Baltimore @ Boston preview
Fenway Park
Last Meeting ( Sep 20, 2010 ) Baltimore 4, Boston 2
Apparently, there will not be a miracle in Beantown this year.
Losers of three of their last four games, the Boston Red Sox are still mathematically alive in the American League playoff race, but it's a weak pulse.
Boston hosts the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night at Fenway Park. The Orioles delivered another blow to the Red Sox's faint playoffs hopes on Monday with a 4-2 victory.
Luke Scott led the way for the Orioles. Scott, who is second on the team with 69 RBIs, had two hits and two RBIs on Monday. He is batting .310 over his last 96 games.
The loss left the Red Sox 6 1/2 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays in the race for the wild card with just a dozen games to play.
The Orioles rode the arm of their hottest hurler, Brian Matusz, on Monday night. Matusz has won four straight decisions but didn't get the win on Monday. He left the game with his team holding a 2-1 lead, but the Red Sox tied the game off the eventual winner David Hernandez.
Matusz allowed just three hits on Monday.
The woes for Boston were extremely evident in the loss. With a depleted lineup due to injuries, the Red Sox didn't hit, pitch or run the bases well in this one.
Boston had just five hits - four were singles - in the loss.
The Red Sox were also caught on the back end of a double steal to end a big threat in the sixth inning. Boston has just 56 steals on the season, tied for last in the American League.
Jacoby Ellsbury, who played just 18 games this season for the Red Sox, had 70 by himself last year.
Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-6) was charged with four runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss. But Matsuzaka had five more walks in the contest and once failed to turn in a quality start. He has just nine quality starts in 23 outings this year.
Matsuzaka also surrendered a run in the first inning. He has allowed 21 first-inning runs this year for a 7.60 ERA in that inning.
Boston's bullpen came up short again. Daniel Bard, a victim of overwork on the season, came in relief of Matsuzaka with two runners on and they both scored.
Bard has allowed all five of his latest inherited runners to score. He allowed only seven of his first 36 inherited runners to score a run.
The two teams have split the first 16 games they've played this season. Baltimore went 6-28 against Boston in the previous two seasons.
Brad Bergesen starts Tuesday's game for the Orioles against Boston's Clay Buchholz.
Bergesen threw a complete game in a 3-1 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in his last outing. He is 1-3 lifetime against the Red Sox.
Buchholz has been fantastic for the Red Sox. After losing two straight decisions, he bounced back to record a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners in his last outing. His 2.48 ERA is second in the American League.