Drew's Two Bombs Not Enough as Sox Fall to Orioles In Extras

The Red Sox clobbered 3 home runs, and John Lackey gave up only 2 earned runs in 7 innings, but it was not enough, as Miguel Tejada hit a game tying shot off Daniel Bard in the 8th, and a walkoff single off Manny Delcarmen in the 10th.

John Lackey got off to a tough start, allowing 3 straight hits to the Orioles to start the game, putting the Sox in an early 0-2 hole. He managed to turn things around, though, and provided the team with 6 strong innings to finish the game, allowing only an unearned run on fielding errors by Darnell McDonald and Adrian Beltre. For a man who was acquired to provide a wall on the left side of the infield, Beltre's ability to give up the crucial error is becoming harder and harder to ignore.

Though the offense scored only 4 runs tonight, it seems to have just been a case of bad timing. Despite managing 5 hits and 10 walks around the 3 home runs (two by J.D. Drew, one by Dustin Pedroia), each bomb was a solo shot, with the only other run coming on a Dustin Pedroia single with men on the corners in the 7th.

The Red Sox held a 4-3 lead going into the 8th inning when, with 2 outs, Daniel Bard gave up a home run to Miguel Tejada. With 1 out in the 10th, Ramon Ramirez (having already pitched a perfect 9th) gave up a double to Adam Jones, who would score the winning run on Miguel Tejada's walk off ground ball single up the middle.

Daisuke Matsuzaka returns for the Red Sox tomorrow night as the Sox look to take game two.

Game Notes:

• The Red Sox probably would have won in regulation, had Adrian Beltre not been called for interference on a slide into second. Jeremy Hermida was called out on the play as a result (a double play would never have happened even without the slide), and the Red Sox added a walk and two singles in the inning before recording the 3rd out.
• The Sox are now 1-4 in extra inning games, and 6-4 in 1-run games.
• Another night of offensive futility for David Ortiz. How much longer can the Sox live with this huge gap in their lineup?
• Victor Martinez actually managed to throw a runner out, and John Lackey recorded a pickoff. Some small controlling of the running game?
  
• With the loss, the Sox fall back below .500--a barrier they have not been able to break since the Opening Day victory over the Yankees.