Xander Bogaerts out of the lineup due to back spasms and Enrique Hernandez starting at second base in place of a banged-up Christian Arroyo, Dalbec will serve as Hernandez’s double play partner.

While Dalbec has never started a game at shortstop in the major-leagues, he did play four innings at the position last season without committing an error. The 27-year-old also logged three innings at short as a minor-leaguer in 2018, though he never saw time at the position during his three seasons at the University of Arizona.

Dalbec will become the fourth different player the Red Sox have started at shortstop this season, joining the likes of Bogarts, Arroyo, Hernandez, and Jonathan Arauz. The right-handed hitter, who will bat seventh on Wednesday, is currently slashing .206/.279/.364 with 11 home runs, 32 RBIs, and 35 runs scored in 105 games (319 plate appearances) for Boston this year.

With Dalbec handling things at shortstop, Rafael Devers will start at third base and Franchy Cordero will start at first base. Alex Verdugo, Jarren Duran, and leadoff man Rob Refsnyder make up the starting outfield from left to right. Tommy Pham, like Bogaerts, is not available because of back spasms.

Brayan Bello, who was just activated from the injured list after missing the last three weeks with a left groin strain, is making his fourth start and sixth overall appearance of the season. Reese McGuire will be catching the rookie right-hander.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Bobby Dalbec: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Red Sox activate Brayan Bello from injured list, option Josh Winckowski to Triple-A Worcester

The Red Sox have reinstated right-hander Brayan Bello from the 15-day injured list, the club announced Wednesday. In a corresponding move, fellow righty Josh Winckowski was optioned to Triple-A Worcester following Tuesday night’s loss to the Blue Jays.

Bello will make his fourth start and sixth overall appearance of the season against Toronto on Wednesday. The 23-year-old returns to the big-league club after missing the last three weeks with a left groin strain he originally sustained while pitching in relief of Rich Hill in Houston on August 3.

In two rehab starts between Double-A Portland and Triple-A Worcester last week, Bello allowed two earned runs on six hits and two walks to go along with 11 strikeouts over eight combined innings.

Regarded by Baseball America as the top pitching prospect in Boston’s farm system, Bello made his major-league debut on July 6. Since then, the Dominican-born hurler has posted an 8.47 ERA — but much more respectable 3.65 FIP — with 15 strikeouts to 11 walks across 17 total innings of work.

Bello will effectively take Nathan Eovaldi’s spot in the Sox’ starting rotation for the time being, as Eovaldi was placed on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder inflammation on Tuesday.

Winckowski, who started in place of Eovaldi in Tuesday’s 9-3 loss to the Jays, surrendered six earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. The 24-year-old now owns an ERA of 7.86 and a FIP of 6.42 over six starts (26 1/3 innings) for Boston since returning from a bout with COVID-19 on July 26.

(Picture of Brayan Bello: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)

Josh Winckowski struggles again as Red Sox get trounced by Blue Jays again in 9-3 loss

Not even an hour-long rain delay could prevent the Red Sox from getting throttled by the Blue Jays on Tuesday night. After rainy conditions moved first pitch from 7:10 to 8:10 p.m., Boston fell to Toronto by a final score of 9-3 at Fenway Park.

Despite what that final score may indicate, it was actually the Red Sox who jumped out to an early lead. While matched up against Blue Jays starter Ross Stripling, Christian Arroyo led off the bottom of the second inning with a sharply-hit double. Enrique Hernandez followed by lacing a hard-hit single back up the middle to drive in Arroyo and make it a 1-0 game through two.

To that point, Josh Winckowski had managed to strand a pair of base runners in scoring position while retiring six of the first Blue Jays he faced over two scoreless frames.

Winckowski, who was starting in place of the injured Nathan Eovaldi, also recorded the first two outs of the third after giving up a leadoff double to Jackie Bradley Jr. It was there when the wheels began to fall off for the rookie right-hander.

Lourdes Gurriel Jr. tied things up at one by plating Bradley Jr. on a 340-foot double to the gap in right-center field. Alejandro Kirk drew a four-pitch walk to put runners at first and second for Teoscar Hernandez, who drove in Gurriel Jr. with a single. Another base hit from Bo Bichette filled the bases for Matt Chapman, who drew a six-pitch walk to walk Kirk.

Winckowski was then pulled in favor of Austin Davis, but the Blue Jays were not done there. Cavan Biggio greeted the left-hander by scoring two on a single to center field. Bradley Jr. drew another free pass to fill the bases for George Springer, who roped a 267-foot line drive to the opposite field that Rob Refsnyder sold out for.

Refsnyder could not make the diving catch, however, and Springer’s screamer rolled past him, allowing all three of Chapman, Biggio, and Bradley Jr. to score. Springer’s three-run triple gave Toronto a commanding 8-1 lead. Six of those runs were charged to Winckowski; the other two were charged to Davis.

