Red Sox 14, Orioles 2
By Marc Carig
Washington Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
BOSTON, Sept. 2 -- Much like the ceremonial first pitch or the national anthem, pitching meltdowns have become a ritual for the Baltimore Orioles.
Even before Radhamés Liz looked atrocious in a 14-2 loss to the Boston Red Sox, the Orioles announced that right-hander Jeremy Guthrie, the lone bright spot in the rotation this season, will miss his scheduled start Wednesday as a precautionary measure to combat arm and shoulder fatigue.
The Orioles only added to the sour news, allowing 20 hits to the Red Sox en route to their fifth straight loss and their 10th in their last 11.
"Hopefully, this is rock bottom," Manager Dave Trembley said.
With Guthrie sitting out, the Orioles will start Lance Cormier. But Trembley said he may use a string of relievers in a piecemeal approach to get the Orioles through the game.
"It could be a spring training-like game tomorrow, unfortunately," Trembley said.
After his last start at Tampa Bay on Friday, when Guthrie allowed a season-high seven runs, he admitted to not feeling well.
"I saw him pitch the other day in Tampa and the ball just isn't coming out of his hand like it should," Trembley said. "I think he would readily admit his arm feels like you do in spring training, kind of like a dead arm. He really doesn't have a lot of zip on a lot of pitches."
Guthrie, who has already pitched a career-high 186 2/3 innings, said he doesn't feel soreness and he has no plans to undergo any medical exams. But he said the fatigue has affected his pitches.
"It's fatigue and dead arm to the point where I can't execute pitches nearly where I needed to, to compete and give my team a chance to win," said Guthrie, whose 3.57 ERA is easily the lowest in the starting rotation. "I think Dave looked at that, realized that and said, 'Let's do something that's best for you and best for the team.' "
Guthrie is scheduled to pitch again next week during the Cleveland series. But even after he returns, Guthrie will get an extra day's rest for the remainder of the season.
"I think he has earned that," Trembley said.
But, unless something drastically changes in the season's final month, Guthrie's scaled-back schedule may only mean more of the drudgery the Orioles suffered on Tuesday night.
By the time he was chased in the fourth inning, Liz had allowed nine runs on nine hits in 3 1/3 innings and his ERA in three career starts against Boston ballooned to 19.75.
Dustin Pedroia tied a career-high with five RBI, including a three-run homer off reliever Fernando Cabrera. David Ortiz drove in four, including a two-run double off the Monster that triggered an early onslaught. By the fifth inning, Liz was gone and the Orioles had already ensured they would give up double-digit runs for the fourth time in five games.
"I know we're all having a hard time," said Liz, who came unglued after Coco Crisp's bunt single in the third. "But these things happen sometimes, just like they happen to the other teams. We just have to keep working and get off of that."
The Orioles' only hint of competitiveness came in the second inning, when Ramón Hernández nearly scored from third to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. But left fielder Jacoby Ellsbury threw Hernández out at the plate, though video replays showed that Hernández may have touched the plate before the tag by catcher Jason Varitek.
Trembley and Hernández argued to no avail, just another loss in a day full of them.
"I don't know how much worse it could get," Trembley said. "You'd like to think that this is it. You'd like to think tomorrow's another day and you'll play better. That's the only approach I think you can take."
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