SB Nation Boston - Red Sox 6, Orioles 5: Three Homers From The Bottom Of The Lineup Power Sox Past Orioles

Red Sox Extras: Unlikely Heroes Lift Sox

2012-05-24T11:13:12Z

The Red Sox beat the Orioles 6-5 Wednesday in a manner so improbable that I'm still not entirely sure it even happened.

At the beginning of the year, Scott Podsednik was just barely still in baseball. He'd spent the entirety of 2011 in the minor leagues, and started 2012 in the same place. What's more, he wasn't particularly good there, managing only a .609 OPS in 31 Triple-A games this year.

Daniel Nava had been out of the majors for just as long, with his career path on a decided downward trend ever since the grand slam he hit on his first major league pitch. He seemed, for all the world, like a Quadruple-A player who might occasionally see some time starting for second division teams--in fact, he might still be that, but yesterday was another story.

As for Kelly Shoppach, he was the only one who actually had a place with the Red Sox coming into the season, which was frankly a bit shocking given his .185/.285/.340 performance over the last two years.

So how did we get here? How did these men come together to provide the Red Sox with a big win on Wednesday? More injuries than you can shake a stick at...and a hot streak by an entirely different player.

The number of men Nava and Shoppach had between them and a place in the starting lineup to start the year was substantial. Podsednik wasn't even in the organization! Slowly but surely, however, the Sox started to fall. Ryan Kalish has been hurt one way or another for over a year now, Crawford went down over the offseason, and Ellsbury joined them on the disabled list after just seven games. The initial depth at the position in the likes of Jason Repko and Darnell McDonald did not survive much longer, but that still left the two intended to be a right field platoon in Ryan Sweeney and Cody Ross.

Then Sweeney concussed himself, Ross broke his foot, and suddenly there they were. Daniel Nava in left, Scott Podsednik in center, and the Sox roster reading more like an ICU guest book than anything else.

But why was Shoppach so surprising? Simply because he should ideally never be taking at bats from Jarrod Saltalamacchia against a right-hander like Jake Arietta. Sure enough, however, there he was, getting the nod thanks to the six straight games in which Saltalamacchia spent some time behind the plate, riding a hot streak during which he's hit 13-for-33 with three homers. Had the hot Salty not been facing some southpaws, it seems unlikely that Kelly Shoppach and his platoon splits (however reversed they are so far this year) would have been in the game so early.

Three homers from three players who nobody would have expected to be starting in this situation back in April. Two of whom we may not even have expected to be with the team at any point in the year.

He we are, however, with May winding down, a banged up team, and a win provided by the unlikeliest of sources. At this point, Sox fans will take whatever help they can get.

Final - 5.23.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	1	1	0	0	3	0	1	0	6	13	0
Baltimore Orioles	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	7	0
WP: Daniel Bard (4 - 5) SV: Alfredo Aceves (11) LP: Jake Arrieta (2 - 5)

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Red Sox Vs. Orioles Final Score: Three Unlikely Homers Power Sox To 6-5 Victory

2012-05-23T20:43:13Z

The Red Sox needed big contributions from three unlikely sources Wednesday night to take their first series from the Baltimore Orioles in 10 months with a 6-5 win.

It's amazing to think that it's been so long since the Sox were last able to get the best of the AL East's long-time cellar dwellers (and current leaders), but between the terrible results in last September and the sweep they suffered in Fenway earlier this month, the Sox hadn't taken so much as 2-of-3 from the Orioles since last July.

One of the men who would help to end that streak for Boston was Daniel Bard, who had what is becoming a typical start for him this year. Unimpressive early, Bard would load the bases with one out in the first before escaping with only one run coming in on a sacrifice fly. Nick Johnson would then lead off the next inning with a solo homer off what may have been a flat 91 MPH changeup, or an unusually slow fastball. Given that Bard's velocity seemed diminshed all day, the latter seems more likely, but whether it was a changeup or a fastball, it was flat, up in the zone, just off-center, and incredibly hittable.

Bard would settle down from there, though he did continue to struggle with fastball command. He was helped by his defense, with Mike Aviles snagging a line drive up the middle in the third and turning it into two outs to put out a fire before it even started. The last out of the inning would come with Jarrod Satlalamacchia gunning down Adam Jones at second.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, had evened the score. A Scott Podsednik GIDP with the bases loaded and nobody out turned a promising second inning into just the one run, and Kevin Youkilis was thrown out at home on an RBI double by Will Middlebrooks, but the tying two runs came in all-the-same.

