The O's wasted no time getting to Chacin in the top of the first when Jonathan Villar lined the first pitch of the game into right for a double and DJ Stewart smashed a 400,000 foot home run 3 pitches later to give the O's the lead. Trey Mancini whiffed but Rio Ruiz singled to center. Renato Nunez popped up to second but Chris Davis walked. Steve Wilkerson flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Orioles.
Somehow the Sox rallied against John Means in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right but Rafael Devers popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts crushed his 33rd home run of the season to tie the game and JD Martinez clobbered his 36th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Sam Travis flied out to center and Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.
Chacin failed to hold the lead in the top of the second inning as Austin Wynns struck out swinging to start. Richie Martin pulverized a 79,000 foot home run to tie the game. Villar took strike three and Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.
The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the second as Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center to start. Chris Owings whiffed and Sandy Leon went down hacking to end the inning.
The O's took the lead for good in the top of the third inning although Mancini grounded out to first to start. Ruiz popped up to first but Nunez put the O's on top with a 7,000,000 foot home run halfway to Maine to chase Chacin. The "opener" got lit up for 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Bobby Poyner walked Davis when he was brought in but Wilkerson flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.
As usual when the Sox fell behind, they stayed behind int he bottom of the third inning. JBJ whiffed to start before Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts walked but Martinez took strike three to end the inning.
Heath Hembree got the ball in the top of the fourth inning and Wynns struck out swinging to start. Martin grounded back to the mound and Villar popped up to first to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fourth as Travis grounded out to third to start. Holt lined out to short but Hernandez walked. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the fifth and Stewart walked to start. Mancini whiffed but Stewart was erased on the force by Ruiz. Nunez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth although Leon grounded out to third to start. JBJ lined out to third but Devers and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles. With a chance to tie the game...Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.
Andrew Cashner came in to take one final beating this season in the top of the sixth inning. Davis greeted him with a double to left and Wilkerson sacrificed him to third. Wynns singled Davis home and Martin doubled Wynns home. Villar singled home Martin and swiped second base. Villar went to third on the grounder by Stewart and Mancini singled him home to chase the incompetent Cashner. Cashner ends his Sox career as one of the biggest busts in trade history, allowing 4 runs to put the game out of reach. Colten Brewer came in and got Ruiz to ground back to the mound to end the inning but it was 8-3 Orioles.
The Sox managed a feeble rally against Shawn Armstong in the bottom of the sixth inning as Travis walked to start. Holt flied out to left but Hernandez singled to center. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Owings and struck out swinging but Leon beat out a dribbler to short to score Travis. How big were those Cashner runs now? Tanner Scott came in to pitch to JBJ and got him to ground into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.
Brewer returned for the top of the seventh and Nunez whiffed to start. Davis grounded out to third but Wilkerson singled to center. Wilkerson stole second and Wynns whiffed to end the inning. Devers grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh but O's manager Bruce Hyde HAD to make a pitching change, bringing in Branden Kline for absolutely no reason. Bogaerts singled to short, Martinez walked and Travis reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Representing the tying run....Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Its been that kind of year.
Josh A Smith came in for the top of the eighth and Martin lined out to center to start. Villar walked but was erased on the Stewart force. Stewart was gunned down trying to steal by the alert Leon to end the inning. Austin Hays took over for Stewart in center with Wilkerson moving to right for the bottom of the eighth. Gorkys Hernandez walked to start and Bruce Hyde just had to make ANOTHER pitching change, bringing in Richard Bleier. Marco Hernandez singled to left but was erased on the Leon force. Naturally JBJ hit into a double play to end the inning.
Smith returned for the top of the ninth and Mancini greeted him with a 15,000 foot home run into the Charles River. Ruiz lined out to center, Nunez went down swinging and Davis took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 9-4.
Thankfully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Devers flied out to right to start. Just to piss off the remaining fans, Bruce Hyde trudged to the mound and absolutely had to bring in Dillon Tate with a 5 run lead with 1 out in the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Martinez took strike three to end the game. The O's had won the game 9-4.
Jackass of the Night is Andrew Cashner. He turned a 4-3 game into 8-3 in the blink of an eye to put it out of reach.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a home run.
Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.
Marco Hernandez was 1 for 2.
Bobby Poyner got the final out of the third inning.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless fourth inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless fifth inning.
Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Chris Owings was 0 for 2 with a strikeout/
Jhoulys Chacin allowed 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and hit a home run.
Sam Travis was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but knocked in a run.
Josh A Smith allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
Thank god this miserable season is almost over. September has been absolutely dreadful to watch with no starting rotation, constant pitching changes and lack of clutch hitting. Today was a microcosm of the season with the "opener" failing miserably and their only trade acquisition falling flat on his face. The supposedly good offense once again did not come back when trailing and it all adds up to failure. Thankfully this nightmare is almost over and we never have to see most of these people again. There's no way Smith, Chacin or Cashner are coming back or the Juan Cetenos and Gorkys Hernandez of the world either. The loss dropped the Sox to 83-78 with one game left in the season. The only reason to tune into tomorrow's finale against the Orioles is Eduardo Rodriguez (19-6, 3.80 ERA) quest for 20 wins on the season. Standing in E-Rod's way is old Sox farmhand Chandler Shepherd. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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