Rays 4, Red Sox 3: Tazawa gives up lead late
BOSTON -- A persistently thin bullpen has left John Farrell to lean inordinately on veteran reliever Junichi Tazawa this season, even as the Red Sox playoff hopes have circled the drain. Tazawa might be starting to feel the effects.
Tazawa hadn’t give up more than two extra-base hits in any month this season before the start of July, but he gave up seven extra-base hits in July -- and he started August in inauspicious fashion as well. Tazawa gave up two doubles and a single in the top of the eighth inning, turning a one-run lead into a 4-3 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on Sunday.
The loss snapped a three-game winning streak.
Pitching in the top half of the strike zone with his fastball, Tazawa gave up a double off the Green Monster to Evan Longoria, a ground-rule double to right field to Asdrubal Cabrera and then a soft single to James Loney to plate a pair of runs. A pitcher who carried a 1.64 ERA at the end of May has seen that number climb to 2.93.
"Even against Longoria to lead off the inning, (he's) trying to go down and away, and the ball ends up back arm-side and close to Evan," Boston manager John Farrell said. "It's been fastball location that hasn't been as sharp in those moments."
It’s possible that the 29-year-old Tazawa is feeling the effects of a workload that has him on pace for more than 70 appearances for the third straight season -- part of the reason one had to wonder if the Red Sox would consider trading Tazawa in advance of Friday’s non-waiver trade deadline.
Tazawa did endure a rough July and August a year ago before righting the ship in September, however, giving the Red Sox a reason he might pull out of his slump.
Wade Miley bounced back from a terrible start last Tuesday with a strong outing Sunday, pitching into the seventh inning and yielding just two earned runs. The lefty struck out four and walked one on an afternoon that saw him throw his changeup a season-high 37 times.
Miley has allowed two or fewer earned runs in three of his last four starts. His ERA stands at 4.55.
"Wade gave us everything he had and more," Farrell said.
Miley could have been removed after the sixth inning, having thrown 106 pitches to that point. But with two lefties among the three next hitters due up in the seventh inning, Farrell tried to squeeze one more inning out of Miley. Lefty Kevin Kiermaier foiled the plan with a triple to right field.
Reliever Robbie Ross took over for Miley and hit the first batter he faced and walked the second, loading the bases. But Ross then struck out Joey Butler swinging at a slider to strand three runners.
Hanley Ramirez doubled and scored in the first inning for the Red Sox, and Xander Bogaerts scored a pair of runs -- the second on a David Ortiz double in the third inning. A day after he hit two home runs and scored five runs, Travis Shaw started at third base again and singled twice.