Ramon Martinez got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and Brady Anderson led off by hitting one up the elevator shaft. Mike Bordick grounded out to third but Delino Deshields singled to right. Deshields stole second but Albert Belle popped up to short to end the inning. Jason Johnson got the ball for Baltimore in the bottom of the first and Jose Offerman walked to start. Jeff Frye whiffed and Offerman was thrown out trying to steal. Jason Varitek lined out to left to end the inning.
The O's rallied in the top of the second although BJ Surhoff popped up to short to start. Will Clark popped up to second and Ryan Minor whiffed....but the ball got away from Varitek and the inning continued. The O's capitalized as Harold Baines singled to right and Charles Johnson singled home Minor. Brady Anderson singled home Baines for another run before Bordick grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's ahead 2-0 after the miscue by Varitek.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Nomar Garciaparra drew a walk to start. Morgan Burkhart drove in his first run with the Red Sox with a double to right that scored Nomar. Mike Stanley grounded out to short, Brian Daubach popped up to third in foul territory and Darren Lewis grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.
Ramon froze Deshields for strike three to open the top of the third before Belle lined out to left. Surhoff singled to left but Clark flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Wilton Veras drew a walk to start. Offerman singled to right and the throw was nowhere near the plate and Veras scored on the error. Frye singled home Offerman to give Boston the lead, Frye taking second on the throw home. Frye moved to third on the grounder by Varitek and they walked Nomar to get to Burkhart. Morgan hit a routine grounder to first but it was booted to allow Frye. Stanley whiffed and Daubach flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.
Minor grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Baines grounded out to first. Johnson singled to left but Anderson lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Lewis whiffed to start. Veras flied out to right and Offerman whiffed to end the inning.
The floodgates opened in the top of the fifth when Bordick hit a routine grounder to Veras who threw himself on the ball and wrestled with it for an error. DeShields singled to right and Belle singled home Bordick. Surhoff singled home DeShields to tie the game and send Belle to third. Clark scored Belle with a sac fly to give the O's the lead. Minor popped up to short and Baines flied out to right to end the inning with the O's ahead 5-4.
Frye lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Varitek went down hacking. Nomar walked but Burkhart grounded out to second to end the inning.
Ramon came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth as Johnson whiffed to start. Anderson was hit by a pitch but Bordick flied out to right. Anderson swiped second but DeShields popped up to first to end the inning. Ramon got lit up for 5 runs in just 6 innings although only 2 of the runs were earned.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Stanley whiffed to start. Daubach flied out to center but Lewis grounded out to second to end the inning.
Rheal Cormier came in for the top of the seventh and Belle flied out to left to start. Surhoff singled and moved to second on the Clark grounder before Minor walked. Baines popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the seventh as Veras walked to start. Offerman dropped down a bunt to move Wilton to second but Frye popped up to second. Mike Timlin came in to pitch to Varitek and Jason doubled to left to score Veras to tie the game. Nomar flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the Orioles re-took the lead instantly in the top of the eighth with Rod Beck now on the mound. Johnson hit his second home run in many days to give the O's the lead before Anderson flied out to center. Bordick lined out to first and DeShields grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's ahead 6-5.
The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as Burkhart singled to center to start. Carl Everett pinch hit for Stanley with Curtis Pride pinch running for Burkhart. Everett flied out to right as Chuck McElroy was brought in to pitch to Daubach. Sox manager Jimy Williams countered by pinch hitting Izzy Alcantara to pinch hit for Brian. Alcantara respinded with a base hit to left and Mike Trombley came in to pitch to Lewis. Lewis beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Scott Hatteberg pinch hit for Veras, getting a base hit to right to score Pride and advancing Lewis to third. Manny Alexander pinch ran for Hatteberg and Offerman singled home Lewis to give the Sox the lead. Frye walked but Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.
