For the second straight start Josh Beckett got very little help from his friends as the Red Sox dropped a 5-3 decision to the Orioles at Fenway Park. The O’s jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the first when All-Star Brian Roberts homered leading off the game.
Baltimore increased its lead to 4-0 in the third when they hung three runs on the scoreboard. With one out Jay Payton singled to right center, Roberts then doubled to drive in his second run of the game and make it 2-0. Roberts stole third, Corey Patterson walked and stole second and after Nick Markakis struck out Kevin Millar drove
home two runs with a single and it was 4-0 O’s.
The Sox got two runs back in the home half when Dustin Pedroia walked with two out and David Ortiz followed with a two run homerun to right and it was 4-2.
The O’s added a single run off of Beckett in the sixth. With one out Miguel Tejada got an infield single, Aubrey Huff singled to right and Tejada would score when Ramon Hernandez would double off the wall in left to make it 5-2.
The Sox would add a run in the eight off of the Baltimore bullpen when Ortiz led off the inning with a solo homer his second of the game and the 18th of the year to cut the lead to 5-3.
The Sox had the tying runs on in the ninth on a Coco Crisp single and an Eric Hinske walk but Jamie Walker closed the door for the save as the Sox couldn’t push any runs across the plate.
The Sox only managed four hits on the night and Ortiz had three of them two were homeruns, Ortiz also had a first inning single. Crisp had the ninth inning single.
