BSJ Game Report: Orioles 2, Red Sox 1 (10) - Sawamura throws it away

All you need to know, in quickie form, about the Red Sox' loss to the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:

BOX SCORE

HEADLINES

Error costs Sox the game:  In the bottom of the 10th inning, with the automatic runner on second and Ryan McKenna on first, Robinson Chirinos got a bunt down, but it wasn't a good one, knocked directly back to the pitcher, Hirokazu Sawamura. Sawamura nearly caught the ball in the air, but fielded it cleanly. But when he went to turn to third in an attempt to cut down Jorge Mateo, the lead runner, he misfired badly, throwing the ball way over the head of third baseman Rafael Devers and down the left-field line. Mateo jogged home, and the Orioles had a dramatic comeback win while the Red Sox were saddled with their third walkoff loss of the current road trip and fourth of the season.

Beauty by Eovaldi wasted: In a season in which he's been very good in all of his outings, Nate Eovaldi turned in his best start yet...and it didn't matter in the long run. Eovaldi no-hit the Orioles into the sixth, having retired 17 of the first 18 hitters he faced, with the only baserunner the result of an error by Xander Bogaerts in the second inning. After Cedric Mullins stroked a two-out double in the sixth, Eovaldi stranded him there, then battled out of a first-and-second, no-out jam in the seventh. He left having allowed three hits and no walks while fanning eight. Just as happened last Monday in Toronto, when he limited a tough Jays lineup to just two runs over seven innings, the Sox lost and spoiled a great start.

Offense regresses: The Red Sox have scored a grand total of fours in their last 28 innings. The wonder is, they actually have a win to show for their efforts in that span. For what seemed like the 100th time this season, the Red Sox scored early Saturday night, grabbing a quick 1-0 lead three batters into the game, then didn't score again. In the last three games, they've scored in just two innings -- the second inning Friday night and the first on Saturday night.  They didn't have a ton of scoring chances behind their seven-hit attack, but they had some, stranding 10 and going a woeful 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position. From the fifth through the 10th, they had baserunners in scoring position, but couldn't produce the big hit. "We can talk about, 'It's early,' and all that stuff,'' said Alex Cora, "but we have to put up better at-bats. That's the bottom line. It seems like we get going, we stop and all of a sudden, we look up and it's the seventh or eighth inning and it's a close game.''

TURNING POINT

In the seventh inning, with the Sox clinging to a 1-0 lead, they got a two-out single from Trevor Story followed by a sharp single up the middle by Rafael Devers. In attempting to field that hit, Rougned Odor kicked the ball into left, allowing Story to take third. Here was the Red Sox' chance to finally add to their lead, having not scored since the first inning. Better yet, they had their hottest hitter, Xander Bogaerts, due at the plate. But Baltimore lefty Cionel Perez got Bogaerts on a weak roller to second, and the Sox' rally was snuffed out.

TWO UP

Trevor Story: Signs of life at the plate for the newcomer, who had a double in the first and scored the only run of the game, and later added a single in the seventh.

Ryan Brasier: Brasier was the sharpest of the three Red Sox relievers, getting a 1-2-3 ninth and showing good life on his fastball.

TWO DOWN

Matt Barnes: Entering with a 1-0 lead in the seventh, Barnes got two quick outs, then allowed a double to Cedric Mullins and a game-tying single up the middle by Anthony Santander to wipe out the one-run lead.

Bobby Dalbec: The struggles continue with the first baseman who was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts and a weak groundout to the right side. He's now hitless in his last 13 at-bats.

QUOTE OF NOTE

"We got the bunt we wanted. We just couldn't make the play...That's a play we have to make.'' Alex Cora on Hirokazu Sawammura's wild throw that led to the winning run in the bottom of the 10th.

STATISTICALLY SPEAKING

* The blown save for Matt Barnes in the eighth was the fifth blown save for the Red Sox this season, tying them with three other teams for the most in baseball.

* The Red Sox have scored in just two of their last 28 innings.

* The Red Sox are 0-4 in extra innings, with all four losses coming on the road.

* Rafael Devers extended his hitting streak to seven straight games.

* Jaylin Davis made his Red Sox debut as a pinch-runner in the top of the 10th inning

UP NEXT

The Red Sox finally wrap up their three-city, 10-game road trip with the final game of the series in Baltimore at 1:05 p.m. It will be RHP Nick Pivetta (0-3, 8.27 ) vs. RHP Jordan Lyles (1-2, 5.40)