There’s something about a game in which your team gets shut out, especially in baseball, where in a season of 162 games you can kind of try to forget the bad ones, that makes you not want to write about it. Mostly because I’m going to be discussing the Mariners’ success and the Red Sox’ failures, because there’s not much else to say.

Steven Wright looked pretty ordinary, insofar as a knuckleballer can look ordinary. He had a typical knuckler inning in the second when he gave up three singles and bounced a ball off his catcher’s mask for a run-scoring passed ball. He gave up a meatball home run to Brad Miller, who came in hot, having hit two homers the day before. Other than that, though, he looked solid. He was still on his way to a quality start, if that counts for anything, when he was pulled in favor of Matt Barnes for the 6th inning. Overall, not a bad day for a starter on the back end of the rotation.

BOSTON	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	ERA
Wright (L, 1-1)	5.0	5	3	2	1	4	1	4.02

But as has been the case recently, the offense didn’t do a thing to support Wright’s effort. This play pretty much sums up the day offensively for the Sox. Kyle Seager bobbles it, and then double-clutches the throw, and you’re thinking how can Hanley possibly still not be close to the bag? Thrown out easily, loses his helmet. He’d strike out in his other three at-bats on the day. It’s not going great for him right now.

It’s not just Hanley. The combination of Betts, Pedroia, Ramirez, Napoli, and Sandoval batted a combined 0-19 with a walk (by Pedroia). Four of Boston’s five hits on the night came from the bottom third of the order, and three of those four (one each by Bogaerts, Brock Holt, and Blake Swihart) were of the infield variety. The bats are dead, people. They’ll come back, yeah. But when?

The only runners that Boston put into scoring position came with two outs. Without some big hitting, the Sox never stood a chance. But yesterday’s game was not bereft of promising play for the Red Sox! It just all happened to come on the defensive side of the ball.

• Blake Swihart caught Justin Ruggiano stealing.
• Bogaerts made a really tough play, diving back to his left after moving to cover second and throwing to first for the out.
• After giving up the home run to Miller, Wright came back (as Buchholz did the other night) with consecutive strikeouts to reassert himself.
• Pedroia made the type of play that we all take for granted.

However, none of these great plays generated any runs. Shame, that.

Also, tough day at the office for Craig Breslow. Poor guy comes into the game with a man on (Cruz had been walked by Alexi Ogando) and his team down by three in the eighth inning and has his first pitch taken deep. Generally, that’s not how you want to introduce yourself. Anyway, the Sox’ offense really needs this day off. Let’s hope it works out.