G160: Orioles 4, Red Sox 1

Orioles - 003 000 001 - 4  6  0
Red Sox - 000 000 001 - 1  6  1

The Red Sox ended the fourth inning with a runner gunned down at the plate. After that, the Orioles retired 12 consecutive batters until Rafael Devers led off the ninth with a double (#53). Xander Bogaerts knocked him in with a single, but any further thoughts of a last-inning rally fizzled when X was picked off first, and the next two batters were easy outs.

Nathan Eovaldi (5-3-3-4-3, 90) concluded his 2019 season with 16 home runs allowed in only 67.2 innings. With two outs in the third, Renato Núñez blasted a three-run dong. With the Red Sox last year, Eovaldi allowed only three home runs in 54 innings (for the entire year: 14 in 111 innings). Eovaldi also handed out 35 walks in his 67.2 innings, an appallingly high total. He passed only 20 in 111 innings last season.

The Red Sox had something going on in almost every inning against Asher Wojciechowski (6-4-0-1-6, 96). Bogaerts doubled with two outs in the first, but was stranded. Boston put two men on in the second, but Juan Centeno struck out. Mookie Betts singled to start the third, but Devers lined into a double play. In the fourth, Sam Travis was hit by a pitch and later was thrown out at the plate on Jackie Bradley's double off the bullpen wall.

The Red Sox were retired in order in the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings. Over the seventh and eighth innings, five consecutive Boston batters struck out.

Asher Wojciechowski / Nathan Eovaldi

Betts, DH
Devers, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Moreland, 1B
Holt, 2B
Travis, LF
Bradley, CF
G. Hernández, RF
Centeno, C

2019 will be only the second season in franchise history in which the Red Sox finish with a winning record overall, but with a losing record at home. They are 37-41 in home games (37-39 at Fenway and 0-2 in London). It also happened in 1980: 83-77 overall and 36-45 at home.

The Red Sox are 30-8 (.789) against the Orioles since September 1, 2017 (11-5 this year, 16-3 in 2018, and 3-0 in the final month of 2017).

The Red Sox have never finished a season with three players batting .300+ with 30+ home runs. Only nine teams have ever done that, with the 2004 Cardinals being the most recent. (The 1996 Rockies are the only team to have four players reach those milestones.)

                   AVG   HR
J.D. Martinez     .305   35
Xander Bogaerts   .305   32
Rafael Devers     .310   32
Mookie Betts      .294   29

Martinez (35), Bogaerts (32), and Devers (32) are only the third Red Sox trio ever with 30+ HR in a season, joining Jim Rice/George Scott/Butch Hobson (1977) and David Ortiz/Betts/Hanley Ramirez (2016).

The Red Sox are one Mookie Dong away from becoming the 15th team in history to have as many as four players hit 30+ home runs. The 2019 Twins are the only team to have five players hit 30+ home runs - and they are also the first team to hit 300 dongs in a season.

The Red Sox are the seventh team ever (and only the third team in AL history) with as many as four players with 70+ extra-base hits in a season: Devers (88), Bogaerts (83), Betts (74), Martinez (70). No major league team has ever had four players with 75+ extra-base hits in a season. (The 1999 Diamondbacks had four players with 74+ extra-base hits.)

Betts needs one home run to have 30+ homers and 40+ doubles for the third time in his career, joining David Ortiz (2004, 2005, 2007, 2016) as the only Red Sox players to do so. (Also, Betts and Nolan Arenado are the only two players with 70+ extra-base hits in each of the last four seasons.)

Christian Vázquez leads all American League catchers in hits (131) and extra-base hits (50), is tied for first in doubles (26), is second in RBI (71) and runs scored (66), and is fourth in home runs (23). He also leads all major league catchers with four pickoffs. And Vázquez is one of only six Red Sox catchers with at least 23 home runs in a season (Carlton Fisk, Jason Varitek, Mike Stanley, Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Rich Gedman).

Boston's bullpen lead the majors with 10.49 K/9. (The Yankees are #2 at 10.22, with the Brewers #3 (10.19).) The last time the Red Sox led the majors was in 1974 (6.11 K/9).

Brandon Workman has the lowest opponents slugging percentage of any relief pitcher in the last 50 years (minimum of 50 IP). He's at .168, with Craig Kimbrel (.1721 in 2012) and Aroldis Chapman (.1724 in 2014) behind him.

The Red Sox enjoyed a historic left side of the infield this season.

Bogaerts (32 home runs, 51 doubles) and Devers (32 home runs, 52 doubles) are the first teammates in major league history with 30+ homers and 50+ doubles in a season.

Bogaerts (32 homers, 113 RBI) and Devers (32 homers, 115 RBI) are also only the second SS/3B duo to have 30+ homers and 110+ RBI in a season, joining Miguel Tejada (31/113) and Eric Chavez (32/114) of the 2001 Athletics.

Devers is the first major league player with 88+ extra-base hits in a season before turning 23 since Albert Pujols (88 in 2001). The last player at that age with more extra-base hits was Alex Rodriguez (91 in 1996).

Bogaerts is one of only three Red Sox shortstops with more than 50 doubles in a season (Joe Cronin, 51 in 1938; Nomar Garciaparra, 51 in 2000, 56 in 2002). Bogaerts is only two extra-base hits behind Garciaparra for the most ever by a Red Sox shortstop (X has 83; Nomar had 85 in both 1997 & 2002).

Devers (88) and Bogaerts (83) are 1-2 in the AL in extra-base hits (Marcus Semien #3 with 82).

Devers (52) and Bogaerts (51) are 1-2 in the AL in doubles (Semien #3 with 43 and Betts and Andrew Benintendi are two of four players tied at #5 (40)).

Devers (115) and Bogaerts (113) are 2-3 in the AL in RBI (Jose Abreu #1 (123), Jorge Soler #4 (112), and Alex Bregman #5 (110)).

Betts (134) and Devers (127) are 1-2 in the AL in runs scored (Semien #3 with 122).