Price, Sox lose way
Left-hander rocked by lowly O’s
BALTIMORE — The Red Sox just can’t find any momentum.
They have shown glimpses of their potential all season, signs of life that they’re about to go on a run before taking a step back. Even as Alex Cora has maintained hope, he’s admitted over and over how this year’s team has been consistently inconsistent.
Even the beginning of a series against the worst team in baseball couldn’t change that narrative.
David Price submitted his worst outing in more than a month, and the bullpen dug the Red Sox a deeper hole even their red-hot offense couldn’t escape as they dropped a 11-2 loss to the last-place Baltimore Orioles to start a three-game set last night at Camden Yards.
After taking 3-of-4 at home against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox (53-45) couldn’t carry their play with them on the road at a time they could sorely use a winning streak as they head into a crucial stretch of 13 consecutive games against the Rays and Yankees starting Monday.
“I don’t know. It seems like every team that comes to play against us, it’s like they’re playing extra,” Xander Bogaerts said of the Sox’ inconsistent play. “They really want to beat us and humiliate us. For the most part we haven’t had much losses like this today and it was one of those tough games. It’s a bad moment to have one of these losses, but this is baseball, and tomorrow we gotta come back and be much better than what we did today. It’s unacceptable.”
Price, who has been the Red Sox’ most dependable starter this season, put them behind right away. It was an uncharacteristic night for the left-hander against a team and in a stadium he has dominated throughout his career.
Entering Friday, Price was 8-0 with a 2.72 ERA in 12 career starts at Camden Yards. He had spun seven shutout innings against the O’s earlier this season. But his run of good fortune ran out quickly Friday night. He lasted just four innings and tied a season high by giving up six earned runs, which included two homers.
The first one came in the first inning. After issuing a single to Hansen Alberto and a walk to Trey Mancini, Price got Renato Nunez to fly out to right for the second out. But facing a 2-2 count against Anthony Santander, the lefty mislocated a fastball, and Santander deposited it 415 feet to center.
Sam Travis responded in the second with his second career homer, a two-run shot to left, but it was just about all the life the Red Sox could produce. John Means proceeded to retire nine Red Sox in a row as the O’s went on to pad their lead.
The disappointing night even included some uninspiring defense.
Richie Martin, the No. 9 hitter who entered the night with a .162 batting average, hit a deep drive to right in the third. But J.D. Martinez, who was starting in right in place of Mookie Betts, misplayed it off the wall and Martin came around to score.
The bad news continued in the fourth. After Stevie Wilkerson opened with a single, Price missed on another fastball and Keon Broxton, a .176 hitter coming into the game, punished it into the right field seats for a two-run homer. Though Price retired the rest of the side, his night was done after four innings as the starting pitching staff continued to do no favors for a tired bullpen.
The Red Sox still were well within striking distance in the fifth, but Colten Brewer lasted just 12 pitches as he set down only one batter. Ryan Weber gave the Red Sox length, but gave up another three runs in the seventh — one aided by a Michael Chavis error — and the Sox went away quietly.
“This is definitely one of the worst (losses), especially when you talk from a team standpoint,” Bogaerts said. “They’re not one of the leading teams in any category or one of the top teams, and I think they’re last in the division. For them to beat us like they did, they came out playing some good baseball today.”