BALTIMORE _ If only, if only, if only. If only Chris Davis had tagged third and run home while Mookie Betts slid into foul territory in the second inning. If only reliever Cody Carroll hadn't lugged a wild pitch over the head of his catcher, allowing the Boston Red Sox's tiebreaking run to cross the plate. If only Jace Peterson hadn't struck out, leaving two in scoring position in the eighth inning.
If only the Orioles could have held onto their lead to win.
Despite carrying a two-run advantage into the fourth inning of Saturday's nightcap, the Orioles blew their second lead in two days to the Red Sox, who completed a doubleheader sweep with a 6-4 win. Orioles first baseman Trey Mancini (3-for-3, two walks) hit a home run in the ninth inning, and added two singles and two RBIs.
The Orioles (35-83) bit first, when Mancini led off with a single, moved up when Davis was hit by a pitch and scored on Renato Nunez's double to left. The latter two runners, however, were abandoned on second and third after the Orioles failed to capitalize on a two-on, no-outs situation.
An inning later, it was Mancini at the center of another Orioles rally. Peterson drew a leadoff walk and when Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. hesitated to throw Mancini's blooper in, Peterson had the time to cross home. After Red Sox reliever Brandon Workman's back-to-back walks loaded the bases, however, the Orioles left them full.
But the Red Sox (84-35) had another comeback in store.
Orioles starter Yefry Ramirez (1-4) bound the team with the best batting average in baseball back until Betts roped a single to shallow center in the third. It would be Boston's only hit until J.D Martinez cracked his 36th home run to center in the fourth to cut the Orioles' lead to 2-1.
The fifth inning, as it has been in past starts, is when Ramirez's pristine start began to show some cracks. A triple and a sacrifice fly were all the Red Sox needed to tie. Ramirez then walked a batter and allowed a stolen base (both by Bradley), though the rookie right-hander managed to get out of it.
Endurance was once again Ramirez's nemesis. In five innings, Ramirez (5.40 ERA) ended the night having allowed three hits, two runs and two walks while fanning five.
The rookie has yet to surpass five innings in eight starts.
Carroll, who was acquired from the New York Yankees in the Zach Britton trade, quickly found himself on unstable footing, walking his first two batters in the sixth. After a momentarily relieving double play, Carroll lost his grip for a wild pitch. Catcher Caleb Joseph chased down his pitcher's mistake as former Oriole Steve Pearce jogged home behind his back for a 3-2 Red Sox lead.
The Orioles had a response ready. Left fielder Joey Rickard let the count fill up and then belted his seventh home run of the year to left-center, knotting the score again, 3-3. Unfortunately for the Orioles, Martinez launched his second homer of the game off reliever Mike Wright Jr., a two-run shot that gave Boston its first lead at 5-3 and Wright (3-1) the loss.
The Orioles never recovered, leaving two in scoring position in the eighth and, after Mancini's homer, couldn't catch up in the ninth, right after giving up an insurance run in the top of the inning. By suffering their 83rd loss of 2018, Baltimore slightly edges the Kansas City Royals (35-81) for the worst record in baseball.
