Red Sox 1, Orioles 9: But For A Bunt

So that was over quickly.

The Red Sox and Orioles technically played all nine innings tonight. Or at least eight-and-a-half. But if you couldn't call this one before the game started, you certainly could have after the first.

In the top-half of the inning, Chris Tillman suffered a tough-luck small ball run. Scott Podsednik singled on a bunt, moved to second on an error, third on a bunt, and home on a sacrifice fly.

In the bottom-half of the inning, the Orioles scored six.

All the runs came across on homers. The first went for two runs, the second for four, as Ryan Flaherty picked up the grand slam after Cook surrendered three straight two-out baserunners. Cook has managed to be downright prolific in surrendering those homers given his reputation as a ground ball pitcher. It would be shocking if he didn't play for the Boston Red Sox. But he does, so instead it is simply routine.

And, frankly, that was that. On the best of nights this lineup can stumble upon six runs, but against Chris Tillman and without that perfect roll of the dice, as it were, it was a hopelessly tall mountain to climb. It would have been even if Scott Podsednik's leadoff bunt single hadn't been the only thing keeping Tillman from a no-hitter. The man was simply dominant, even taking the lineup into consideration.

Alfredo Aceves managed to make it taller by offering up three runs, all coming with two outs in his fourth inning of work, but that was all more or less extracurricular. This one was final in one, no matter what the box score might suggest.