The Boston Red Sox have done two things consistently through the first seven games of the 2016 season. The offense has produced and the pitchers have struggled. That was the case again on Tuesday night when the Red Sox fell 9-5 to the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.
Things started quick for the Red Sox when David Ortiz crushed a two run home run during the bottom of the first inning. The Orioles evened the score when JJ Hardy hit a home run around the pesky pole down the right field line.
The Red Sox (3-4) took a 4-2 lead during the bottom of the fifth inning. That lead didn’t last long as the Orioles took advantage of a dropped pop-up from catcher Blake Swihart and a struggling Clay Buchholz. Mark Trumbo hit a two run homer after the dropped pop-up. Buchholz pitched well in the first five innings. He fell apart after the Red Sox took the lead. He seemed to lose all focus after the dropped pop-up. The Orioles took a lead on a Hardy sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.
Manager John Farrell allowed left hand pitcher Robbie Ross JR to face the power right hand bats in the Orioles lineup. That backfired as they put up four runs in the seventh inning capped by another Hardy two run homer down the right field line.
Ortiz and Mookie Betts powered the Red Sox offense. Ortiz had two hits and three RBI. Betts had two hits. Everyone in the lineup had at least one hit except Brock Holt. Buchholz allowed five runs in five innings. The Orioles (7-0) are the only undefeated team in baseball.
