Between the 57-59 record and Jeff Passan's article, the action on the field has taken a back seat to the action in the locker room today. Still, the season continues, and we'll keep you up-to-date as the Sox take on the Orioles in Camden Yards.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1, End 8th -- Andrew Bailey records the last out of the inning. That might be literally the only good news the Red Sox have today.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1, Mid 8th -- Just in order to keep up the Red Sox' run of innings with a stranded baserunner, Danny Valencia singles with two down before Jacoby Ellsbury grounds out to end the frame.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1, End 7th -- Mark Melancon gets through the seventh without harm, but the out they really needed him to get came last inning.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1, Mid 7th -- The Sox have an opportunity to get right back into the game, and do nothing with it. After the top of the lineup put together a single, double, and walk to load the bases with one out, Cody Ross went down on strikes, and while Ryan Lavarnway was able to work a fine battle against Darren O'Day, the right-handed reliever brought a fastball back over the plate to strike him out looking and end the threat.
Orioles 7, Red Sox 1, End 6th -- Game almost certainly over, as the Orioles score big in the sixth. A single and a walk put two on with just one out for Josh Beckett, and when Matt Wieters hits a chopper up the middle, things fall completely apart. One run comes in as none of Josh Beckett, Mike Aviles, or Dustin Pedroia can make a play to give the Sox an out, and after another ground ball up the middle gives the Orioles a fourth run, he's pulled for Mark Melancon. The first pitch is a curveball that hangs up over the middle to Mark Reynolds, and once again the infielder doesn't miss his opportunity, launching his second shot of the night to make it 7-1.
Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, Mid 6th -- More wasted opportunities for the Red Sox in the sixth inning. Another pair of hits from Cody Ross and Carl Crawford put runners on the corner with just one out, but Mike Aviles can't even put the bat on the ball for the third time tonight, and Danny Valencia can only fly out to end the inning.
Orioles 2, Red Sox 1, End 5th -- Once again Josh Beckett has trouble very early in the inning. His second pitch in the bottom of the fifth is almost a carbon copy of the one to Quintanilla, and with Mark Reynolds at the plate the result is the exact same: a no-doubt shot to right field that puts the Sox behind a run yet again.
Red Sox 1, Orioles 1, Mid 5th -- Adrian Gonzalez fails to come through for the third time tonight, grounding out to first to end the fifth inning after a two-out triple from Dustin Pedroia.
Red Sox 1, Orioles 1, End 4th -- Jacoby Ellsbury races down a line drive off the bat of Matt Wieters to keep Beckett's fourth inning nice and clean.
Red Sox 1, Orioles 1, Mid 4th -- The Sox respond in a hurry, grabbing their own first run in the top of the fourth. A leadoff ground rule double on a rocket to left gets Cody Ross in scoring position right away, and after a ground ball from Ryan Lavarnway moved Ross to third, Carl Crawford was able to bounce a single up the middle and bring the right fielder in to score, evening it up at 1-1.
Orioles 1, Red Sox 0, End 3rd -- The first pitch of the bottom of the third is a 90 MPH--fastball? Cutter? Changeup? It's often hard to tell with Beckett--that almost floats over the plate, high enough for Omar Quintanilla to turn on it and send it well over the wall and even out of the park to right, giving the Orioles first blood and a 1-0 lead.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 3rd -- The Sox get another shot with Adrian Gonzalez at the plate as Pedro Ciriaco doubled and Dustin Pedroia walked with two outs in the inning. The big-swinging first baseman did manage to give one a ride to left, but it died before the track, leaving the Red Sox with two more stranded baserunners.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, End 2nd -- Josh Beckett gets into trouble with a one-out walk and ground ball single, and then back out of it, reaching back for some extra velocity and retiring Mark Reynolds and the exciting young Manny Machado back-to-back to escape the inning.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 2nd -- The Sox strand another baserunner after Ryan Lavarnway dumps a fly ball into the perfect spot down the line in right field. Carl Crawford fought a decent battle with Chen, but ultimately grounded out ahead of Mike Aviles, who at least fouled off a few before striking out.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, End 1st -- Josh Beckett gets through a clean, 1-2-3 first inning with a pop-up handled by Mike Aviles well into left field being the most dangerous contact of the inning.
Red Sox 0, Orioles 0, Mid 1st -- Jacoby Ellsbury leads off the game with a single to left on the eighth pitch of a long battle against Wei-Yin Chen. The Sox, however, give away an out with a sacrifice bunt from no. 2 hitter Pedro Ciriaco, and neither Dustin Pedroia nor Adrian Gonzalez can pick up a hit to make good, letting Chen escape the first largely unharmed.