10 Takeaways from Bruins-Blackhawks Game 3

Garnett and Rivers to Clippers Deal ‘Dead’

Bruins Take 2-1 Series Lead as Rask Silences Blackhawks

A Brief History of Stolen Bases and the Red Sox

Orioles Sweep Sox in Baltimore

The Red Sox were out-pitched, out-hit, and out-classed by the Baltimore Orioles in a brief two-game series. Could the guard in the AL East be changing? Probably not, so let’s not get ahead of ourselves. In Game 1, Jeremy Guthrie calmed down after allowing three runs in the first inning to hold the Red Sox bats at bay in a 5-4 Orioles win. In Game 2 on Wednesday, the Sox were leading 3-0 again, but this time in the sixth inning. Then, the wheels fell off the bus and the Sox bullpen coughed up the lead and the game in a 6-3 Orioles win.

Sox Stud of the Series:

Manny Ramirez went 3-8 in the series with a walk and an RBI. He also had a comedic moment in Game 2: after making a running over-the-shoulder catch, Manny ran toward the wall as he was carried by his momentum. He jumped up and slapped a Red Sox fans’ hand and jumped down. He then gunned down the runner at first base for the double play. Typical Manny.

Diamond Duds of the Series:

• Sox pitching in general was not so good. In the first game, the starting pitching of Ace Josh Beckett was very poor after he 5 2/3 innings of 11-hit, five-run baseball. The bullpen screwed the Red Sox in the second game: Jon Lester left after the sixth inning with a 3-2 lead. Javier Lopez and Craig Hansen did not get the job done in loading the bases. Hideki Okajima really didn’t get the job done after allowing a grand slam to former Sox OF Jay Payton.

Heading Home:

• The Red Sox finished an inconsistent 10-game road trip on a four-game losing streak. I bet they will love heaidng home more than anybody. They finally have another well-deserved day off on Thursday after the day game and have an early inter-league series against the Brewers this weekend.

Other Notes:

• Clay Buchholz was put on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday by the Boston Red Sox because of a broken nail on his right middle finger.
• In his place, the Sox called up Jon Van Every, who started in center field Wednesday and went 1-3 out of the No. 9 spot.
• David Ortiz Batting Average Watch: 1-8 in two games, average at .234.

About KC Downey

KC is the "head coach" of the Sports of Boston, LLC blog network. Follow him on Twitter: @kc_downey

Tags: Baltimore Orioles, Clay Buchholz, Javier Lopez, Jeremy Guthrie, Jon Lester, Josh Beckett, Manny Ramirez