Double dose of doom: Sox blow game, lose Ortiz indefinitely

Orioles 6, Sox 3
WP: Johnson (1-2)
LP: Okajima (1-1)
SV: Sherrill (18)
HRs: BOS-Ramirez (12); BAL-None

SUMMARY:
As if losing the game after they had just taken a 3-2 lead when Hideki Okajima suffered an atomic implosion wasn't bad enough, the Sox got worse news when it was learned David Ortiz will be placed on the DL and miss a minimum of a month and possibly the rest of the season due to his wrist injury.

All together now: "Ay, Papi!"

SUPERSTAR: Adam Jones 1-4, 3BI, 2B
The rookie was having a horrible series at the plate (3-17) until he came to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th and blasted a double off the wall off Oki to win the game for his team.

THE BIGGEST LOSER: Okajima 2/3IP, 4H, 4ER, 1BB, 0K, 24P
How do you say "fuckinggodawfuldogshitstanknasty-performance" in Japanese?

All together now: "Oh-ka-gee-mah!"

RECAP:
Boy, that escalated quickly... I mean that really got out of hand fast.

I realize quoting Anchorman on a blog is akin to wrapping up a complex story with "and they lived happily ever after", but in this case that quote was actually the first thing that came to my mind as Hideki Okajima turned what looked like a satisfying come-from-behind victory into a horrific, soul-sucking loss in a matter of minutes.

To make matters worse shortly after absorbing that low blow I'm watching ESPN and I happen to catch on that annoying, omnipresent bottom crawl that Big Papi might have to miss the season if his wrist injury doesn't heal IN A MONTH!

In a month? Before this game started we were led to believe that this could be one of those pesky little injuries that might get better in a few days. Now we learn it's a torn tendon sheath which will require a minimum month's rehab, and if that doesn't work it's sayonara 2008 season for the team's most clutch slugger.

You talk about a devastating 1-2 punch. My gut felt like the ear of that guy who fought Kimbo Slice the other night.

Normally on the heels of such a devastating announcement the result of one game out of 162 would be a minor footnote. Except this wasn't an ordinary game.

Boston blew scoring opportunities in each of the first four innings off Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (6.1IP, 8H, 2ER, 1BB, 5K, 1HR), a theme that would come back to haunt them later in the game.

In the first inning Julio Lugo, batting second with Pedroia getting the night off, singled with one out and Kevin Youkilis (1-3, R, 2BB) followed with a single to right, but Guthrie retired Manny and Lowell to escape the jam.

After Tim Wakefield (7IP, 5H, 2ER, 4BB, 3K) escaped a two-on, one-out situation in the bottom of the inning thanks to a strike 'em out/throw 'em out double play, Boston botched another scoring chance in the second when JD Drew led off with a single and moved to second on a sacrifice, but once again Guthrie got the last two outs to end the threat.

Jacoby Ellsbury led off the third with a single, but Lugo quickly killed that potential rally when he grounded into a double play, and in the fourth inning Lowell (2-4, RBI) singled with one out and following a strikeout by Drew Coco Crisp broke an 0-22 skid with a single, but Alex Cora lined out to once again squelch the opportunity.

The missed chances would come back to bite Boston in the ass in the bottom of the fourth when Baltimore scored a pair of runs off Wakefield on a walk, and RBI double by Audrey Huff and a run-scoring single by The Original Idiot to give the O's a 2-0 lead.

The red hot Ramirez (2-5, R, BI) got half that lead back when he slammed his third homer in as many days, another opposite field blast, for his 502nd home run, and the Sox would tie the game in the next inning when Kevin Cash doubled in Cora, who had walked, and suddenly it was a new ballgame at 2-2.

Boston grabbed its first lead of the game off reliever Jim Johnson in the 8th when Youk led off with a walk, Manny followed with a single, and after a wild pitch moved them over Lowell singled past the second baseman to score Youk and give the Sox a 3-2 lead.

But a golden chance to get more runs went by the wayside when Manny inexplicably broke for home on a grounder to the shortstop, who was playing in to prevent the run, by Drew, and when Coco walked to load the bases all we needed was a single to break the game open.

Unfortunately Cora grounded into a rally-killing double play, and minutes later the failure to put more runs on the board would come back to cost the Sox a chance to win this game.

That's because the minute Hideki Okajima entered the game it was like a black cloud enveloped the stadium.

Toting a deceiving 0.72 ERA into the game, which belied the fact that Oki has been allowing inherited runners to score at an alarming rate this season, the lefty immediately proceeded to load the bases with no outs on three consecutive singles to right field, and everyone in the nation knew there was no where to go but down from here.

Sure enough Millah (1-3, 2BI) hit a booming sac fly that nearly left the yard to tie the game at three, but after a grounder by Luke Scott got Melvin Mora nailed at the plate thanks to a heads-up play by Youk, it looked as if Oki might escape the inning with the game tied.

Ah, not quite.

Okajima, who couldn't find the plate at all (13 of his 24 pitches were balls and he was behind every batter), then walked .218 hitting catcher Ramon Hernandez to load the bases, and then on a 3-1 count Adam Jones, still yet to prove his worth after coming over in the Erik Bedard trade, made himself a Camden hero by booming a ball high off the centerfield wall to clear the bases, ending Oki's night and the game as well.

Boston actually had a chance to tie the game off closer George Sherrill, who walked Lugo and Youk with two outs, giving Manny a chance at capping a truly memorable weekend with a game-tying home run, but although Ramirez gave the ball a ride to right field once again the ball fell short of the seats and Baltimore had salvaged one game of the series.

But like I said a game is not as important in the grand scheme of things when one of the key pieces to the championship contender is on the shelf indefinitely. Combine that somber fact with the loss of number one starter Dice K and the first place Rays coming to Fenway tomorrow, and what was a bright and sunny weekend took a dark turn on a Monday night in Baltimore.

Like Ron Burgundy said, things really got out of hand fast.

RECORD: 35-25
AL EAST: 1 1/2 GB
STREAK: L1
LAST 10: 4-6
UP NEXT: Tue vs. TB @ Fenway 7:05 Masterson vs. Garza