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ORIOLE PARK @ CAMDEN YARDS |
BOSTON STRONG -
THE ROAD TO REDEMPTION
The Red Sox bats let down
Ryan Dempster
June 14, 2013 ...
Ryan Dempster solved the problem that the Boston bullpen desperately needed some rest, as it was badly taxed after battling through a 13-inning contest on Thursday and a 14-inning game earlier in the week. The right-hander nearly went the distance, giving Boston 7 2/3 strong innings. The
only issue was that Dempster didn't get any offensive support, as the Orioles defeated the Red Sox, 2-0, at Camden Yards. The loss dropped Boston's record to 41-28 and let Baltimore (39-29) pull to within 1 1/2 games in the American League East.
In one of his best starts of the season, Dempster (4-7) gave up two runs on five hits and fell just one out short of a complete game. Dempster struggled at first, giving up two runs on four hits in the first three innings, but he settled down after that, allowing
only one hit in the final 4 2/3 innings. Dempster gave up a one-out double to Manny Machado in the bottom of the first but retired the next two batters. He wasn't as lucky in the second, when Chris Davis lined a leadoff homer to left that gave the Orioles a
one-run lead. Baltimore made it 2-0 in the third on Adam Jones' two-out infield single. Third baseman Will Middlebrooks grabbed the ball with his bare hand and quickly threw it to first, but just late, allowing Nate McLouth to score from third.
But Dempster's performance wound up as kind of a hollow victory, as the Red Sox managed only three hits. The Red Sox have scored three or fewer runs with Dempster on the mound in 10 of his 14 starts. Friday was the fifth time they scored one or fewer. They
went into the game tied with the Orioles for the second-best batting average in the American League (.272), but the offense was quiet all night. The Red Sox couldn't get going thanks mainly to Orioles right-hander Chris Tillman (7-2), who battled some
control issues early but eventually went six-plus innings, giving up the three hits and striking out three. He did issue four walks, which helped give the Red Sox some scoring chances, but they couldn't come through. The Red Sox finished just 1-for-7 with
runners in scoring position and left seven on base, with Tillman escaping jams in the first and fourth. The Red Sox wasted a great opportunity in the fourth. Carp led off with a walk and later reached third when Jose Iglesias reached on a perfect one-out
bunt single, but Tillman got Middlebrooks on a fly ball to shallow right and struck out Ross to preserve the two-run lead. Boston's offense faded late, as Baltimore pitchers retired 16 of the final 18 batters they faced.
The Sox scored two runs in the seventh inning on Thursday night before losing a game that went 13 innings. They haven't scored since. That's 15 consecutive shutout innings for the Orioles with the Sox going 3 for 47. He's right. The Sox are 1-4 against the
Orioles this season and have lost 22 of 30 games against Baltimore going back to that fateful final month of the 2011 season. Iglesias continued his recent tear, though, going 2-for-4. He's now batting . 451 and has a 15-game hitting streak.
Pedro Ciriaco, who was designated for assignment Monday, was traded to the Padres for future considerations, either a player to be named later or cash. Ciriaco hit .216 in 28 games for the Sox but had several suitors. The Padres needed infield depth after placing
second baseman Jedd Gyorko on the disabled list. |
