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BOSTON — The Red Sox had to know that they had their work cut out for them heading into Saturday’s game.
Ranked near the bottom in most offensive categories and limited to either one or no runs in two of their previous three games, the Sox added to their degree of difficulty by drawing two-time Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal as an opponent.
The afternoon proved to be as difficult as they imagined it would be in a 4-1 loss to Skubal and the rest of the Detroit Tigers.
It didn’t help matters that the Sox spotted Skubal a 4-0 lead by the middle of the fourth inning. As imposing as that was, however, they still had their chances.
The Sox seemed overwhelmed in the early going as Skubal retired the first nine hitters he faced — five by strikeout — and didn’t allow a hit through the first four innings.
Finally, in the fifth, the Sox loaded the bases with no out. The following inning, they had runners at the corners with no out. And yet, they managed just one run combined from those two chances.
“We chased,” said a glum Alex Cora. “We chased a lot today. His stuff was good, the changeup was playing today. But we just have to make sure, in those situations, to be better. We’ve got to get him in the zone.”
“He pitched his game,” said Willson Contreras with a shrug. “He mixed up his pitches really well and he executed whenever he had to execute and it was his day today.”
With the bases full in the fifth and nobody out, a double play from Connor Wong produced the Sox’ first run, but also effectively killed any chances of a big inning.
In the sixth, after Roman Anthony led with a single and took third on a single from Andruw Monasterio, Contreras took a called third strike, Trevor Story went down swinging for the third straight time, flailing at a pitch far out of the zone, and Wilyer Abreu grounded out as the Red Sox came away empty-handed.
“You have to chip away with aces,” said Cora. “You have to make sure when you have your chances to cash in, get it close enough, or in this case, get the lead. A run here and a run there, it’s a 4-3 game and you take your chances against their bullpen.
“But we had him on the ropes and he did what he usually does.”
Skubal finished with 10 strikeouts for the 18th time in his major league career while walking just two.
Even given Skubal’s pedigree, Contreras said falling behind to him 4-0 shouldn’t have intimidated the Sox’ lineup.
“A 4-0 lead in the big leagues, we can turn it around any time,” he said. “But we couldn’t find our way today. In a big spot, he executed every pitch that he wanted to throw. That’s the truth.”
In the Red Sox’ case, the cold, hard truth.
More Red Sox coverage
- Red Sox change start time of Sunday’s game vs. Tigers due to rain in forecast
- Red Sox’ Brayan Bello (6.75 ERA in 4 starts) offers simple fix for early-season struggles
- Red Sox reactions: Offense K’s 10 times vs. Cy Young winner; Brayan Bello scuffles in loss
- Who’s the Red Sox No. 1 catcher? Alex Cora dodges the question
- Red Sox lineup vs. Tarik Skubal doesn’t have Friday hero — or Jarren Duran
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