With their one-sided Opening Night win a distant memory, the Red Sox dropped their second straight to the Baltimore Orioles, 7-4, losing their opening series in the process to a team which finished in last place last year.
Starter Ryan Weber allowed two runs in the first, another in the third and couldn't get out of the fourth as the Sox found themselves playing from behind before they could come to the plate for the second straight day.
The Sox got solo homers from Christian Vazquez and Kevin Pillar and a two-run single in the sixth from Xander Bogaerts, but little else as they were held to just seven hits.
Boston pitchers issued eight walks on the afternoon.
WHO: Red Sox (1-1) vs. Baltimore Orioles (1-1)
WHEN: 1:35 p.m.
WHERE: Fenway Park
SERIES TO DATE: 1-1
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Ryan Weber (2-4, 5.19 in 2019) vs. LHP Wade LeBlanc (6-7, 5.71 in 2019)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI 93.7 FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Peraza 2B
Martinez DH
Devers 3B
Bogaerts SS
Pillar RF
Vazquez C
Verdugo LF
Chavis 1B
Bradley CF
ORIOLES
Hays CF
Santander RF
Iglesias SS
Ruiz 3B
Alberto 2B
Davis 1B
Nunez DH
Cisco C
Stewart LF
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
4:38 Austin Brice, in his second appearance of the series, allows a run-scoring Wall double to Chris Davis and the Orioles have some additional insurance in the ninth.
4:10 Sox pitchers have issued eight walks today. To the Orioles.
3;35 Single to left by Bogaerts scores two and brings the potential tying run to the plate.
3:32 Devers collects his first hit of the season -- a sharp, opposite-field double into the left field corner. Had been 0-for-11. That chases LeBlanc and brings in Miguel Castro.
3:09 Pillar belts a solo homer into the Monster Seats. Sox have two hits -- both of them solo homers.
3;04 Brewer records the first 1-2-3 inning for the Red Sox, getting the O's in order in the top of the fifth.
2:57 Santander takes what likely would have been a home run away from Xander Bogaerts just beyond the foul pole in right -- leaping against the wall and reaching into the seats for the third out.
2:40 Not a horrible pitch from Weber --a changeup at the bottom of the zone -- but Santander golfed it into the bullpen for a two-run homer. It's 6-1 and that's it for Weber. Brewer on. Two straight days in which the Red Sox starter has allowed at least five runs.
2:33 Sacrifice fly to the warning track in center for Austin Hays scores Renato Nunez from third and it's 4-1 Baltimore. Colten Brewer warming.
2:29 That's three walks for Weber in three-plus innings. He allows enough contact as it is; can't be adding extra baserunners with walks to the mix, too.
2:17 Nice sliding catch by Alex Verdugo on a sinking liner by Chris Davis saves a run for the Sox.
2:10 A leadoff walk to Anthony Santander proves costly for Weber, who allows a hard-hit double to left center to Jose Iglesias, re-establishing two-run lead for O's.
2:01 Christian Vazquez with a high fly ball over everything in left for a solo homer, slicing the Orioles' lead in half.
1:56 Jackie Bradley Jr. lays out to make a catch on a soft liner from Austin Hays. That's the third diving catch he's made in three games.
1:49 Rafael Devers still in search of his first hit, retired on a flyout to RF. Now 0-for-10.
1:41 Ryan Weber left a cutter up high in the zone and Rio Ruiz drove into the bullpen for a two-run homer. Second straight day in which the Red Sox trail by multiple runs before they get a chance to hit.
1:40 Kevin Pillar gave some thought to trying to throw to first to catch Jose Iglesias on a single to RF, but Michael Chavis was off the bag.
PRE-GAME NOTES
- The Red Sox selected the contract of RHP Zach Godley Sunday morning, replacing RHP Dylan Covey who had been optioned to the alternate site after Saturday's game. Ron Roenicke said Godley is a candidate to pitch in Monday's series opener with the Mets -- either as a starter or multi-inning reliever -- depending on what happens Sunday. "He's probably going to pitch somewhere, whether it's starting or coming in,'' said Roenicke.
- Godley was asked what he needs to do to get back to the pitcher he was in 2018 when he was a 15-game winner with Arizona. "Fill up the zone, force those guys to swing the bat, get ground balls and keep moving inning to innning,'' Godley said. "The biggest thing (in his struggles in 2019) was (not) consistently throwing balls in the zone. Guys didn't have to honor any pitch other than my curveball and when you can sit on one pitch for an entire at-bat, through three at-bats, you're going to see it a little bit better. When I can throw more stuff in the zone like I did the other day (against Toronto), guys have to look for other stuff other than my curveball, it makes my curveball that much more effective.''
- For Tuesday, lefty Matt Hall will be part of a piggyback scenario. "He's stretched out,'' said Roenicke. "He could go four or five and then we'll piece together the end of it.''
- Roenicke was asked how unsettling it was to not know who his starters would be for the fourth and fifth game of the season. "I think, though, just because of the way things are going,'' said Roenicke, "we know that we're going to constantly have to make adjustments to what you do. When you have 15 guys on your pitching staff, it allows you to be creative. And I kind of like the idea that, if you don't have five true starters that you like and have that experience, that you try to piece it together. And that's OK. I don't mind doing that. I think it gives the other teams trouble with lineups. I know the last two year when we played Tampa, we were always talking about that: OK, they're going to open with somebody. Which lineup do we go with?' So it creates some uncertainty for other teams on how to go about it. OR they might rearrange their order a little bit with the same personnel. SO I'm OK. I know it's not ideal,l but just with the way it is and with 15 guys, I think we're able to do it in a way that, for me, is not that disruptive.
- LHP Josh Taylor was at the alternate site in Pawtucket Saturday and threw some, but isn't close to returning. "We're still a ways away with him and Darwinzon (Hernandez),'' said Roenicke., "I really haven't locked in on it too much. When we start getting close to a point where we're a few days away or a week away, I'll obviously pay a lot more attention to it. I just know when they were here after an inning or 20 pitches, they were very exhausted. So we're still a ways off there.''
- Alex Verdugo got the start in left field, with Andrew Benintendi getting a day off. Verdugo didn't get much exposure to playing in front of The Wall in summer camp, but is familiar with it a bit. "Last year, he played (LF) here against us with the Dodgers when they came in,'' said Roenicke. "He told me he was comfortable with it. He played it well last year. He's a confident guy in the outfield. I talked to he and (Kevin) Pillar to see which positions they'd be more comfortable in and so that's how we have it today.''