The formula is simple: Eric Gagne and/or Hideki Okajima in the eighth to set up Jonathan Papelbon to slam the door shut in the ninth. Gagne gave up four runs in the eighth making this “chemistry” experiment go awry losing the ball game 6-5 to the Baltimore Orioles.
Struggling the whole night against Erik Bedard who shutout Boston for seven straight innings only allowing two hits in the fourth inning, it took a two-out single by Wily Mo Pena to tie the game and Boston eventually scored four more runs giving Boston a 5-1 lead.
Julio Lugo reached on an infield single scoring Coco Crisp, after a Dustin Pedroia infield single, David Ortiz brought home two runs on an RBI single to right and Manny Ramirez did the same driving home the last run on an RBI single.
Pena, the unlikely hero for a brief moment, hit a low curveball up the middle off of Bedard to tie the game. Running down first base Pena seemed ecstatic bringing home the tying run.
It was short lived.
After watching Bedard hurl seven stellar innings his chance at a win was blown giving up the RBI single to Pena. Bedard got a no-decision pitching for 7 2/3 innings, giving up four hits, three runs, walking two, and striking out seven.
Daisuzuke Matsuzaka had a chance to win the game after being down from the very first inning. Matsuzaka pitched for 7 innings, giving up four hits, one run that came in the first on a Miguel Tejada RBI single, walking four and striking out seven he seemed lined up for the win, but Matsuzaka had to watch a Baltimore comeback on the bench.
The Orioles (53-61) and Corey Patterson started the inning off with a bang on a double to deep right field. Nick Markakis drove him home on an RBI single, after a Miguel Tejada walk Aubrey Huff doubled scoring Markakis and Tejada lowering Boston’s lead to 5-4.
Melvin More notched an RBI single to left completing the Orioles comeback in the bottom of the eighth.
Gagne gave up four earned in the eighth inning and Okajima gave up the game winning run in the ninth on a Markakis sacrifice fly that scored Brian Roberts who had earlier hit a ground rule double to lead off the inning.
Boston’s (69-46) lead has dropped to five games above the New York Yankees as New York beat the Cleveland Indians 6-1.
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