The effort couldn?t be questioned. But the frustration was obvious.
On the tenth pitch of his at-bat with the go-ahead runner on third in the seventh inning, Brian Roberts swung and missed a Josh Beckett offering. He paused before slamming his helmet into the faded left-handed batters box.
It was a game the Orioles had every chance to win until the final out, but suffered yet another demoralizing loss, falling, 3-2, before 39,234 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
Withtheir 81st defeat, the Orioles (61-81) are one loss away from a guaranteed 10th consecutive losing season. Meantime, Boston improved to 87-57 and is in command of the American League East Division.
The loss was the Orioles 16th in the past 19 games, and completed a three-games-to-one series loss ? their sixth consecutive series defeat.
But the Orioles? loss didn?t end on the field, as it lost a another starting pitcher during the series. Rookie right-hander Jeremy Guthrie left during the fifth inning with a strained right oblique.
Before the game, the Orioles announced ace left-hander Erik Bedard would miss the season?s final month with a straight right oblique. On Thursday, in the opening game of the Boston series, rookie left-hander Garrett Olson left in the fourth inning with forearm stiffness.
Guthrie appeared to sustain his injury after his fifth pitch to Jason Varitek, prompting a visit from catcher Ramon Hernandez, manager Dave Trembley, trainer Richie Bancells and home plate umpire Laz Diaz. Guthrie, who allowed two runs on seven hits, was replaced by Jamie Walker.
Boston, which scored twice off Guthrie in the third, struck again off Chad Bradford (3-7) in the eighth. Coco Crisp singled to center field to score J.D. Drew, who had led off with a bloop single into left-center field.
Boston was led by Dustin Pedroia, who went 3-for-5 with a double and a run scored.
Beckett (18-6) allowed a base runner in every inning, but held on for the win by throwing seven, solid innings. He allowed seven hits and two runs and struck out eight.
Jonathan Papelbon closed the game before a standing ovation from a Boston-partisan crowd to earn his 35th save.
The Orioles runs came on solo home runs by Melvin Mora and Nick Markakis. Mora?s 360-foot shot to left?his 14th?came with one out in the fourth, while Markakis led off the sixth with a 368-footshot to left-center, his 18th of the season.
NOTES: Bel Air resident Julienne Irwin, 14, sang the National Anthem. An Orioles fan, Irwin was a finalist on NBC?s “America?s Got Talent.” ? With nine home games remaining, the Orioles? home attendance stands at 1,925,716 – an average of 27,511 per game ? The first 10,000 fans 15 and over will receive a Kevin Millar t-shirt Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels.