They would end up taking the lead in the sixth thanks to the aforementioned unlikely sources. Daniel Nava was first, pulling a two-run shot to right field to make it 3-2 before Kelly Shoppach went to left for a homer of his own and, with Podsednik on base by way of a single, a 5-2 lead.

The lead would quickly shrink to 5-4 in the bottom half of the sixth when Nick Johnson managed to get around on an inside fastball from Andrew MIller, who had just walked Wilson Betemit to first. The homer brought the Orioles within one swing of the bat, but a Scott Podsednik homer in the eighth would extend the lead back to two runs.

The bottom half of the eighth would provide the tensest moments of the game for the Sox, who saw Vicente Padilla put two men on to lead off his second inning of work. A strikeout of Chris Davis helped his cause, but a bloop off the bat of Wilson Betemit seemed destined for the grass before Che-Hsuan Lin showed his value in the field, swooping in to make the grab and hold the Orioles to just a sacrifice fly. Alfredo Aceves would pick up the last out of the inning before making clean work of it in the ninth to give the Sox the win.

Final - 5.23.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	1	1	0	0	3	0	1	0	6	13	0
Baltimore Orioles	1	1	0	0	0	2	0	1	0	5	7	0
WP: Daniel Bard (4 - 5) SV: Alfredo Aceves (11) LP: Jake Arrieta (2 - 5)

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Red Sox Vs. Orioles Lineup: Adrian Gonzalez Still In Right Field

2012-05-23T15:44:25Z

Not often do you see a gold glove first baseman somehow find himself ambling around in the outfield. Then again, we are talking about the Boston Red Sox.

After going to right field for only the sixth time in his great career, Adrian Gonzalez will again be back out there with the return of Kevin Youkilis shuffling the deck.

Not much in the way of changes for Wednesday's affair, sans a different catcher and Marlon Byrd taking a day off in favor of Scott Podsednik.

Without further adieu, the lineups for today's 12:35 p.m. ET game:

Mike Aviles, SS

Dustin Pedroia, 2B

David Ortiz, DH

Adrian Gonzalez, RF

Kevin Youkilis, 1B

Will Middlebrooks, 3B

Daniel Nava, LF

Scott Podsednik, CF

Kelly Shoppach, C

Manager Bobby Valentine has to be hoping for some better production than last night, which only yielded only run off of Brian Matusz. With a win, the Red Sox can climb back to .500.

Red Sox Extras: Brian Matusz' Unhittable Slider

2012-05-23T11:00:48Z

The Red Sox fell to the Orioles last night thanks to Brian Matusz' season-best start, complete with nine strike outs and all of three baserunners.

And it's all (or at least largely) thanks to the slider.

According to Brooks Baseball, in addition to fastballs, Matusz featured a curveball, changeup, and one cruel slider. 26 times, Matusz offered up a slider, and a remarkable eight times Red Sox hitters took their swings and came up completely empty.

Matusz would use the pitch to quiet the bats of some of Boston's hottest hitters. Jarrod Saltalamacchia went down on three straight sliders in the fifth inning. David Ortiz was made the first victim in the first inning, striking out to end the inning. Most effected, however, was Adrian Gonzalez. Despite having the best contact of the game for Sox batters outside of Kevin Youkilis, Gonzalez was helpless in the face of the slider. It got Matusz ahead of him in the second, and struck him out in the fourth, and in the last at bat of Matusz' night, Gonzalez saw the slider no fewer than five times, with the last earning the strikeout.

It's disappointing that the Red Sox could go down so easily despite featuring one of their best lineups of the year and even getting a home run from one of the bigger questions in Kevin Youkilis, sometimes you have to just tip your cap. Not only did Brian Matusz' slider completely devastate a strong-hitting lineup, but one of the best teams at hitting the slider so far in the game.

And the two batters who have done best against the slider?

Jarrod Saltalamacchia and, of course, Adrian Gonzalez.

When a pitcher can take the pitch a hitter is most comfortable against and use it effectively against him, that's something special.

