A lousy Patriots Day showing capped a lost weekend for the Red Sox, who were thumped by the Baltimore Orioles, 8-1, earning them just a split with a team which lost 115 games a year ago.
A half-dozen Red Sox pitchers combined to allow 10 hits to the O's, while Red Sox hitters didn't muster a base hit until the fifth inning. The lone Boston run came that inning as Xander Bogaerts (single) scored on a fielder's choice by Steve Pearce.
Marcus Walden gave up a three-run homer to Dwight Smith Jr. in the fifth and Smith added a two-run double off Tyler Thornburg in the ninth, accounting for five of the eight Orioles' runs.
The Sox had just four hits on the afternoon.
WHO: Red Sox vs. Baltimore Orioles
WHEN: 11:05 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox hold a 2-1 edge, winning the opener, losing the second game, and winning Saturday.
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Hector Velazquez (0-0, 2.79 ) vs. RHP Dan Straily (0-1, 19.29)
TV/RADIO: NESN/WEEI 93.7 FM
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
2:11 The carnage continues -- two-run double by Dwight Smith (five RBI on the day) makes it 8-1.
1:09 That was either Yaz or Steve Pearce coming out of nowhere to make a sliding catch on a shallow fly to left, neatly avoiding a collision with backpedaling Xander Bogaerts.
12:56 Blake Swihart hit that one on the screws -- hardest-hit ball of the day -- but right at right fielder Trey Mancini.
12:51 Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde ejected after arguing that Rafael Devers was guilty of an illegal slide on a takeout play at second. Review didn't go his way, so Hyde came out to argue with third base umpire Ben May, who ran him.
12:38 Seemingly not a bad pitch by Walden -- at the very bottom of the zone -- but golfed by Dwight Smith Jr. two seats beyond the Pesky Pole for the shortest Fenway homer imaginable. Didn't help that Walden invited trouble by walking No. 8 hitter Richie Martin to start the inning.
12:13 Strong first inning of work from Marcus Walden, who strikes out the side, with all three hitters going down swinging.
11:58 Quick inning (eight pitches) helps Velazquez and his pitch count. On Sunday, Alex Cora said he hoped for five innings from him today, while conceding that four innings might a more realistic goal. He's at 57 pitches through three.
11:41 Velazquez bails himself out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam, but needed 33 pitches to get through the top of the second inning.
11:36 Ball glances off the glove of Rafael Devers at third, allowing Jesus Sucre to reach. Fifth error in 17 games for Devers.
11:32 Wall ball for Renato Nunez, scoring Rio Ruiz from second base. Nunez, however, is out trying to stretch, as Vazquez -- there's that name again -- applying the tag at second on a throw from Mookie Betts.
11:26 Velazquez came into the game with no walks in 9.2 innings, but has issued walks to two of the first four hitters he's faced.
11:23 Three pretty hard-hit balls by Sox hitters -- one to short, two back to the mound -- but nothing to show for it.
11:16 Not the most conventional flip to second, but on his first chance, Christian Vazquez helps to start a 4-6-3 double play that ends the top of the first
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Pedroia DH
Betts CF
Moreland 1B
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Pearce LF
Swihart C
Vazquez 2B
ORIOLES
Villar 2B
Mancini RF
Smith LF
Ruiz 3B
Nunez DH
Davis 1B
Sucre C
Martin SS
Mullins CF
WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox have won three of four and four of their last six...The Sox have homered in nine of their last 10, including each of the last six...Today is Jackie Robinson Day and all players will wear No. 42...The Sox plan to recognize the sixth anniversary of the Marathon Day bombing on 2013 with a moment of silence today...The Sox are 70-52 on Patriots Day..J.D. Martinez has reached base in all 16 Red Sox games, hitting safely in 15 of them....Only five Red Sox players in the last 50 years have matched that start: Carl Yastrzemski (1970), Wade Boggs (1983, 1987), Mo Vaughn (1998), Manny Ramirez (2001) and Dustin Pedroia (2013)...Mookie Betts has reached base in 27 straight games against the Orioles...RHP Hector Velazquez is making his second start this season and fifth appearance overall...He's yet to issue a walk in 9.2 innings this season, or over his last 12 appearances, dating back to last Sept. 11...Trey Mancini is 3-for-6 in his career against Velazquez...Jesus Sucre is 0-for-3....Facing Dan Straily, Mitch Moreland is 1-for-15...Pedroia is 1-for-2 and Betts is 1-for-3.
PRE-GAME NOTES
- The Red Sox are fielding a makeshift lineup for their annual Patrtiots Day game -- Christian Vazquez is playing second base, with Steve Pearce in left field. That was a change from the original lineup, which had Dustin Pedroia playing second, Vazquez catching and Blake Swihart catching. But manager Alex Cora, noting that Jackie Bradley Jr. (flu) is unavailable and Andrew Benintendi (foot) far from 100 percent, had to get creative. "These are the days that you really enjoy being a manager,'' said Cora. "It's a challenge. We're ready to go play.'' Cora said the changes were a reflection of "where we're at, roster-wise.'' Vazquez has played one pro game at second (at Greenville in 2010), but often takes ground balls at second base. "We're comfortable with him,'' said Cora, "as far as making the routine play and turning double plays. He played first base in the World Series. That's the biggest stage in this sport. The first play he made was a step-back, with the game on the line, and a flip to first. He likes to do it, he wants to do it.'' Cora was somewhat cryptic about Eduardo Nunez, answering only that the team wanted to stay away from him today, but providing no further details other than to say he was "available.' The Sox decided against having Pedroia play second and instead have him at DH, while leading off. "We have to take care of him. We have a program. We have to be disciplined. We were pushing him to play second, but then, it doesn't make sense. If something happened with him today, it's on us. We're going to DH him, keep him off his feet as much as possible and not push him so hard. It's a tough start, tough conditions.''
- Benintendi "is a little better, but we'll do everything possible'' to not play him.
- Cora added: "Don't be surprised if we're moving people around, from spot to spot, like we did in the World Series. It should be fun. I'm looking forward to it..