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Welcome back to another edition for the Red Sox Pre-Cap Podcast, your spot on the Over the Monster Podcast network to recap the latest series and look ahead to the next one on the docket. Today, we talk about the three-game set at Fenway against the Phillies to end the first half and look forward to the four-game set against the Yankees starting on Thursday.
The Red Sox dropped two out of three games against the Phillies to usher in the unofficial mid-point of the season. In the first game on Friday, Garrett Richards improved on the previous few outings but still didn't pitch well, going five innings and allowing two runs on four strikeouts and a walk. The Red Sox bats got to work early, however, and put up nine runs in the first three innings on the backs of homers by Enrique Hernández, J.D. Martinez, and Rafael Devers.
On Saturday, Martín Pérez was only able to make it through 3 2⁄3 innings, allowing three runs striking out four while walking two. The bullpen followed and got rocked. Josh Taylor allowed four runs to break his scoreless streak, Brandon Workman gave up three and Austin Brice allowed one more for a back-breaking eight-run eighth inning to blow the game open for the road team.
In the finale, Nick Pivetta was unable to get his revenge game in as he was tagged for five runs, four of them earned, over just four innings of work. The bullpen followed pitching very well over the last five innings to give the Red Sox offense a chance. Yaksel Ríos, Darwinzon Hernandez, Hirokazu Sawamura, Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes combined for five strikeouts, two walks, and two hits over the final five innings. Unfortunately, the Red Sox bats were unable to fight back, stranding 18 runners on base in the loss.
Next up for the first-place Boston Red Sox are the New York Yankees. Don’t forget to subscribe to the Over The Monster Podcast Network so you never miss an episode.