Final - 5.22.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0
Baltimore Orioles	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	X	4	7	0
WP: Brian Matusz (4 - 4) SV: Jim Johnson (16) LP: Felix Doubront (4 - 2)

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Red Sox Vs. Orioles Final Score: Brian Matusz Silences Boston Bats As Sox Fall 4-1

2012-05-23T02:36:01Z

Four the fourth time this year, the Red Sox had a chance to breach the .500 mark. For the fourth time this year, they failed, managing almost nothing against a dominant Brian Matusz as they fell to 21-22 on the season.

While Brian Matusz had spent much of the season disappointing, entering the game with an ERA of 5.36, the young southpaw was a completely different man against the Red Sox. After retiring the side in order in both the first and second innings, Matusz would allow a single to Adrian Gonzalez and walk Jarrod Saltalamacchia before getting Daniel Nava looking to end the inning.

Those would be half of the Sox batters to reach base all game. Meanwhile, the Orioles pushed two runs across off of Felix Doubront in the second. A home run from Steve Tolleson provided the scoring for Baltimore as Boston's starter struggled through the earlier innings.

Doubront would settle down in the second half of his outing, finishing the game with nine strikeouts in six innings of work and allowing no more runs, while Kevin Youkilis made his return a successful one by taking Matusz deep in the fourth inning on a high fastball over the outside part of the plate.

The homer brought the Red Sox within one, but that was as close as they would get, as Matusz wouldn't allow another ball to so much as reach the outfield. The Orioles' bullpen managed to provide much the same level of production while Matt Albers was busy giving up another two-run shot to the Orioles, leaving the Sox down 4-1.

Adrian Gonzalez would finally manage to get another ball out of the infield in the ninth, but even his slicing liner managed to find a glove in left field, giving the Orioles the final out they needed to end the game.

Final - 5.22.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	0
Baltimore Orioles	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	X	4	7	0
WP: Brian Matusz (4 - 4) SV: Jim Johnson (16) LP: Felix Doubront (4 - 2)

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Red Sox Vs. Orioles Live Blog: Inning By Inning Updates For Game 2

2012-05-22T23:34:14Z

It's an unusual scene at Camden Yards Tuesday night, with Kevin Youkilis back at first base for the Red Sox and Adrian Gonzalez playing right field in an American League park.

We'll keep you up to date with all the action as it goes down in Baltimore.

Orioles 4, Red Sox 1, Final -- 1-2-3 go the Sox, as they once again fail to breach .500.

Orioles 4, Red Sox 1, End 8th -- Matt Albers once again lets slip that he's not actually very good outside of his bursts of brilliance, surrendering a two-run shot to Wilson Betemit that likely means the end for the Sox.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 8th -- A walk is all the Sox get, as they are left to their last three chances to push a run across.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, End 7th -- Matt Albers continues to dominate his old club, coming in to clean up a mess on back-to-back strikeouts after Franklin Morales allowed two of the three batter he faced to reach base.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 7th -- Matusz picks up his ninth strikeout in his final at bat of the game, as Buck Showalter pulls him with his pitch count over 100. Darren O'Day, unfortunately, picks up right where Matusz left off, striking out Kevin Youkilis and Will Middlebrooks to end the inning.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, End 6th -- Felix Doubront ends up striking out the side, but an 11-pitch at bat against Adam Jones leaves Doubront's pitch count high, and likely will end his night after six innings.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 6th -- Matusz builds his strikeout total to eight as he and Doubront have started trading zeros. This has been Matusz at his best tonight, which is something the Orioles haven't seen in a rather long time. Just Boston's luck that it comes in a game that, at least mentally, has to be huge for them.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, End 5th -- Doubront matches Matusz' strikeout total by fanning J.J. Hardy to end his second straight clean inning. Now with 83 pitches on his arm, six innings seems more than possible for the young lefty.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 5th -- Apparently Brian Matusz chose today to turn his season around. His six strikeouts on the night ties a not-too-impressive season high, and this is only the third time in eight tries that an opponent has fewer than three runs with him on the mound. Hopefully Boston can turn that around soon, but other than Youkilis' homer there's no sign that any such turnaround is coming.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, End 4th -- Felix Doubront finally gets the Orioles to go down in order, but with over 70 pitches already on his arm, he's going to need some quick outs if he wants to get much further in this game--particularly given his tendency to fade late.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 4th -- Kevin Youkilis' second at bat goes much better than his first, as the once again first baseman deposits a 1-1 fastball left high over the outside part of the plate and deposits it firmly into the bullpen in left-center field for a home run, putting the Sox on the board for the first time in the fourth.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- Felix Doubront still can't pick up a 1-2-3 inning, surrendering a base hit to Adam Jones with two outs that extends his hitting streak to double digits. Still, a much easier frame than the first two.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 0, Mid 3rd -- The Sox go just as quietly in the third as they did in the first, leaving Brian Matusz looking awfully strong through three. Boston has had some sort of aversion to breaking .500 so far this season, never quite managing to get over that hump. Hopefully this isn't another rendition of that tired act.

