A solo home run by David Ortiz and some timely pinch-hitting by Jason Varitek led the Red Sox to a 7-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles. Tim Wakefield was ineffective today as he gave up 6 runs in 3 2/3 innings and he was bailed out by his bullpen. Kyle Synder, Clay Buchholz and Jonathan Papelbon came in and held the O’s scoreless the rest of the way. Buchholz was making his first appearance as a reliever for the Sox and his first since his no-hitter last Saturday night.
The Orioles came out wearing uniforms of the 1932 Baltimore Black Sox got on the scoreboard first. After Wake got Brian Roberts for the first out, Tike Redman hit a single and stole second with Nick Markakis at the plate. Markakis ending up working a walk. Miguel Tejada, who has always had good numbers against Wake, brought in Redman from second with a single to make it 1-0 Black Sox. Wake then got former teammate Kevin Millar to fly out and then issued a walk to Aubrey Huff to load up the bags for Melvin Mora. Wake escaped any further trouble as Mora grounded out to Dustin Pedroia. The run ended Wake’s 22 consecutive scoreless innings streak.
Boston finally got to Orioles starter Garrett Olson in the 3rd inning. Coco Crisp led off the inning with a single and went to second on a Doug Mirabelli single. When Mirabelli got to first, Terry Francona and the trainer came out to look at Mirabelli, who looked to be injured. He showed them he wasn’t and Julio Lugo stepped up the plate. Lugo brought in Coco to tie the game at 1. Mirabelli only got as far as second base and right after that, came out of the game for a pinch-runner, Royce Clayton. Mirabelli was later diagnosed with a left hamstring strain. A few wacky plays happened next. First, Pedroia hit a comeback liner to Olson, which he knocked down. Instead of going to second or third, he went to first for the sure out. Replays showed he could have gotten the lead two runners out. Big Papi followed that up with a comebacker to Olson as well who looked Clayton back and threw to first for the out. Clayton who was 1/2 down the line when Olson looked him back, scored easily on the throw to first. Clayton’s run gave the Sox a 2-1 lead. Olson finished off the strange inning by getting Mike Lowell to fly out.
After a Redman ground out to start the 3rd, Markakis hit a double to deep right. Wake then got Tejada to fly out but Millar followed the out up with a 2-run blast to put the O’s back on top. The scoring didn’t stop though as Huff hit a double and came around to score on a Mora single for a 4-1 O’s lead. After Mora stole second, Ramon Hernandez grounded out for the final out of the 3rd.
The visiting nine from Fenway got the lead back for Wake in the 4th. Olsen sandwiched a strikeout between walks of Kevin Youkilis and J.D. Drew. Both moved up 90 feet on an Olson wild pitch and ended up coming around to score when Coco deposited an Olson pitch into the seats for a 3-run homer and 5-4 Red Sox lead. Olson ended his night with a strikeout of Kevin Cash who came in for Mirabelli. Rocky Cherry came in and retired Lugo for the final out.
The Orioles made that lead short-lived as they got two runs back in their half of the 4th. After Wake got the first two outs of the inning easily, Redman singled and came around to score on a Markakis double to tie the game at 5. Tejada followed that with a single bringing in Markakis for a 6-5 O’s lead. Kyle Synder came in and got Millar to strikeout for the final out.
Just as this tennis match had been going, the Red Sox came right back. After Pedroia made the first out of the inning, Big Papi launched a solo homer to tie the game at 6. Cherry settled down as he got Lowell and Youk for the final two outs of the inning.
Things got a little interesting for the Red Sox in the bottom of the 6th inning. Buchholz came in and struggled initially with his control. He issued a lead-off walk to Roberts, then allowed a single to Redman and walked Markakis to load up the bases for Tejada. The rookie would win that battle as he got Tejada to ground into a 5-2-3 double play. He finished off the inning with a strikeout of Millar. Buchholz also worked perfect 7th and 8th innings as well.
The Sox had a great chance to score in the 8th when they loaded up the bases, but the rally killer, Drew, grounded into a double play as the Orioles escaped with no runs put up by the Red Sox.
In the 9th, Danys Baez came into the game for the O’s hoping to keep the score tied. Unfortunately this wasn’t the case if you were an O’s fan. Coco led off with an infield single and stole second with the pinch-hitter Varitek at the plate. Varitek ended up delivering the go-ahead run for the Sox with a single as Coco’s speed got him to the plate very easily.
That was all the Cinco Ocho needed as he came in and was lights out again. Papelbon worked a perfect inning, ending it with a strikeout of Millar. Papelbon’s 34th save of the season was good for another win by Buchholz, his third of the year in Boston.
Jon Lester will take the ball for the Red Sox tomorrow night and will be opposed by Daniel Cabrera. Gametime is 7:05 PM.
