Bullpen Blows it in the 7th; Orioles Fall to 2-16 With Another Loss to Red Sox

The Orioles blew yet another game last night as they folded in the seventh inning as the bullpen once again folded and allowed the Red Sox to come back and win, 7-6.

Baltimore took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning at Fenway Park and Brian Matusz – who once again was solid on the mound – ran into a jam and was yanked in favor of the bullpen.

That decision would later turn into a mistake as both Mat Albers and Kam Mickolio could not bail out Matusz. They both would allow to storm back as they coughed up three run homers to Marco Scaturo and Kevin Youkilis. In the end, the Orioles would give up six runs in that fateful inning; however, they would rally back in the ninth inning – only to come up short.

Adam Jones hit a solo shot to start the scoring in the final frame, and then the Orioles would get two more runs off Jonathan Papelbon as Matt Wieters and Luke Scott had RBI singles.

When all was said and done, Matt Albers would take the loss. For Boston, starter John Lackey would earn the win, going seven innings and giving up three runs on ten hits. Papelbon got the save, his fifth.

Brian Matusz was once again good on the mound for Baltimore as he went six innings and gave up three runs. However, should Matusz have been left in to work out of a jam? Maybe.

If there were some positives of this game, it had to be the debut of Rhyne Hughes. The Orioles were desperate for power – or much less anything on the offensive front and the new guy delivered. He went 2-for-5 in his major league debut, drove in a run in the second, and got a hit in his first ML at bat.

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