Doubront Plagued By The Long Ball In 4-3 Loss

Even though the Red Sox are probably throwing this series with the goal of knocking the Yankees out of first place (they are currently tied with Baltimore at 91-67), this was a rare good game. There’s no real reason for the Red Sox to win any games of this series, as I would love to see the Yankees suffer the same way the Red Sox did last September. However, it is always good to see some quality baseball, and the Red Sox got that last night.

September 29, 2012; Baltimore, MD, USA; Boston Red Sox pitcher

(61) pitches in the second inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Joy R. Absalon-US PRESSWIRE

A rejuvenated Felix Doubront, who had struck out 11 in 7 strong innings last Sunday against these Orioles, going up against impressive rookie Steve Johnson appeared to be an intriguing matchup, and it delivered. The Orioles struck early off of Felix Doubront, taking a run in the second on an RBI single for Manny Machado and two more on Chris Davis‘s 30th home run in the fourth inning. However, the Red Sox did not quit, getting right back into the game off of Johnson.

Mauro Gomez‘s walk started a little rally in the fifth inning when he was followed up by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Salty took an outside fastball and went deep to right field over the Orioles’ psuedo-monster for his 25th home run of the year, putting the Sox right back in it at 3-2. They would go on to tie the game in the sixth on a strange play. After putting runners at the corners with one out, Cody Ross lifted a ball to right field. It would have been a sacrifice fly, but Orioles’ right fielder Chris Davis dropped the fly ball to allow the Red Sox to put two runners on base with one out and a tie game. However, a Mauro Gomez double play ball ended that dream.

It only took the Orioles one more inning to catch right back up to the Red Sox. That would be when Manny Machado led off the seventh inning with a line drive home run into the front row in left field– his 7th of the season to make it 4-3. That would be Doubront’s last inning, as he went 7 innings, striking out 10 and allowing 4 runs (3 earned). Junichi Tazawa tossed a scoreless eighth, but that couldn’t help the Red Sox score against the lights out back end of the Orioles’ bullpen.