I’ve spent enough time in this space complaining about the Sox recently that it’s gotten a little boring, always being upset about this team. You know what? This is a team that’s still 8-5 in its last 13 games, and I’m going to push past the bad stuff. Except, okay, yeah. We have to talk about Rick Porcello.

It’s just getting to be tragic. The guy is a near-lock to be terrible every time he steps on the mound. First of all, I was going to tweet for every out that Porcello recorded on his way to a no-hitter. But Rick obviously ruined that immediately by giving up a leadoff single to Jose Reyes. And then he let Josh Donaldson have a bunt single. He struck out our loyal reader Joey Bats to provide the illusion of major league ability, and then promptly gave up the game-winning home run to Edwin Encarnacion. Look at the pitch location. It’s a meatball. An unbelievable meatball of a changeup.

But Porcello’s problem isn’t just with his pitches staying up in the zone. Two batters after Encarnacion’s game-breaking homer (after hitting Russell Martin), Porcello threw another changeup, this time pinning it to the bottom of the strike zone, and Justin Smoak cleaned it out to right field. León had asked for it on the outer half of the plate, though, and Porcello gave it to Smoak inside. It was a fatal mistake (I’m being hyperbolic, I know no one died. Except me, inside).

And then Pillar hit a clean double to left and got picked off second (if only Porcello could locate his pitches as well as his pickoff moves), and Carrera hit one right on the screws, as Righty would say, but directly to Mookie Betts to end the inning.

With the game pretty much in hand, the Sox’ offense rolled over and died until the 7th inning and whoa there, I am not doing a very good job of staying positive. Okay, to be fair, Bogaerts doubled and De Aza tripled along the way, but neither scored so excuse me for not being enthusiastic.

Anyway, Porcello made up for striking out Bautista early in the game by giving up a 2-run home run to him in the 2nd inning, making it 7-0 Blue Jays. Right down the gut of the plate, by the way. Rick finished out the inning and then sat down to ice his arm.

Robbie Ross, Jr. fared better but also gave up Justin Smoak’s second home run of the afternoon. This one was an absolute moonshot. He almost took it to the third deck.

So, yes, back to the main theme of this post. The good stuff. Like I said, De Aza kept up the slugging with yet another triple. Hanley Ramirez came back to the lineup and hit a triple of his own, though Sandoval did manage to push him home with a ground ball out.

Mookie homered…boy, I am quickly running out of positives. Mike Napoli made this incredible leaping snag of a line drive to start an inning-ending double play in the 7th, but also contributed his usual 0-4 with 2 strikeouts, so I’ll be generous and call it a wash. Jonathan Aro continued to prove that he might not quite be ready for the big leagues, giving up 3 runs in 3 innings. That’s all I got.

Notes:

• I know he’s not having a bad year, but I’m still embarrassed that the Sox got shut down by Mark friggin’ Buehrle.
• The Sox didn’t exactly kill it from the plate, but they’re still slugging. 4 of their 6 hits went for extra bases. And you’re not going to win many games anyway when your pitching staff gives up 16 hits and 5 home runs.
• Brock Holt took a seat for the day, and Deven Marrero filled in for Pedroia at second base. He went 0-3.
• Please don’t let Porcello pitch in five days. I just can’t watch him again.  Please do something else with him. Come on. Tell him his next start is in Miami and that he has to take a private jet down there by himself. Anything.