As for the game, get ready to vomit anytime the game is on the line in the later innings. The Red Sox enjoyed a 3-1 lead after 7 innings thanks to the masterful pitching of Martin Perez. Perez dazzled the O's and the Sox needed just 6 outs to put the Baltimore Orioles away. Naturally Anthony Santander hit a 2 run bomb off of Josh Taylor to tie the game and take advantage of a Matt Barnes meltdown in the bottom of the tenth to hand the Sox another terrible loss. The new extra inning rule gave the Sox run but in the end the Orioles took advantage of it too to win the game 5-4 in extra innings.
Orioles starter Alex Cobb got the ball in the top of the first and Alex Verdugo flied out to center to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to first but JD Martinez singled to center. Xander Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. Perez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Hanser Alberto flied out to left to start. Anthony Santander flied out to center and Renato Nunez flied out to right to end the inning.
Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the second but Christian Vazquez stroked a single to right. Kevin Pillar banged into a double play to end the inning. The Orioles struck first in the bottom of the second although Pedro Severino grounded out to second to start. Pat Valaika hit a home run all the way to Sweden to give the Orioles the lead. Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging and hold friend Bryan Holoday flied out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.
The Sox blew a chance to tie the game in the top of the third although Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to begin. Jose Peraza lined out to right but Verdugo doubled to center. Devers walked but Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning. Ramon Urias singled to left to begin the bottom of the third but Cedric Mullins went down hacking. Alberto hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox went quietly in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Moreland whiffed and Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning. Perez kept pace in the bottom of the fourth as Santander went down swinging to start. Nunez doubled to left but Severino swung and missed for strike three. Valaika singled to left and Nunez motored around for home. Verdugo came up throwing and...YOU'RE OUTTA THERE! Verdugo got his 5th outfield assist and the inning was over.
The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Pillar grounded out to third to start. JBJ pounded his first home run of the season to tie the game and Peraza smacked a ground rule double to center. Verdugo doubled to right to score Peraza with the go-ahead run. Verdugo moved to third on the Devers liner and Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
Perez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Mountcastle lined out to right to start. Holoday grounded out to second and Urias grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth inning against Shawn Armstrong as Bogaerts was retired on a squibber to start. Moreland walked, Vazquez singled to center and Pillar singled to short to score Moreland with another run. That was it for Armstrong as Tanner Scott came in and JBJ flied out to left before Scott uncorked a wild pitch to move the runners over. Peraza grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Perez got Mullins to go down hacking to start the bottom of the sixth. Alberto lined out to short and Santander whiffed to end the inning.
Verdugo lined out to left to start the top of the seventh and Devers whiffed to chase Scott. Mychal Givens walked Martinez but Bogaerts lined out to center to end the inning. Perez came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and got Nunez to pop up to first to start. Severino singled to left and Valaika walked, but Mountcastle grounded back to the mound. Holoday flied out to right to end the inning. It all went for naught but Perez tossed his best game of the season by pitching 7 innings of 1 run ball, he deserved to win.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Moreland whiffed to start. Vazquez popped up to third and Pillar lined out to right to end the inning. 6 outs away from victory, the new look Boston bullpen failed miserably. Josh Taylor got Urias to fly out to center and Mullins whiffed...but Alberto walked. Santander then crushed a home run all the way to the Mississippi River to tie the game. That was it for Taylor as Ryan Brasier was brought in to clean up the mess. Nunez singled and Andrew Velazquez pinch ran for him, but he was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Cole Sulser came in for the top of the ninth and cruised as JBJ whiffed to start. Peraza went down swinging and Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Brasier returned for the bottom of the ninth and Severino lined out to center to begin. Valaika grounded out to second but Mountcastle singled to third. Chance Sisco pinch hit for Holoday and walked and Rio Ruiz pinch hit for Urias. Mason Williams pinch ran for Mountcastle but Ruiz whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox took advantage of the new extra inning rule in the top of the tenth with Verdugo starting at second base. Devers whiffed but Sulser walked Martinez, Bogaerts and Moreland to score the go-ahead run. Miguel Castro came in to blow away Vazquez and get pillar to pop up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Ruiz at second to begin. Even though the Sox were looking for it, Mullins somehow drag bunted a base hit to put runners at the corners. Barnes then uncorked a wild pitch to score Ruiz and put Mullins at second. Alberto then hit a little roller to second to put runners at the corners and Santander was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out. Barnes did manage to freeze Velazquez for strike three and Sox manager Ron Roenicke brought JBJ into the infield just in case there was a ground ball. Naturally Severino lined a base hit to center that would have been caught if JBJ was standing there to end the game. The Orioles handed the Sox yet another frustrating loss in a season full of them 5-4 in 10 innings.
Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. Staked to a one run lead, Barnes completely melted down and took the loss by allowing 3 hits and an intentional walk.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 5.
Martin Perez pitched 7 innings of 1 run ball and deserved the win, holding the O's to five hits.
Ryan Brasier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Josh Taylor served up the two run home run in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts, but walked.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but walked.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but walked twice, drove in a run and scored.
Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Why did we as Sox fans expect any different? Normally Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman would have locked down the win....but they're gone. Now the Sox have no closer or late inning arm and it bit them in the ass tonight. If the Sox offense can't score 6 runs then they have no chance. Taylor and Barnes falling down and peeing themselves are going to be the norm, just like the Sox being without Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa in September of 2015. Offensively the Sox did nothing apart from two innings which is why the O's were able to come back. Good news is there's only 31 games left in this disaster. The loss dropped the Sox to a terrible 9-19 on the season, dead last in the American League. Tomorrow the Sox lose again to the Orioles as they send Zack Godley (0-2, 6.87 ERA) to take a beating against Wade LeBlanc at 1:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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