Final: Orioles 9, Red Sox 4

On the final weekend of the regular season, the Red Sox aren't going out on a high note. They dropped their second straight to the last-place Baltimore Orioles, 9-4, allowing four homers in the process.

The Sox led after the first inning 3-2 as it looked like both teams were prepped for a high-scoring slugfest. But only the Orioles made good on that promise, pulling away four runs off former teammate Andrew Cashner in the sixth inning.

The Sox did have back-to-back homers in the first from Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez but could muster just one more run over the final eight inning.

WHO: Red Sox (83-77) vs. Baltimore Orioles (53-107)
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: Boston 11-6
SERIES TO DATE: Baltimore 1-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Jhoulys Chacin (3-11) vs. LHP John Means (11-11, 3.54)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM

IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:

3:59    Red Sox cough up a golden chance to get back into the game. After the Orioles had a fundamental breakdown, failing to cover the bag on a forceout, Brock Holt hits into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded.

3:07   Andrew Cashner gets roughed up by his former teammates - five hits lead to four runs and a baserunner at first as Cashner gives way to Colten Brewer. The four runs are the most Cashner has yielded out of the bullpen.

2:39  Now that Chacin is done for the days, a sense of normalcy has returned to the game for the Sox. Relievers have turned in 2.1 innings in relief and have yet to allow a hit while walking two.

1:56  It's Renato Nunez's turn to tee off on Chacin. He goes over everything in left for the third homer of the afternoon. That's all for Chacin, who, after giving the Sox a couple of good "opener'' starts has now allowed four runs in each of his last three, none of which have lasted as long as four innings.

1:39  Welcome to Home Run Derby, Final Weekend Edition. Through an inning and a half, only four homers hit, the latest -- by No. 9 hitter Richie Martin -- ties the game at 3-3.

1:30  And just as quickly, the Red Sox grab the lead back with consecutive homers -- a two-run belt by Xander Bogaerts and a follow-up solo blast from J.D. Martinez. That's the 10th time the Sox have gone back-to-back this season.

1:08 Well, that didn't take long. A leadoff double by Jonathan Villar and a two-run homer into the bullpen for D.J. Stewart and after only four pitches, the O's are up 2-0 against Jhouys Chacin.

LINEUPS:



RED SOX

Bradley CF
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Martinez DH
Travis LF
Holt 1B
G. Hernandez RF
Owings 2B
Leon C

ORIOLES 

Villar 2B
Stewart RF
Mancini LF
Ruiz 3B
Nunez DH
Davis 1B
Wilkerson CF
Wynns C
Martin SS

WHAT'S UP:  The Sox dropped the opener of the final series Friday night, but after starting the season 2-3 with the Orioles, have won nine of the last 12...The Red Sox are 30-9 (.769) in the last 39 meetings between the teams, dating back to 2017.....The Sox have six players who have hit 20 or more homers, with Mitch Moreland sitting at 19, giving the Sox a chance to have seven 20-home run hitters for the first time in their history....Mookie Betts needs one more homer to give the Sox four players with 30 or more homers and one more double to become just the second player in franchise history to record 30 homers and 40 doubles in three different seasons...David Ortiz did it previously....Rafael Devers leads the majors with 89 extra-base hits...There have been 27 200-hit seasons in Red Six history; Devers is three away from joining that list...Betts and Devers are 1-2 in runs scored in the American League while Devers and Xander Bogaerts are 1-2 in extra-base hits and 1-2 in doubles....This will be the fifth start for Jhoulys Chacin -- two have been scoreless and the last two have seen Chaciin allows four runs each time....Chris Davis is the only member of the Orioles with any at-bats against Chacin....Bogaerts is 3-for-10 against John Means while Devers is just 2-for-13.