BOSTON — Things could not have gone much worse for Red Sox starter Alfredo Aceves on Tuesday night as he took the loss in the Athletics’13-0 win over the Red Sox in a game called after the seventh inning.
On a cold, rainy, dreary night where game-time temperature’s hovered just above 40 degrees, Aceves allowed eight runs (seven earned) on seven hits, while walking four and striking out three, in just 3 1/3 innings of work. He also balked twice, as well as committed an error. He threw 80 pitches,only 48 for strikes.
The third inning was one of the worst innings in sometime for the Red Sox defense/pitching. The Athletics sent ten men to the plate, scoring six runs on just two hits. Aceves walked three, balked twice and committed an error. Will Middlebrooks alsocommited a throwing error of his own.
“Obviously the weather conditions weren’t ideal, but to say it was a major distraction I don’t know if we can go that far, said manager John Farrell. “You see what Bartolo [Colon] did against us, very good command and really we didn’t have many good swings at the pitches that found their way to the middle of the plate. Ithought Alfredo got off to a couple of good innings and then in the third inning things started to unravel.”
Steven Wright came on for Aceves, making his major league debut, but didn’t fair much better. He allowed six runs over 3 2/3 innings of work.
The Red Sox had just three hits off of A’s starter Bartolo Colon, an infield single in the first from Dustin Pedroia and a singles from Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jonny Gomes in the fifth.
Aceves had a lot to say following the game, ensenuating his team needed to get some hits for him, and he was the victim of a small strikezone. When asked how Colon did so well despite the conditions he responded, “maybe his strike zone wasn’t that small.”
The teams will conclude their three-game series tomorrow afternoon (4:05, NESN) when Red Sox ace Jon Lester takes to the mound going for his fourth win of the season and will be opposed by left-hander Brett Anderson.
Prior tothe conclusion of the game, the Red Sox announced anyone with a ticket stubfrom tonight’s game can exchange them two hours prior to either tomorrow or Thursday’s game (6:35) for free admission to one of those games.
What they’ll be saying: Although Aceves was not very good at all, there was much debate as to whether or not the game should have taken place at all. With the conditions as bad as they were, many thought the game would never get underway. This is Oakland’s only trip to Boston, and the two teams have no mutual off-days the rest of the year, combined with the fact tomorrow is a travel day for the A’s, making it near impossible to play a doubleheader,was the reason the teams’ did everything in their power to play.
