BOSTON — For the second straight game, Red Sox relievers didn’t do their job and it cost the team.
On Monday, with the team turning to some low-leverage options, the game got further out of hand as the Baltimore Orioles stretched what had been a two-run lead into a four-run cushion before settling for a 6-3 victory.
The loss marked the first time that the Sox had lost back-to-back games at Fenway Park since June 2-3 — and they had the bullpen to blame.
Starter Dustin May gave the Red Sox a solid start, limiting the Orioles to runs over six innings as the Sox were unable to do much against Baltimore lefty Trevor Rogers. But once the game was turned over to the relievers, it quickly got out of hand.
First, lefty Jovani Moran allowed two runs in the seventh, as the Orioles doubled their two-run edge. After the Red Sox managed their first run in the bottom of the inning, the Orioles scored two more off Jordan Hicks in the top of the ninth.
That made the two runs the Red Sox countered with in the bottom of the ninth pretty inconsequential.
Prior to Monday’s game, manager Alex Cora noted that he thought Hicks was close to figuring some things out with his command. But the bard-throwing righty took a step backward when he allowed a leadoff double and a walk to the first two hitters he faced before wild-pitching them both into scoring position and yielding a two-run single to rookie catcher Samuel Basallo.
“Again, he didn’t finish his slider,” Cora said. “We’ve got to continue to work with him. We’re not going to give up.”
The Sox have a number of low-leverage relievers — Hicks, Moran and Isaiah Campbell — who have pitched poorly of late. On Sunday, they failed when some high-leverage arms weren’t available to protect a lead. On Monday, they allowed an opponent’s lead to grow.
“This is who we are,” said Cora. “This is the roster that we have and that’s our job — keep grinding with them. We’re not going to give up. It’s going to take more than the 26 guys that are here. We know that.
“There’s people on the roster, off the roster and they’re going to contribute. But right now, we’re doing everything possible to help them out — all of them.”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.