It was a bad night for Boston sports. First the Boston Bruins dropped Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres then the Boston Red Sox dropped Game 2 of their season opening doubleheader to the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles pounced on Sox starter Bob Ojeda (0-1, 13.50 ERA) for 3 runs and he lasted just two innings. Bob Stanley was tagged for 2 runs as well as the Orioles put 5 total runs on the board. O's starter Dennis Martinez held the Sox offense to just 3 runs in 7 2/3 innings. Sammy Stewart slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Orioles had won Game 2 by a score of 5-3 at Memorial Stadium.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Martinez in the top of the first inning as Rick Miller walked to start. Dwight Evans popped up to first but Jim Rice took strike three. Carl Yastrzemski smashed his first home run of the season to put the Sox on top but Carney Lansford grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Orioles responded against Ojeda in the bottom of the first as Al Bumbry grounded back to the mound to begin. Rich Dauer doubled to left but Ken Singleton popped up to second. Eddie Murray pounded a ground rule double to right to score Dauer and cut the lead. Dan Ford lined out to center but the O's were on the board down 2-1.
Dave Stapleton grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Rich Gedman grounded back to the mound. Glenn Hoffman grounded out to short to end the inning. Gary Roenicke grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Cal Ripken Jr singled to right. Rick Dempsey walked but Lenn Sakata grounded into a double play to end the inning.
23 year old Wade Boggs made his Major League debut in the top of the third by grounding back to the mound to start. Miller grounded out to third but Evans walked. Rice grounded out to third to end the inning. The O's chased Ojeda quickly in the bottom of the third as Bumbry walked to start. Dauer singled to center and Singleton singled home Bumbry to tie the game. That was it for Ojeda who was yanked after just 2 innings. Bob Stanley came in and Murray beat out a double play ball to score Dauer with the go-ahead run. Ford walked but Roenicke struck out swinging. Ripken Jr grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's ahead 3-2.
Yaz tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth but Lansford forced him at second. Stapleton flied out to center and Gedman flied out to right to end the inning. Stanley struck out Dempsey swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Sakata singled in the hole at short. Bumbry forced Sakata at second and Dauer forced Bumbry at second to end the inning.
Hoffman was plunked to start the top of the fifth and Boggs moved him to second with a grounder to third. Miller dropped a base hit to left but Hoffman was thrown out at home on the play. Miller took second on the throw home and Evans walked, but Rice forced Dwight at second to end the inning. The O's struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Singleton walked to start. Murray singled to center but Ford flied out to right. Roenicke was plunked to load the bases and Ripken Jr scored Singleton with a grounder to third. Dempsey walked to reload the bases but Sakata flied out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-2.
Yaz grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Lansford singled to right. Stapleton banged into a double play to end the inning. The O's got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Bumbry singled to center and was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Dauer. Bumbry moved to third on the Singleton grounder and scored on the Murray double to left. Ford flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the seventh as Gedman grounded back to the mound to start. Hoffman flied out to center and Boggs grounded out to short to end the inning. Tom Burgmeier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Roenicke flied out to center to start. Ripken Jr flied out to right and Dempsey grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Sox had a chance to rally in the top of the eighth as Miller walked to start. Evans flied out to center and Rice popped up to short but Yaz singled to right. Sammy Stewart came in to pitch and the ball four pitch to Lansford sailed to the backstop, scoring Miller. With the tying run at first, Stapleton hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.
Burgmeier returned for the bottom of the eighth and Sakata flied out to left to start. Bumbry grounded back to the mound and Dauer singled to right. Singleton walked but Murray popped up to second to end the inning.
The Sox tried to rally in the top of the ninth as Gedman walked to start. Reid Nichols pinch ran for Gedman and Hoffman got a base hit to left. Inexcusably, Nichols got picked off and Boggs forced Hoffman at second. Miller walked to put the tying run on but Evans took strike three to end the game. The O's had won it 5-3.
The Good:
Rick Miller was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.
Carl Yastrzemski was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer.
Carney Lansford was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Glenn Hoffman was 1 for 3.
Tom Burgmeier tossed 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Jim Rice was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Dave Stapleton was 0 for 4.
Reid Nichols got picked off as a pinch runner.
Wade Boggs was 0 for 4.
Bob Ojeda was charged with 3 runs in just 2 plus innings.
The Ugly:
Dwight Evans was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.
Rich Gedman was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
That loss was a kick to the groin after the first game. It was one of those cases where things went south and kept going south. Ojeda was yanked in the third inning and Stanley not only allowed the go-ahead run to score but two more runs. The Sox did manage to get a run back but couldn't get a clutch hit after that. Nichols getting picked off was a crucial out in the ninth and Evans not even getting the bat on the ball all added up to a deserved loss. With Tony Perez turning 40 in may and his career winding down, Boggs could be the guy to replace him. He was a good contact hitter in Pawtucket so we'll see if that translates to the majors. Burgmeier looked good out of the bullpen but all in all it was a bad loss that put a damper on the win in the first game. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Orioles when John Tudor makes his season debut against Mike Flanagan of Baltimore. The game begins at 2:05 PM at Memorial Stadium.
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