Red Sox 8, Diamondbacks 15: Rick Porcello and his company get pounded

I really do not know how to describe what I just looked at. It's hard to imagine that things could get worse for this team, but be aware that I'm hitting on all the wooden surfaces that I can find by typing this. The Red Sox were completely embarrassed in Arizona on Friday. The offensive had a solid run in which they failed to maximize their chances. Rick Porcello had some strong sleeves before imploding. The defense made multiple mistakes. Brian Johnson gave a billion points. That was the definition of a punch in a road trip that never stopped getting worse.

The Red Sox left for the first time in California, a new city and California, for the first time in 2019, but it was pretty much the same thing at the beginning for this team. The new standard for pitching personnel seems to be starting well before seeing the bottom sinking after a few innings. Meanwhile, the attack has died for several innings before setting up an exchange that ends with too few points. It's a familiar pattern now, and we're also watching it in the first half of this game in Arizona. It would become so much worse.

The first run was relatively calm on both sides. Rick Porcello had to fight a couple of two runners after an interfering call between the receivers and Blake Swihart, but they were stuck there. The second would be even quieter, the two sides getting in order.

Then, in the third game, the Red Sox were finally right about something against Zach Godley, who had pulled out the first six hitters he was facing. Swihart, an enthusiastic man, started the rally with a single before being transferred to third base on two rungs at a time. This led to Andrew Benintendi, who just missed a RBI double on the right field line but then came back with a double RBI in the opposite field. That gave Boston a 1-0 lead, and after Mookie Betts snuck into a single infield, Mitch Moreland had the chance to give the Sox a big lead with the runners at the corners. He did not manage to qualify, however, and Boston was content with just one try.

It would hurt, because on the other side, things started to plummet for Porcello. The lower half of the third started from a Godley goal and any run starting with a shot from the opposing pitcher is doomed to end badly. Indeed, after an infield single and a drive, Arizona had its bases loaded with nobody. All things considered, Porcello handled the situation as best as possible, allowing a single point to score in double and out of the frame with the tight score.

After the composition of the Sox fell in order in the fourth quarter, the above-mentioned fund collapsed. Two hitters in the bottom half of the inning, Ketel Marte arrived and threw a 2-0 slider over the wall in the center right field to give Arizona a point lead. It would get worse. Much worse. Nick Ahmed hit a double, was third on a wild course, and after a walk, Godley got his second win of the day. It was a cheapie on a pop-up that found grass between Brock Holt, Betts and J.D. Martinez. Just another example of unlucky and bad baseball living in perfect harmony, which gave the DBacks a two-run lead. After another single and a return to the ground, they had scored two more and at the end of the fourth quarter, there was a deficit of 5-1 for Boston.

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Rick Porcello was left in the game, and hit for himself in the fifth. It would not come out of the lower half of the sleeve. Adam Jones, long-time enemy of AL East, led for Arizona and would have extended the lead even more with a smashed home game against left field, his fourth circuit of the year. After two consecutive withdrawals, Porcello allowed a single and a double to drop one point before the end of the day. In all, he gave seven points in just four ²/₃ innings on ten hits (two homers), three walks and five strikeouts. To make matters worse, Brian Johnson must have been relieved. The southpaw would probably leave Sunday, but it's less likely now.

As we moved to sixth, the Red Sox started showing life, but it ended in pain, of course. After Betts, Martinez and Bogaerts all went back and forth, they had the bases loaded with two outs and a real chance to make a breach in the head. Arizona, however, turned to leftist specialist Andrew Chafin, and Rafael Devers was not great. The young third base player sank slightly to the mound, and the Red Sox left the sleeve with the same total on the scoreboard as at the beginning of the period.

I will spare you (and I, to be honest) the rest of this story. I will simply say that Johnson had an incredible sixth place and that at the end of the inning, the Diamondbacks had a 14-1 lead. If you really want to know the bloody details, ask for help, also click on the "Box" link below and go to the play-by-play tab.

On a positive note, Betts crushed a two-run home run. It was great. They added two more on a double Blake Swihart. Then, at the next inning, Mitch Moreland narrowed the gap with a three-point home run.

The match ended as planned, with Eduardo Núñez on the mound for the Red Sox. Yes, you read correctly. He had two quick exits before allowing Alex Avila a solo shot. He would then come out and finish in the top half of the four Red Sox pitchers to be in the game in terms of quality of performance.

The Red Sox will seek to put it behind them and win a victory in the desert Saturday night. They will turn to David Price who will face Luke Weaver. The first launch is scheduled at 20:10 ET.

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