For the second straight game Derek Lowe blew the save in the top of the ninth. Belle grounded out to short but Surhoff doubled to right. Clark tripled over the head of Lewis to score Surhoff with the tying run. Mark Lewis ran for Clark with Jeff Conine pinch hitting for Minor. Conine grounded out sharply to short and Baines was intentionally walked. Johnson grounded into a force to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7.
Alan Mills came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Nomar lined out to left to start. Pride flied out to center and with the Sox losing the DH, Lowe was scheduled to bat. Sox manager Jimy Williams remembered Pete Schourek had batting experience in the National League and sent him to pinch hit for Lowe. Pete got a base hit to center much to Jimy's delight but Alcantara flied out to center to end the inning.
Rich Garces came in for the top of the tenth and Anderson flied out to center to start. Bordick whiffed but DeShields singled to center. Belle struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Mercedes came in for the bottom of the tenth and Lewis popped up to short to start. Alexander whiffed but Offerman singled to left. Frye walked and Varitek flied out to left to end the inning.
Bryce Florie came in for the top of the eleventh and the O's took command as Surhoff doubled to left to start. Lewis dropped down a bunt to move Surhoff to third and Varitek interfered with Conine to put runners at the corners. Baines doubled home Surhoff to give the O's the lead but Johnson struck out swinging. Anderson was intentionally walked but Bordick grounded into a force to end the inning with the O's ahead 8-7.
Buddy Groom came in to close out the bottom of the eleventh but Nomar singled to left. Pride popped up a bunt to Groom and Sox manager Jimy Williams remembered Tom Wakefield used to bat for Pittsburgh in 1992 and sent him to pinch hit for Florie. Wakefield dropped down a bunt to move Nomar to second but Alcantara flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 8-7.
Jackass of the Night is Derek Lowe. For the second straight night it never should have come to Bryce Florie pitching the 11th if Lowe did his job in the ninth.
The Good:
Jose Offerman was 3 for 4 with an rbi, walk and a run scored.
Nomar Garciaparra was 1 for 3 with 3 walks and a run scored.
Pete Schourek got a base hitter as a pinch hitter....yes you read that right.
Morgan Burkhart was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.
Izzy Alcantara was 1 for 3 at the plate.
Wilton Veras walked twice and scored twice in 3 at bats.
Scott Hatteberg singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.
Rheal Cormier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Rich Garces pitched a scoreless 10th inning.
The Bad:
Mike Stanley was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Carl Everett was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Brian Daubach was 0 for 3.
Manny Alexander was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Ramon Martinez was lit up for 5 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings of work. He gave up 9 hits while only striking out 3.
Rod Beck allowed a run in the 8th inning.
Bryce Florie allowed the go-ahead run to score in the top of the 11th to take the loss.
The Ugly:
Jeff Frye was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.
Jason Varitek was just 1 for 6 with an error but drove in a run.
Curtis Pride was 0 for 2 but scored a run.
Darren Lewis was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Honorable Mention:
Tim Wakefield dropped down a bunt as a pinch hitter....yes you read that right.
Final Thoughts:
This month can't end fast enough but unless the Sox pull off a blockbuster trade, help doesn't appear to be coming. Everything that went right last year has gone wrong this year. Injuries and ineffectiveness on offense and in the rotation has sank the Sox to the point they are at now. Pedro Martinez may go on the DL, Trot Nixon is already on the DL, John Valentin is out for the season, Troy O'Leary is rumored to be going through a messy divorce and all the bench guys that stepped up in May reverted back to normal this month. The Sox had their way with this Orioles in that early May series but these aren't the same Sox anymore. As for the game, that was absolutely insane. Pete Schourek pinch hitting and getting a hit, Tim Wakefield pinch hitting and dropping down a bunt. Can't say Jimy Williams doesn't get creative sometimes. The loss dropped the Sox to 37-36, 3.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage their three game set against the Orioles tomorrow night when they send tonight's pinch hitter Tim Wakefield (2-5) to the mound up against last night's pinch runner Scott Erickson at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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