Peck and Claw
The Orioles were swept in three of the five series they played before coming to Fenway and were on course for another wrenching defeat.
As Daisuke Matsuzaka is well on the path to recovery, a starting pitcher will have to step down from his spot. Because of his contract, his prior bullpen experience, and the need for Clay Buchholz to seize his opportunity to be a full-time starter, Tim Wakefield was the natural choice to be converted into a reliever. He left the mound with the lead, two outs, and a man on second. The crowd gave him a standing ovation, a fitting sendoff for the knuckleballer who has outlasted general managers, managers, and owners.
The three-run lead, however, could not withstand the onslaught of team too long suppressed and frustrated. Baltimore put together two three-run innings to record its third win of the season.
Miguel Tejada rocked a two-run homer in the seventh to tie the game. Hideki Okajima was hanging out too close to the Orioles relievers out there in Williamsburg and learned some of their bad habits. Tejada’s swing was the culmination of his frustration of grounding out to Adrian Beltre three times; he thought for sure he could have at least reached on an error given Beltre’s initial misplays at the hot corner.
The Scotts, Atchison and Schoeneweis, combined for one-third of an inning of terrible. Atchison didn’t record an out and is likely on his way to Pawtucket when Matsuzaka returns. Schoeneweis allowed consecutive singles to rookie Rhyne Hughes and Matt Wieters, who together drove in three runs.
Although he was pitching poorly, Terry Francona thought that Schoeneweis was throwing well enough to get Julio Lugo out. The infielder popped out to third on a bunt attempt; he still knows just how to endear himself to the Fenway faithful.
The fans knew to stay for the remainder of the game because this is the porous Baltimore bullpen, after all. The local nine clawed their way back within a run, but were stopped by former Red Sox farmhand Cla Meredith. The submarine pitcher was jettisoned (along with Josh Bard) by Boston for Doug Mirabelli in 2006. Unlike Lugo, Meredith had his comeuppance against his former team, inducing the final two outs for the win.
| Game 19: April 25, 2010 ∙ 10 innings | ||
 Orioles3-16 | 7 | W: Jim Johnson (1-1) S: Cla Meredith (1) |
| 2B: Rhyne Hughes (1), Nolan Reimold (4), Nick Markakis (8), Luke Scott (5) HR: Miguel Tejada (3) | ||
| Red Sox 8-11 | 6 | BS: Hideki Okajima (1) L: Scott Atchison (0-1) |
| 2B: Mike Lowell (1), Dustin Pedroia (7), Kevin Youkilis (6), J.D. Drew (2) | ||
