Velazquez got the ball in the top of the first inning and walked Jonathan Villar on a full count. Trey Mancini popped up to first and Dwight Smith banged into a double play turned by Christian Vazquez at second base to end the inning. The Sox couldn't touch Dan Straily in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short, Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to the mound and Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The O's struck back in the top of the second as Rio Ruiz walked to start. A wild pitch moved Ruiz to second and he scored on the Renato Nunez single, although Nunez was thrown out at second trying to stretch. Chris Davis walked and moved to second when Rafael Devers botched a routine grounder by Jesus Sucre. Richie Martin walked to load the bases but Cedric Mullins whiffed and Villar popped up to first to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.
Nothing happened in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez grounded out to third to begin. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left before Devers drew a walk. Steve Pearce whiffed to end the inning.
Velazquez returned for one more inning in the top of the third and Mancini greeted him with a single. Smith banged into a double play before Ruiz flied out to center to end the inning. The four walks killed Velazquez otherwise he may have gone longer than 3 innings. Blake Swihart lined out to left to open the bottom of the third before Vazquez grounded out to short. Pedroia flied out to left to end the inning.
Marcus Walden came in to pitch the top of the fourth and he punched out the side. Nunez, Davis and Sucre all whiffed in short order. The no-hitter continued in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie whiffed, Moreland grounded out to short and Martinez lined out to center to end the inning.
The O's iced it in the top of the fifth as Martin walked to start and moved to second on the Mullins grounder. Villar singled home Martin but Mancini whiffed. Smith put the exclamation point on the horrid season the Sox have had with a 290 foot home run just inside the Pesky Pole to ice the game. Ruiz looked at strike three to end the inning with the O's up for good 4-0.
The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts singled to start before Devers singled him to third. Controversy erupted when Pearce beat out a double play ball to score Bogaerts with Devers sliding hard into second. O's manager Brandon Hyde challenged that Devers used an illegal slide but the call stood on replay. Hyde then bolted out of the dugout with a bat and took a swing at 1st base umpire Mark Wegner. Luckily he missed and was thrown out of the game, being escorted out of the park by heavily armed security. The rally ended as Swihart lined out to right and Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Colten Brewer took over for the top of the sixth and almost crapped his pants. Nunez singled to center but Davis looked at strike three. Sucre singled Nunez to third but Martin hit a grounder to the mound. Nunez was throw out in a rundown and Pearce bailed out Bogaerts when Bogaerts missed a pop up from Mullins but Pearce made a sliding catch underneath him to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth against Jimmy Yacabonis. Pedroia flied out to the centerfield warning track, Mr. Mookie popped up to second and Moreland flied out to center to end the inning.
Brandon Workman took over for the top of the seventh and Villar whiffed to start. Mancini grounded out to third and Smith hit a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Martinez tried to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh with a double to right to begin. He was stranded as Bogaerts whiffed to chase Yacabonis. Paul Fry came in, Devers lined out to left and Pearce whiffed to end the inning.
Heath Hembree came in for the top of the eighth and vomited up his intestines. Ruiz grounded out to first to start but Nunez doubled. Davis smashed a 400,000 foot bomb to further humiliate the Sox. Sucre walked but was doubled off first after Pearce made a great diving catch off a Martin line drive followed by a throw to first to end the inning with the O's ahead 6-1.
Swihart walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Evan Phillips came in to pitch and Vazquez lined out to right. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.
The O's poured it on in the top of the ninth after Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash to the mound. Mullins grounded out to third but Villar walked. Mancini doubled before Smith scored both runners with a double of his own. Ruiz grounded back to the mound before Nunez struck out to end the inning with the O's up 8-1.
Joey Rickard came in to play right with Miguel Castro on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Mr. Mookie walked but Moreland banged into a double play. Martinez singled but Bogaerts flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 8-1.
Jackass of the Night is Marcus Walden. The 3 runs he allowed in the top of the fifth was the difference in the game.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 2 for 4.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with a walk.
Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
The Bad:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs in the 8th inning.
Tyler Thornburg allowed 2 runs in the 9th inning.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Steve Pearce was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Blake Swihart was 0 for 2 but walked.
Hector Velazquez took the loss by allowing a run in 3 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Another horrific loss in a season that's down the drain. Just when it seems the Sox turn the corner they fall flat on their face. Getting beat up by the Orioles in 3 out of 4 games (needing another miracle rally to salvage one of which) puts the exclamation point on what a terrible team this is. Its amazing how this is the exact same team that won 108 games last year and blitzed through the World Series. They don't hit, pitch or field well and it doesn't look like anything will change soon. Betts looks lost and the starters have no command apart from David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez. If the Sox need a wakeup call, they're going to get it tomorrow night when they play the New York Yankees. James Paxton goes for New York With Chris Sale (0-3) looking to right himself at the special start time of 6:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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