Red Sox handed ninth straight loss in 15 inning marathon

After Friday’s brutal 1-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Cole Figueroa‘s game winning double in the ninth inning, it appeared things could not get any worse for the Boston Red Sox. Little did they, or anyone else, even think that it could. Sadly, on Saturday it did.

It appeared that the Red Sox streak might be over as they dominated Rays’ starter David Price in the first inning. The scoring started as Mike Carp was hit by a pitch from Jake Peavy with the bases loaded. Jonny Gomes got the next RBI with a sacrifice fly and A.J. Pierzynski came through with a three-run homer giving the Red Sox a 5-o lead that would eventually slip away.

They Rays came back with a run each in the second and the fourth innings. They added three more in the fifth and the score was tied. Matt Joyce had an RBI, while Brandon Guyer and Logan Forsythe had two a piece. Suddenly it was a brand new ballgame.

There wasn’t much action after the fifth inning in a game that was five hours long. In the bottom of the 15th inning disaster struck for the Red Sox on a throwing error by Red Sox reliever Andrew Miller.

May 24, 2014; St. Petersburg, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Rays players celebrate with center fielder

Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

The bottom of the inning began with a single by James Loney, coupled with a bunt single by Guyer and the Rays had men on first and second. Figueroa was on second, having come into the game as a  pinch runner for Loney. Desmond Jennings then hit a short chopper towards the mound. The play should have been easy for the Red Sox to complete. It could have been a double play ball or at least an out, catching Guyer at second, but that wasn’t the case. Miller’s throw missed Dustin Pedroia at second and bounced into center field. The speedy Figueroa easily scored the winning run for the second game in a row and the Red Sox were forced to take their ninth straight loss.

Even though the Price gave up five runs in the first inning, Rays manager Joe Maddon attributed the win to the Rays pitching. According to Fox Sports Maddon told reporters,

"“We won that game because we pitched so well.”"

Or maybe they won the game because the Red Sox are having one of the worst streaks of bad luck in recent baseball memory. Their offense, base running and now fielding have all be subject to scrutiny and they have quite a few players on the disabled list. No one can really tell what is wrong with the reigning World Champions. Yet, one thing always holds true in any sport. That truth is that a streak, no matter how good or how bad, never lasts forever.