The Red Sox’ bats took a collective vow of silence, either a response to the absence of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz or, more likely, to a convincing start from Seattle phenom Felix Hernandez. The lack of sizzle that enveloped the 8-0 loss felt like a letdown, though perhaps a predictable one after Thursday night’s fireworks with Tampa Bay, a game that featured brawls and in-house squabbles. But with the Mariners arriving with the worst record in the majors and the Red Sox holding a 13-game home winning streak, one might think that letdown could have been avoided. Hernandez - no runs, six hits, five strikeouts in six innings - was the right man on the right night. Though Hernandez did not approach the one-hit masterpiece he threw at Fenway last year, his 15 straight scoreless innings at Fenway speak volumes as to why the visitors walked away with the win.
Red Sox starter Bartolo Colon had his first mediocre outing of the season, lasting just five innings, striking out two, walking one and allowing eight hits and six runs, three of them earned. Colon also committed two of the Red Sox’ three errors on poor throws. The loss for Colon (3-1) was his first in four starts, and his arrival in the Red Sox’ rotation is one of the bright spots in the first two months of the season.
Sean Casey, with three hits, and hot-hiting J.D Drew with two were the only Sox with more than one hit.
Nation Notes: The fallout from Thursday night’s on-field brawl was far more than the scratches and abrasions that lined Coco Crisp’s face. Eight Red Sox and Rays players have been suspended by Major League Baseball disciplinarian Bob Watson for a total of 38 games. Crisp received the most severe punishment, a seven-game suspension, with teammates Jon Lester (five) and Sean Casey (three) joining him. For the Rays, Shields recieved six games, Jonny Gomes and Edwin Jackson five, Carl Crawford four, and Akinori Iwamura three. Jacoby Ellsbury’s MRI on his wrist came back ‘clean’ and he is only expected to miss a few more games.
