Cardinals 3, Red Sox 2

 

Losing I'm getting used to, but what makes this one particularly galling is we lost to our old "friend" Dustin May, who entered this game with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 15.89. The Red Sox managed to improve May to 1-2 and drop his ERA to 9.45.

Zack Kelly took the loss, falling to 0-1 on the season with an ERA of 8.10. Kelly came on in relief in the bottom of the fifth with one out, no one on base, and the Sox leading the game by a run. He promptly gave up a single, walked the next batter, allowed a run to come in with a single by the third batter, tying the game, and then advanced the runners with a wild pitch. The winning run scored on a sac fly by the fourth batter Kelly faced before he finally got the third out.

The Boston batters weren't able to catch up to the Cards' 3-2 lead. Roman Anthony was benched for some reason, but Wilyer Abreu went 2-4 at the plate with two singles, neither of which scored a run, and Trevor Story accounted the only Red Sox runs by getting on base by hitting into an RBI fielder's choice in the fourth and later stealing home from third base. 

With the loss, the Red Sox (4-9) return to being the worst team in either the American or the National League, two games back from the fourth-place Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East.  

If you can stomach any more of this, LHP Ranger Suarez (0-1, 8.46) starts tonight for the Sox against St. Louis' RHP Kyle Leahy (1-1, 5.40). If it gives you any hope, Suarez is 1-0 against the Cards in two career starts with an ERA of 1.13 over eight innings versus St. Louis.