Not A Good Sign
By Steve Marsi
Anytime there’s a Ramiro Mendoza sighting, you know things aren’t going well.
Coming off a six-game West Coast swing in which they finished 3-3, the mercurial Boston Red Sox turned in another underwhelming performance Wednesday night in losing to the Baltimore Orioles 10-5 at Fenway Park. It was another setback for Boston (51-42), which remains tied Oakland in the Wild Card standings but badly needed a win in the opening game of a critical homestand. The Sox returned home from Seattle in the early morning hours banged up and worn out, and their lineup last night didn’t look much better.
With Pokey Reese placed on the disabled list and Nomar Garciaparra needing the night off, the team’s middle infield consisted of Mark Bellhorn at shortstop and Bill Mueller at second, each for the first time this year. The first five hitters in Boston’s lineup, including sluggers Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz, went 1-for-19, while ace Pedro Martinez impressed only with his hair, surrendering eight runs in 6 2/3 innings. Johnny Damon’s uncharacteristically tough night in the field didn’t help. He allowed a line drive by Miguel Tejada to get by him for a two-run triple in the fourth, then collaborated with Ramirez on a strange defensive gaffe in the seventh that resulted in a two-run inside-the-park home run by David Newhan. Rarely do you see a left fielder make a leaping catch to intercept the center fielder’s relay throw. That’s the kind of night it was.
Mendoza, who many fans thought (and wished) they had seen the last of, relieved Martinez and, in typical fashion, retired one of the three batters he faced before being pulled. Mark Malaska followed with an inning of work, then gave way to Jimmy Anderson. Who? As a friend of mine likes to say, the Sox apparently "made up" another player before the game.
Tejada finished with three hits and five RBIs, and set the tone for the game with a spectacular first-inning grab in shallow left to rob the Sox of two runs. Newhan finished with four hits and four runs scored, while Melvin Mora added three of each. Boston’s offense was supplied by a three-run blast from Gabe Kapler that briefly tied the game in the fourth inning, a solo shot by Kevin Millar in the sixth, and a pinch-hit single by Trot Nixon in the ninth. Martinez (10-4) lost for the first time in 10 starts, and for the second time against Baltimore this year, while Erik Bedard earned the win for the O’s.
With a day-night doubleheader on tap Thursday, there will be no rest for the weary. Boston desperately needs a sweep to bring momentum into this weekend’s series against the arch-rival Yankees (59-34). If last night is any indication, that may be a tall order.