Orioles 2, Red Sox 0, End 2nd -- Felix Doubront gives up a leadoff walk, and then allows a home run to Steve Tolleson on the first pitch of his at bat. He struck out Robert Andino to end the inning on a good note, but getting beat up throughout the lineup is not a good sign, obviously enough.

Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 2nd -- The Sox make Matusz work harder for his outs, putting two men on with a leadoff single to left by Adrian Gonzalez, and a 2-out walk by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Unfortunately, what could have been a bigger inning still led to no runs, as Kevin Youkilis' first at bat went from 3-0 to 3-3, with Youkilis watching strike three come across, and Daniel Nava doing the same to end the inning.

Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, End 1st -- Felix Doubront has a much harder time of things in the bottom of the first, allowing two baserunners on a walk and a ground ball single, but manages to escape the frame with a pair of strikeouts and a fly ball. Still, tons of pitches for the young lefty. Not the best of starts.

Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 1st -- Brian Matusz enjoys a much easier first inning than one would hope, getting easy outs from Mike Aviles and Dustin Pedroia before striking out David Ortiz to finish a quick 1-2-3 inning. It's not too unusual, however, for the Sox to need once through the lineup before seeing their best production, so no worries just yet.

Red Sox Vs. Orioles Lineups: Kevin Youkilis Returns, Adrian Gonzalez Moves To Right Field

2012-05-22T21:27:08Z

The Red Sox will have Kevin Youkilis back in the lineup Tuesday night, with Adrian Gonzalez moving to right field to accomodate Youkilis' return to first as the Red Sox take on the Orioles. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. EST with broadcasts by NESN and WEEI.

For weeks we've been wondering whether the Sox would give up having Will Middlebrooks' bat in the lineup and glove in the field when Kevin Youkilis made his return. Now the answer seems to have been made for them with the broken foot of Cody Ross bringing their outfield to new lows. Having Adrian Gonzalez in right field is far from ideal, but the differences in bats between the likes of Che-Hsuan Lin and Will Middlebrooks seems to have been massive enough to warrant the switch, at least on a short-term basis.

Boston Red Sox (21-21)

Mike Aviles, SS
Dustin Pedroia, 2B
David Ortiz, DH
Adrian Gonzalez, RF
Kevin Youkilis, 1B
Will Middlebrooks, 3B
Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C
Daniel Nava, LF
Marlon Byrd, CF

Baltimore Orioles (27-16)

Robert Andino, 2B
J.J. Hardy, SS
Nick Markakis, RF
Adam Jones, CF
Matt Wieters, C
Wilson Betemit, 1B
Chris Davis, DH
Steve Tolleson, 3B
Xavier Avery, LF

Final - 5.21.2012	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Boston Red Sox	0	0	2	0	0	3	2	1	0	8	14	0
Baltimore Orioles	0	0	4	1	0	0	0	1	0	6	9	0
WP: Andrew Miller (1 - 0) SV: Alfredo Aceves (10) LP: Kevin Gregg (2 - 2)

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Scott Podsednik Status: Red Sox Recall Outfielder From Pawtucket

2012-05-22T20:36:14Z

The Boston Red Sox have called up outfielder Scott Podsednik from Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday (via WEEI).

Podsednik is with the team as they prepare for today's game in Baltimore against the Orioles. This call-up might mean that outfielder Ryan Sweeney is headed for the 7-day disabled list with post-concussion symptoms.

Podsednik was acquired earlier in May with a trade with the Phillies. His last time playing in the major leagues was in 2010 with the Dodgers and Royals. He has spent his time this season in the minors between Lehigh Valley and Pawtucket. In 31 games, he is hitting .238 with one home run and 10 RBI. He also has 11 walks and eight stolen bases out of nine attempts. During his 2010 season in MLB, Podsednik swiped 35 bases while hitting .297 with six homers, 51 RBI and 40 walks.

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