Of the 61 pitches Winckowski threw on Tuesday, 34 went for strikes. The 24-year-old hurler gave up six hits, two walks, and struck out two over 2 2/3 dismal innings. He only managed to induce six swings-and-misses in the process of raising his ERA on the season to 5.83.

Davis, meanwhile, was thrust into mop-up duty. And while the lefty ended things in the third and did not allow another run to score over the next two innings, he did raise his ERA on the season to 5.33. That includes an ERA of 8.68 over his last 24 outings dating back to June 17.

Jeurys Familia took over for Davis in the sixth and struck out two in a perfect frame. Hirokazu Sawamura, on the other hand, surrendered an RBI single to Bradley Jr. in the seventh before getting Springer to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the latter half of the seventh, the Red Sox got on the board for the first time since the second inning. After being held in check by Stripling, who scattered six hits across six one-run frames, Boston took advantage of Yusei Kikuchi’s inability to command the strike zone.

Franchy Cordero and Kevin Plawecki drew back-to-back walks to lead off the inning. After Refsnyder punched out, Cordero proceeded to score from second when Alex Verdugo grounded into a force out at second base. The Blue Jays nearly turned a double play, but Biggio made a poor throw over to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. at first base, which allowed Cordero to score the Sox’ second run of the night.

Following a scoreless eighth inning from Ryan Brasier, Reese McGuire made his professional pitching debut in the top of the ninth. Traditionally a catcher, McGuire worked between 53-72 mph and needed just seven pitches to retire the side in order.

Down to their final three outs in the bottom of the ninth, Plawecki and Refsnyder led off with back-to-back singles. Rafael Devers plated Plawecki with a two-out single through the right side of the infield. That brought McGuire to the plate, and he popped out to left field to end it.

With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 60-64 on the season. They also dropped to 3-11 against the Blue Jays and now trail the Mariners by 6 1/2 games for the third and final American League Wild Card spot.

Bogaerts, Pham exit due to back spasms

In the process of getting trounced by the Blue Jays on Tuesday, the Red Sox lost a pair of starters — Xander Bogaerts and Tommy Pham — to back spasms.

Pham left in the third inning after attempting to field Bradley Jr.’s leadoff double off the Green Monster. This is the third time in the last five days he has left a game early due to back issues. He was replaced in left field by Verdugo and is currently day-to-day.

Bogaerts came out of the game in the top of the seventh inning and was replaced at shortstop by Hernandez. He, too, is day-to-day.

Next up: Bello returns?

The Red Sox have yet to announce who will start the middle game of this three-game series on Wednesday, though right-hander Brayan Bello appears to be the top candidate. Fellow righty Jose Berrios will start for the Blue Jays.

First pitch from Fenway Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. eastern time on NESN.

(Picture of Josh Winckowski: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Red Sox’ Trevor Story to begin rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Wednesday

Red Sox second baseman Trevor Story will begin a rehab assignment with Double-A Portland on Wednesday, manager Alex Cora said before Tuesday’s game against the Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

Story has been sidelined since July 12, when he was hit in the right hand by an 89 mph sinker from Rays starter Corey Kluber. After X-rays came back negative, Story was diagnosed with a right hand contusion. The Red Sox were hopeful that he would avoid the injured list but placed him on the 10-day IL four days later.

Nearly two weeks after being placed on the injured list, Story began to swing a bat again. But the right-handed hitter still complained of discomfort and was unable to grip a bat properly. That prompted the Red Sox to send Story to get a second opinion from a hand specialist, who diagnosed the 29-year-old with a small hairline fracture near his right wrist.

Following that diagnosis, Story was shut down from swinging for 10-14 days. He resumed swinging earlier this month and progressed to the point where he was hitting off a tee before joining the Red Sox on their most-recent road trip last week.

While with the club in Pittsburgh and Baltimore, Story hit indoors off a high-velocity pitching machine. On Tuesday afternoon, he told The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier that he took batting practice on the field for the first time breaking his wrist.

With the WooSox on the road this week, Story will join the Sea Dogs in Portland for their series against the Hartford Yard Goats. Cora was not sure how many games or at-bats Story would need before being cleared to return to the Red Sox.

Story, who signed a six-year, $140 million deal with Boston in March, was batting .221/.289/.423 with 17 doubles, 15 home runs, 58 RBIs, 49 runs scored, 10 stolen bases, 28 walks, and 105 strikeouts over 81 games (342 plate appearances) at the time of his injury.

Coming into this season, Story had never played second base in his six seasons with the Rockies. Despite that lack of experience, the two-time All-Star currently ranks first among all American League second baseman in Defensive Runs Saved (8) and third in Outs Above Average (9), per FanGraphs.

Taking that into consideration, Cora indicated on Tuesday that once Story is back, “there’s a good chance” Christian Arroyo will slide over to first base after holding down the fort at second during Story’s absence.

(Picture of Trevor Story: Maddie Malhotra/Boston Red Sox/Getty Images)