Infuriatingly Inconsistent. The Red Sox had their chances, but couldn't do a damn thing with Carlos Silva and lost 4-2. (In Baltimore, the Orioles battered New York 13-2.) Lowe actually pitched pretty well, despite giving up 2 first-inning runs and a 2-run bomb to Hunter in the 6th. Two leadoff home runs -- Bellhorn in the 6th and Nixon in the 7th -- accounted for Boston's runs. Wasted opportunities:

1st inning: 1st/3rd, 1 out -- Ramirez 4-6-3 DP (first pitch).
5th inning: 1st/2nd, 1 out -- Damon 4-6-3 DP.
7th inning: man on 2nd, 1 out -- Youkilis popup, Damon fly out.
9th inning: man on 2nd, 0 outs -- Nixon popup, Millar groundout, Varitek groundout.

Pokey suffered a severe sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament in his left thumb in the second inning (the same ligament he tore last season). X-rays taken at the park were negative and he was sent to St. Elizabeth's Hospital for an MRI.