MILWAUKEE — Instant reaction from the Red Sox’ 6-5, 10-inning loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, extending their losing streak to five straight.
1) For the second straight game, the Red Sox lost a game in 10 innings. On Tuesday night, it came on a walkoff grand slam; on Wednesday afternoon, it came at their own hand. A throwing error by David Hamilton allowed the Brewers to tie the game and a sacrifice fly from Caleb Durbin in center plated the winning run. The Sox seem intent on finding new ways to lose.
2) For the fifth consecutive outing, starter Brayan Bello began the fifth inning, but couldn’t finish it. Bello was lifted after 4.2 innings pitched, having allowed two runs — one earned — and thrown 77 pitches. Bello wasn’t helped by an error made by Jarren Duran in left field, who misplayed a sinking liner to extend the inning. Still, Bello never makes things easy on himself — he had just inning in which he faced the minimum number of hitters. Longer at-bats again helped push up his pitch count. Bottom line: the Sox were into their bullpen far too soon. Again.
3) Ceddanne Rafaela did a little bit of everything in the game. At the plate, he cracked his first homer in more than a month (April 27 was his last) to stake the Sox to an early 1-0 lead. He later added a single, giving him his first multi-hit game since May 14. And, unsurprisingly, he made a standout play in center, sprinting to the warning track to haul in a long shot off the bat of Isaac Collins in the second inning. He also came close to recording an assist from deep center when his throw to second beat Sal Frelick, attempting to advance 90 feet on a flyout. But Frelick managed to avoid David Hamilton’s tag and, upon review, was called safe.
4) The Sox committed yet another baserunning blunder that may have cost them a run in the top of the fourth. With runners at first and second and one out, Jarren Duran sliced a single to right. Rafaela, racing from first, never looked up and when he slid into third, he was surprised to see Connor Wong there, having been held up by third base coach Kyle Hudson. Rafaela was then tagged out, as Duran took second on the throw. A single up the middle by Rafael Devers then scored two, but it could have been more.
5) Rafael Devers was responsible for two of the Red Sox runs with a sharp single up the middle in the fourth scoring Connor Wong and Jarren Duran. That gave Devers 31 RBI for the month of May with one more chance to add to the total Friday. He becomes the 24th Red Sox player since 1970 to have 30 or more RBI in a single month. Devers also had 3 RBI in July of 2019.
6) Marcelo Mayer was the surprise choice to hit cleanup in the series finale, becoming the first rookie since Masataka Yoshida in 2023 to occupy that spot. (Before that, it was Mo Vaughn). Cora said he liked Mayer’s ability to hit fastballs with Freddy Peralta on the mound for Milwaukee. The rookie fanned with two on and one out in the first, grounded to second in the third, rolled out to the pitcher in the fifth and
7) The return of Richard Fitts means that Hunter Dobbins will pitch out of the bullpen — for now, at least. With Sean Newcomb gone, the Sox have lacked a multi-inning reliever in their bullpen. Dobbins, having been stretched out as a starter, can provide that. He entered the game in the sixth and it didn’t go well: walk, single, deep flyout, two-run double as the Sox saw a one-run lead turn into a one-run deficit.
8) Alex Cora has vowed that, with Alex Bregman out, the Sox will sometimes shift their offensive approach and play small ball. They tried it in the top of the eighth, but couldn’t get a run in. With Nick Sogard on first and no out, Trevor Story dropped down a sacrifice — his first since 2016, his rookie season — and moved Sogard into scoring position with one out. But part of this plan requires the ability to deliver with runners in scoring position — and that didn’t work out. David Hamilton took a called third strike and pinch hitter Abraham Toro struck out, stranding the runner.
9) Following an off-day on the schedule Thursday, the Red Sox will begin a three-game series in Atlanta. RHP Lucas Giolito (1-1, 5.27) will open the set for the Red Sox. Atlanta’s pitching plans are TBA. The game is set for 7:15 p.m. and will be broadcast only on Apple+.
