Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and gave the game away. He struck out Tim Beckham to start but Manny Machado singled off the Monster. Jonathan Schoop singled to right. Porcello then dug his own grave as Adam Jones hit a liner right to his head that he narrowly avoided with his glove. Rather than throw to first, Porcello threw the ball 500 feet straight in the air. Machado scored and Schoop went to third on the error. Trey Mancini hit a sacrifice fly to center that scored Schoop and Chris Davis grounded out to end the inning, but the O's were up 2-0.
Jeremy Hellickson got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and the Sox did absolutely nothing. Eduardo Nunez grounded out to short, Andrew Benintendi popped up to third and Mookie Betts popped up to left to end the inning.
The O's, meanwhile, had no trouble hitting Porcello as Mark Trumbo blasted a solo home run to keep it rolling for Baltimore. Wellington Castillo singled to right but was erased on the Seth Smith force. The train kept rolling as Beckham hit a routine grounder to Rafael Devers who threw the ball 750 feet over the head of Mitch Moreland for another error, allowing Smith to reach third. Machado singled up the middle to score Smith and Porcello bounced a pitch 3 feet in front of home plate, allowing Beckham to reach third. Things got even worse when Schoop struck out and Machado cleaned out Nunez at second trying to steal. Beckham scored and Machado made it all the way to third. Nunez had to be carried off the field on a stretcher and Brock Holt took over at second. Jones popped up to center to end the inning but it was now 5-0 Baltimore and just getting worse.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Moreland got a lucky break when he hit a ground ball into the shift that was thrown away by Schoop. Bogaerts took advantage by blasting a 2 run home run into the Monster Seats to cut into the lead. Devers flied out to center and Chris Young popped up before Rajai Davis made his Sox debut by grounding out to short to end the inning. Still, the Sox showed some life and it was 5-2.
For some reason Porcello game back for the top of the third and somehow struck out Mancini to start. Naturally Davis blasted a moonshot to dead center to kill any momentum the Sox had. Trumbo then almost hit one out but Mookie robbed him at the wall. Porcello struck out Castillo but the rout was on, 6-2 O's.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Leon popped up to third, Holt flied out to left and Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning.
Porcello came back for the top of the fourth and somehow got Smith to ground out to short to start. Beckham grounded out to first and Machado hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. As usual the Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fourth as Betts lined out to center, Moreland watched strike three go by and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Red Sox put on one of the most embarrassing displays of incompetence in the top of the fifth inning. Schoop singled and moved to second on the ground out by Jones. Mancini singled home Schoop but Davis his a picture perfect double play ball to Bogaerts...who threw it 500 feet over the head of Holt at second onto Euctaw Street for an error. Trumbo walked to load the bases although Mancini was out at home on a force by Castillo. At this point the game wasn't totally out of reach if Porcello could get the third out. It didnt happen as Smith singled to score Davis and Trumbo, chasing Porcello from the game. Another hideous start by Porcello was about to get worse with Joe Kelly now in the game. Beckham doubled home Castillo and Smith to close the book on Rick. Machado singled Beckham to third and Schoop singled to score Tim. Jones singled and Benintendi got so frustrated with the 7th hit of the inning he turned around and heaved the ball into the Monster Seats for an error, scoring Machado. Mancini grounded out to end the inning but the massacre was now 13-2 Baltimore.
The Sox did manage to show some life trailing by 11 in the bottom of the fifth inning. Devers singled but Young was rung up for strike three. Davis singled Devers to third and Rafael scored on the Leon sac fly. A wild pitch moved Davis to second but Holt grounded out to end the inning with the Sox down 13-3.
Kelly returned for the top of the sixth inning and struck out both Davis and Trumbo. Castillo singled and Smith walked, but Beckham struck out to end the inning. The Sox offense was done for the night in the bottom of the sixth inning as Benintendi, Betts and Moreland all grounded out to end the inning.
Blaine Boyer came in for a beating in the top of the seventh inning. Machado flied out to right but both Schoop and Jones singled. Mancini tripled home everyone before Davis scored Trey with a sac fly. Trumbo singled but Castillo flied out to right to end the inning. The O's built a 16-3 lead...what a rout.
Craig Gentry came in for Jones in the bottom of the seventh as Bogaerts flied out to left and Devers flied out to center. Young doubled and Beckham booted a grounder by Davis, allowing him to reach. Leon popped up to end the inning.
Robby Scott came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and got Smith to fly out to left to start. Beckham lined out to center as Anthony Santander pinch hit for Machado only to pop up to end the inning. Ryan Flaherty replaced Smith as Richard Bleier came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Holt and Benintendi grounded out to short but Betts singled and took second on a wild throw by Bleier. Moreland walked but Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.
Things got entertaining as Hanley Ramirez came in to play first because Mitch Moreland took over on the mound. No, that's not a typo...Moreland was asked to pitch the top of the ninth inning, shades of Darnell McDonald in 2012, to save some arms. Caleb Joseph pinch hit for Schoop and Moreland struck him out, no joke. Gentry grounded out to short but Mancini and Davis stroked back to back singles. Trumbo grounded out to short to end the inning. Mitch Moreland pitched a scoreless inning, no lie.
Mercifully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth with Mike Wright on the mound. Devers lined out to start but Beckham dropped a pop up, allowing Young to reach. Davis was plunked but Leon popped up. Holt looked at strike 3 to end this disaster. The O's had won 16-3.
Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He was a complete dumpster fire giving up 10 hits, a walk and ELEVEN runs. His regression from last year is downright appalling.
The Good:
Chris Young was 2 for 4.
Rajai Davis was 1 for 3.
Robby Scott pitched a scoreless 8th.
Mitch Moreland pitched a scoreless 9th inning...he was 0 for 3 with a walk and a run scored at the plate.
The Bad:
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 1 before being carried out on a stretcher.
Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Joe Kelly gave up 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.
Blaine Boyer gave up 3 runs in an inning.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a 2 run home run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Honorable Mention:
Hanley Ramirez played 1st base in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Any good feeling the Sox had after the first 3 weeks of August is gone now. Back to back disasters are complete momentun killers. Its wasn't just that they lost to Baltimore, they got chewed up and spat out by a team still smarting over their last series at Fenway. The Sox cant afford too many losses with the division race as close as it is. Hopefully the Sox can bounce back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 73-55, 5.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon Eduardo Rodriguez goes mano e mano with Kevin Gausman at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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