It’s been 36,928 days since the Giants last won a game at Fenway Park. Four hours and 18 runs later, that stretch will continue for quite a bit longer. The Red Sox slugged seven extra-base hits to score all of their runs Wednesday night, and beat the Giants, 11-7, to take three of four games in this interleague series. Here’s how the Giants stretched their second-half losing streak to five games.
The big moment
Hanley Ramirez hit three home runs in this game. His last was the most important, stepping on the Giants’ throat after they clawed back to score seven unanswered runs.
At the plate
Immediately after going down 8-0 in the third inning, the Giants came to the doorstep of their biggest comeback in 27 years. The first seven hitters reached base, and by the time Buster Posey took his second at-bat of the fourth inning, he was the tying run. Mac Williamson began the festivities when he finally caught up to a Drew Pomeranz fastball. The right fielder muscled out a three-run homer, and Trevor Brown followed two batters later with a home run high over the Green Monster to cut the lead to 8-5.
But the Giants’ second-half issues with runners in scoring position could only be remedied briefly. After Ramiro Peña and Denard Span reached base to bring up the tying run with no outs, Angel Pagan, Brandon Belt and Posey couldn’t advance them any further. After the Giants scored twice more in the sixth inning to make it a one-run game, the same issues progressed.
Gregor Blanco came up with the bases loaded and no out in the sixth inning, and grounded into a double play that was upheld after a replay review. Things fully skidded out after Conor Gillaspie popped an inning-ending out to Hanley Ramirez. The last breath of offense came in the seventh inning, and after Ramirez hit his third home run of the game to make it 10-7. With two runners on and two out, Belt went fishing on a full-count breaking ball in the dirt to drop the Giants to 3-for-14 with runners in scoring position.
On the mound
Giants starters have allowed five home runs in two games against the Red Sox, and 11 home runs since the All-Star break. That’s about all you need to know about the Giants winless second half. That’s about all you need to know about Cain’s second start since May 27. That’s about all you need to know about Wednesday night for the Red Sox, who hit two more home runs after the Giants’ righty departed.
Cain dispensed only seven pitches to get through his first inning since June 13. He needed 46 to get the next four outs. First Ramirez burned Cain with a two-run home run. Williamson tumbled over the right-center field wall in pursuit of the catch, but it landed firmly in the hat of a Red Sox reliever. Luckily for Williamson, the next two blasts didn’t require his effort.
Shaw boomed one deep into the night and up the right field bleachers. Then Ramirez got Cain again, this time hitting a two-run homer near the flagpoles in center field. That staked Boston to a 5-0 lead, one that continued to grow without Cain on the mound. Bruce Bochy yanked his starter after 2 1/3 innings, with three home runs and six hits tacked to Cain’s record. It was his first start since April 2014 that he allowed three home runs.
In the ‘pen
Albert Suarez, who’s roster spot was preserved at the expense of Ruben Tejada being designated for assignment on Wednesday, allowed extra-base hits to four of the first five hitters he faced. That swelled the Red Sox’ lead to eight as Jackie Bradley Jr, Sandy Leon, Brock Holt and Mookie Betts ambushed Suarez with three doubles and a triple.
Suarez worked out of a fourth-inning jam thanks to a spectacular, over-the-shoulder catch by Peña, ending the inning he began with a throwing error. But Suarez couldn’t get bailed out of facing Ramirez, who launched his third home run of the night to stretch a one-run lead to three. That was the finishing touch on Suarez’s five-run, three-inning outing. Josh Osich was next to come in, and Sandy Leon took him deep for the seventh home run of the game. Derek Law finally steadied the bullpen. He allowed only a hit one 1 2/3 innings.
On deck
The Giants have an off-day Thursday before squaring off with the Yankees this weekend. Madison Bumgarner faces Masahiro Tanaka in the series opener, with first pitch at 4:05 p.m. on KNBR 680.
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