G103: Orioles 7, Red Sox 6

Red Sox - 100 020 021 - 6  9  0
Orioles - 002 023 00x - 7  9  1

The Red Sox trailed by four runs after seven innings, but they battled back to put the potential tying run on second with one out in the ninth, with Mookie Betts at the plate in the pouring rain. Betts had homered in the fifth and singled in the eighth, but there was no magic this time, as he grounded Brad Brach's 1-0 pitch to second and Jonathan Schoop started a 4-6-3 game-ending double play.

Drew Pomeranz (4.2-6-4-2-4, 89) allowed two two-run dongs, to Schoop in the third and Tim Beckham in the fifth. Joe Kelly was tagged with three runs in the sixth, as he walked two batters and then allowed two singles and a sac fly. He threw 32 pitches to six batters.

J.D. Martinez hit his 30th home run in the first inning. With two outs in the fifth, Blake Swihart and Betts went back-to-back off Yefry Ramirez (5-4-3-1-6, 92). With a 1-1 count on Betts, Ramirez threw a pitch over Mookie's head. It wasn't all that close, but he had throw a similar pitch to a Sox batter not that much earlier. Betts did not seem angry, but he gestured slightly towards the mound as if to say, just cut the shit, okay? Then Mookie pounded the next pitch to deep left for his 24th homer of the year.

Martinez hit his second homer of the game, a two-run shot to right-center off Mychal Givens in the eighth. His 31st home run cut the Orioles's lead to 7-5. Facing Brach in the ninth, Jackie Bradley grounded into the shift on the right side. Beckham, the shortstop, was playing on that aside and he moved to his left and tried to scoop the ball to first with his glove, but the ball sailed high over Chris Davis and went into the dugout.

Bradley was awarded second on the error and he went to third when pinch-hitter Brock Holt grounded to first. (Despite the Red Sox having scored five runs at the time, Holt's at-bat was the first of the game for Boston with a baserunner beyond first.)

Rafael Devers fell behind 0-2 and poked a ground ball towards third. Renato Nunez ran in and gloved it on the wet grass, but had trouble getting it out of his glove and Devers beat the throw. Bradley scored, bringing the Red Sox within one run. Brach worked Swihart outside and missed with four pitches, walking him and moving Devers to second. The Red Sox must have felt confident with Betts at the plate, but it did not work out.

Pitches seen by Beckham in his first four plate appearances: 1, 8, 7, and 11.

AL East: The Yankees beat the Rays 4-0 and are 5 GB.

Drew Pomeranz / Yefry Ramirez

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Martinez, DH
Moreland, 1B
Bogaerts, SS
Bradley, CF
Nunez, 2B
Devers, 3B
Swihart, C

"It's time for me to pitch," Drew Pomeranz said yesterday. So what should we expect? I don't think anyone has any idea.

Before going on the disabled list with biceps tendinitis, Pomeranz had a 6.81 ERA in eight starts. In five games for Pawtucket, he has done little better: a 5.49 ERA and more walks allowed (13) than strikeouts (12). However, those dreary statistics include his last outing, on July 18, in which he allowed only one hit and one run in six innings.

Speaking about that game, Pomeranz said:

I just tried to relax, stop worrying about so many things, and just worry about my release point. ... I backed off a little bit. I was too worried about velocity. At the end of the day, if you're throwing 95 and getting lit up, what does it matter? I just focused on making pitches and getting my release point out front.

Last weekend, manager Alex Cora said:

He was able to command his fastball. His breaking ball felt normal. ... He's healthy, which is important. I think he cleaned up a few things mechanically. In the last one, he made some adjustments on the rubber. ... Velocity was OK, 88-91 (mph), but the difference is he was able to throw strikes. He was very efficient.

Buster Olney, ESPN:

What do the Red Sox believe about what Dustin Pedroia might contribute late this season?

... Pedroia has spoken positively about the chances that he'll come back this year, return to the lineup and return to form. But Boston's front office must use its access to Pedroia's medical information to make a clear-eyed and hard decision about whether to acquire someone who can play second base -- someone like the Twins' Brian Dozier, for example. ... [Eduardo Nunez] is second worst in baseball in defensive runs saved. Dozier isn't thriving in these numbers either, but he has much more experience at the position and has always been a better second-half player, with power.

AL East: MFY/Rays, 7 PM. The Yankees are 6.0 GB.