BOSTON — Instant reactions as the clock finally strikes midnight for a taxed Red Sox bullpen in a 5-1 loss to the Mets that drops Boston back below .500 at 25-26:
1) The Red Sox knew any sort of ask from their bullpen would be a big one after the relief corps combined for 11 very good innings over the first two games of the series. Predictably, things didn’t work out.
Liam Hendriks struck out back-to-back hitters in relief of Garrett Crochet in the sixth, but ran into immediate trouble in a 1-1 game in the seventh. Three straight singles (including one of the infield variety) set the table for Brett Baty to put the Mets ahead with a deep two-run single the opposite way off Brennan Bernardino, pitching for the fourth time on the homestand. Hendriks was charged with three earned runs as his ERA ballooned to 5.56. There were more earned runs in his outing (3) than outs (2).
2) It’s hard to strike out 10 times against a starter that goes fewer than five innings but that’s what the Red Sox did against Tylor Megill on Wednesday. He had multiple strikeouts in each of the first four innings before running into some trouble in the fifth.
In total, Boston’s offense struck out 16 times, marking a season-high. Alex Bregman was 0-for-4 with four Ks in the loss. Six players struck out more than once.
3) It’s clear Boston’s medical staff had identified Wednesday’s start — Crochet’s 10th of the season — as a scheduled short one. On a chilly night, Alex Cora had a quick hook on Crochet at 85 pitches after just 5 ⅓ innings. The two men had a prolonged conversation on the mound about it, too.
Crochet’s line was a good one, as he allowed just a single run on five hits while striking out five. But he only got six swings-and-misses and New York hit him hard early.
4) The Red Sox’ first run scored on a swing that would have led to much more damage on most late May nights. With the bases loaded and one out in the fifth, Jarren Duran smoked a first-pitch fastball from Megill — it went 108.3 mph off the bat — but died before the warning track in right field. What would have been a grand slam on many nights was a lowly sacrifice fly that tied the game.
On a 52-degree night at Fenway, that proved costly. Mets reliever Huascar Brazobán struck out Alex Bregman to end the inning with them loaded.
5) The power-on-power battles between Crochet and Mets superstar Juan Soto all went the way of the Red Sox’ lefty. Soto struck out looking twice (on three pitches in the first and on four pitches in the third) to start his night, then chased a dirtball sweeper on Crochet’s final pitch of the night to record a third K. In total, Soto saw just 10 pitches (and 9 strikes).
Soto, like Duran, put a charge into a sacrifice fly in the seventh. His went 104.7 mph off the bat and into the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela.
6) Rookie Kristian Campbell snapped an 0-for-17 slump with a single in the sixth. In May, he has watched his OPS fall from .902 to .694. He’s 5-for-53 (.094) with one extra-base hit (and 18 strikeouts) this month.
Campbell walked in the ninth inning. It was his second free pass of the month.
7) Sean Newcomb might have a case for worker’s compensation. Three days after throwing 79 pitches in relief (six days after a 98-pitch relief performance), he was called upon again late in the game. He needed only X pitches in 2 ⅓ innings. One of them left the yard when Francisco Lindor provided an insurance run with a Monster blast in the ninth.
8) Weather-permitting, the Red Sox will begin a four-game series with the struggling Orioles on Thursday night. With a horrendous forecast for Thursday, things might change. But for now, here’s the schedule (and pitching probables):
Thursday, 6:45 p.m. ET — LHP Cade Povich (1-3, 5.23 ERA) vs. RHP Lucas Giolito (1-1, 7.08 ERA)
Friday, 7:10 p.m. ET — RHP Charlie Morton (0-7, 7.68 ERA) vs. RHP Brayan Bello (2-1, 4.02 ERA)
Saturday, 4:10 p.m. ET — RHP Zach Eflin (3-2, 5.08 ERA) vs. RHP Hunter Dobbins (2-1, 3.62 ERA)
Sunday, 1:35 p.m. ET — RHP Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.50 ERA) vs. RHP Walker Buehler (4-1, 4.00 ERA)
