The Red Sox ended their scoreless streak Sunday, but not their losing streak.
After 18 innings without a run, the Sox broke through in the sixth inning, but that was the extent of their damage, as they dropped their fourth straight, 2-1, to the Baltimore Orioles.
Former Red Sox starter Wade Miley limited them to a solo run in five-plus innings and four relievers followed him to the mound, keeping them off the scoreboard.
The Sox managed eight hits, but were a woeful 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded 13.
Doug Fister, fresh off a complete-game one-hitter, was tagged for two first inning runs before slamming the door in the next innings.
Run-scoring doubles from Adam Jones and Trey Mancini in the first gave the O's enough with which to work.
Rafael Devers doubled home Xander Bogaerts in the sixth. But Boston left baserunners in scoring position in seven of their first eight innings.
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
- The Red Sox are a ghastly 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position and have stranded 13 baserunners through seven innings.
- Rookie Rafael Devers was in the midst of his first slump in the big leagues before Sunday, having collected just two hits in his previous 24 at-bats. John Farrell noted that, even with first-year players, the "book'' gets around -- that is, opposing teams find out pretty quickly what a young player's weaknesses are. It's up to Devers, Farrell said, to make his own adjustments. Apparently, he has. Devers doubled to center in the first and in the sixth, pulled a double down the first base line to deliver the first run of the game for the Sox.
- Nice work by Doug Fister to escape further damage in the fourth. With a leadoff walk to Adam Jones and a single by Trey Mancini, the Orioles had runners at the corners and no out. But Fister got three groundouts in the infield and stranded both, keeping the game manageable.
- Orioles shortstop Tim Beckham seemed strangely unaware of Rajai Davis's speed. On a groundball to the hole, Beckham didn't seem in any particular hurry to get a grounder to first. Running hard from the box, Davis beat the throw by a step or two for an infield single.
- Jackie Bradley Jr. has experienced a "major improvement'' in his recovery from a sprained left thumb, suffered Tuesday night in Cleveland. Bradley took swings off a tee and in soft toss in the cage. He also long-tossed. "He's making a turn for better,'' said John Farrell, "and this point, we'd anticipate somewhere near that 10th day, 11th day, he could be activated and back with us.'' Bradley is eligible to come off the DL on Saturday Sept. 2.
- David Price long-tossed from 90-120 feet, while also throwing some breaking balls. "That's where he's felt something previously,'' said Farrell of breaking balls, "so that's another positive development.''
- Dustin Pedroia will accompany the team on its road trip to Toronto and New York. "The next marker for Pedey is aggressively running the bases,'' said Farrell. "Once he gets through that, which hopefully is in the coming days, we'll get a better read on where he's at for a potential activation in the near future. That work day will be important.''