Blown
| Game 95: July 11, 2008 | |||
 Orioles |
7 | W: Brian Burres (7-5) H: Chad Bradford (13) H: Jim Johnson (15) S: George Sherrill (28) |
45-46, 1 game winning streak |
| Red Sox | 3 | L: Clay Buchholz (2-4) | 55-40, 1 game losing streak |
| Highlights: Last night’s defeat marked Boston’s first loss against a southpaw since their fall to the Phillies’ Cole Hamels on June 16. A frustrating loss for the Red Sox lineup that had more hits than the Orioles, 8-7, but as a team stranded 17. Buchholz vacillated between dazzling and dreadful in his five innings of work. | |||
In the first inning Clay Buchholz relinquished a leadoff double to Brian Roberts, who then swiped third. This set up a quick sacrifice fly off the bat of Adam Jones for an early lead by the slumping Orioles.
Buchholz was fortunate to escape the top frame with just two runs on the board as he walked three batters. Then in the third the lissome right-hander struck out the side with just 14 pitches. Such is the way of aces in training.
In the midst of the top half of the first Terry Francona got the attention of Jerry Remy and asked him to turn off a particularly bright light in the NESN booth. Next time Francona can just ask Manny Ramirez to call Jerry and Don from the Monster.
In another moment of levity, Melvin Mora shook the hand of a fan after his failed pursuit of a foul ball into the stands in the bottom of the first. I would gladly share a Polski Pump with Baltimore’s third baseman as it was his bunt single off Mariano Rivera in the 10th with the bases loaded and two outs that sealed the Red Sox’s AL East division title last year.
When attempting to be part of the home team’s rally in the bottom of the ninth Julio Lugo collapsed when running out a ground ball. He stumbled safely to first and Alex Cora was brought in to pinch run for him.
On the positive side, Lugo’s left quad injury led to Jed Lowrie being summoned for a second stint with the big league club. That will give Lugo time to work out his anger over Doug Eddings’s second inning call at first.
