The same Red Sox offense which kick-started its recent modest winning streak was nowhere to be found Sunday.
The Sox managed just four hits, and after Kevin Pillar led off with a solo homer, the Sox managed just one more run over the next seven innings in a 5-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, 5-2. The two teams split the four game series.
Jackie Bradley Jr. cracked his second homer in as many games, a two-run shot in the top of the ninth and when Jonathan Arauz followed with a single, bringing Pillar to the plate as the potential go-ahead run. But Pillar hit into a game-ending fielder's choice.
Starter Zach Godley needed 70 pitches to get just eight outs, leaving the bullpen to cover 5.1 innings.
The O's pulled away with two runs in the seventh off Robert Stock.
WHO: Red Sox (9-19) vs. Baltimore Orioles (13-14)
WHEN: 1:05 p.m.
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards
SERIES TO DATE: Red Sox 2-1
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 3-3
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP (0-2, 6.87) vs. LHP Wade LeBlanc (1-0, 7.89)
TV/RADIO: NESN, WEEI 93. FM
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Pillar LF
Devers 3B
Martinez RF
Bogaerts SS
Vazquez DH
Chavis 1B
Plawecki C
Bradley CF
Arauz 2B
ORIOLES
Mullins CF
Santander RF
Nunez 1B
Severino C
Sisco DH
Valaika 2B
Mountcastle LF
Ruiz 3B
Velazquez SS
IN-GAME OBSERVATIONS:
3:49 Pillar got turned around the wrong way in LF and couldn't recover as Ruiz doubles over his head and pull ahead by three.
3:13 Red Sox finally create some offense. Xander Bogaerts flashes some opposite-field power with a double to RF, scoring Pillar with the first Red Sox run for the first inning.
2:29 Orioles pull of a squeeze play as Andrew Velazquez drops a bunt down to the left of the mound, scoring Ryan Mountcastle from third.
2:25 Red Sox had been living dangerously with all the walks and it finally costs them as Rio Ruiz singles to right, scoring two. I think either Pillar or Alex Verdugo, by the way, catch that ball and the inning is over. I do not understand the Red Sox' willingness to have J.D. Martinez play the outfield. He gets poor jumps and takes wrong angles to balls.
2:18 That's all for Godley, who's tough to watch. Five walks over 2.2 innings, leaves the bases loaded for Jeffrey Springs. Worse, he needed 66 pitches to get eight outs.
2:07 Red Sox hitters have gone down seven straight after Eshelman walked the first hitter he faced in the first.
1:42 Godley slips a called third strike past Pat Valaika, leaving the bases loaded. But it took 32 pitches -- a lot of them after two were out.
1:40 Zack Godley really laboring here in the first, with over 30 pitches thrown in the inning.
1:12 That's it for Baltimore starter Wade LeBlanc, who appeared to suffer an injury to his elbow after throwing a curveball to Christian Vazquez. Tom Eshelman takes over for the Orioles.
1:07 Kevin Pillar gets things started on the right note with a leadoff homer to straightaway center. Pillar's been the leadoff choice against lefties so that the Sox don't have back-to-back lefthanded hitters leading off, and he's taken to the role. First career leadoff homer for Pillar.
PRE-GAME NOTES:
- The Red Sox announced that Kyle Hart will start Tuesday in Buffalo against the Blue Jays. He'll be followed by Nate Eovaldi on Wednesday, with TBA for Thursday. The Sox could have chosen to come back with LHP Martin Perez on his normal day, but after he gave them seven innings Saturday night, the Sox want to give him an extra day to recover. Also, Ron Roenicke said the Sox would prefer to split up Eovaldi and Perez so that they're two more reliable innings-eaters don't go back-to-back, placing a bigger burden on the bullpen in the following three spots.
- The lineup was somewhat makeshift, with Alex Verdugo getting a day off, J.D. Martinez in right, Christian Vazquez as the DH and Kevin Plawecki catching.
- The Red Sox, who have an off-day tomorrow, are staying in Baltimore over night and won't fly to Buffalo until Monday night for the start of their three-game series. Under the rules, the team is not permitted to leave their hotel in Buffalo except to go to the ballpark.