G43: Orioles 4, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 100 000 - 1  2  0
Orioles - 020 000 02x - 4  7  0

Brian Matusz (6.1-2-1-1-9, 101) outpitched Felix Doubront (6-4-2-2-9, 108), and the Red Sox did not get a hit after the fourth inning. Each side struck out 12 times.

Steve Tolleson's two-run homer put Baltimore on the board in the second. Kevin Youkilis, in his return to the Boston lineup, hit his third home run of the season in the fourth. Wilson Betemit added a two-run dong of his own in the eighth to put the game out of reach.

Boston's other hit was a second-inning single by Adrian Gonzalez. The Red Sox also drew two walks, by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Daniel Nava.

At one point - from the fifth into the eighth - eight of Boston's 10 outs came by strikeout.

The loss, coupled with New York's 3-2 win over the Royals, dropped the Red Sox (21-22) back into the AL East basement.

Felix Doubront / Brian Matusz

Aviles, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Middlebrooks, 3B
Saltalamacchia, C
Nava, LF
Byrd, CF

            W   L   GB    RS   RA  DIFF   EXP
Orioles    27  16  ---   199  187  + 12  23-20
Rays       25  18  2.0   184  174  + 10  23-20
Blue Jays  24  19  3.0   206  167  + 39  26-17
Red Sox    21  21  5.5   229  210  + 19  23-19
Yankees    21  21  5.5   189  188  +  1  21-21

For the first time since April 16, the Red Sox are not in fifth place. Having won nine of their last 11 games, the Red Sox are now tied for fourth with the slumping Yankees. Boston has not been higher than fourth in the standings all season.

Baseball and the F Word - Want some fuckin gifs of players and umpires swearing? Well, shit, it's your goddamn lucky day. (thanks, matt)