Thursday, September 19, 2013

Sox Blow Another 2-0 Lead; Fall To O's, 5-3

(Photo by Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
This is getting to be a disturbing pattern. Build a 2-0 lead on Baltimore, cough it up and lose the game late. For two straight nights that's been the script in 'doppelgänger losses' at Fenway. Last night, Jake Peavy pitched seven solid innings (striking out 8), but could not hold the O's off the board. Home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Napoli guaranteed the game was tied 3-3, but John Farrell made one of his worst managerial decisions of the year in the 11th inning. With runners on first and second, Stephen Drew was due. The lefty-hitting shortstop had be 0-6 lifetime (with five strikeouts) against the Orioles hurler. Instead of pinch-hitting Xander Bogaerts, Farrell let Drew hit—into a inning-ending double play. Game. Set. Match. Baltimore, 5-3 in 12 innings.