Joe Kelly leaves early, Red Sox lose late to Orioles, 6-5 in 13
Joe Kelly’s streak of winning starts is over, victimized by a stiff shoulder and an ineffective performance.
The Red Sox right-hander still has his unbeaten streak going, although there is some question as to whether he will get to extend it anytime soon.
Kelly left in the third inning Tuesday night, and Boston ultimately dropped a 6-5 decision to the Baltimore Orioles in 13 innings.
Seeking to win his ninth straight start, Kelly departed with what the Red Sox described as ‘‘shoulder tightness and fatigue.’’ He gave up four runs, three earned, and five hits in 2 1-3 innings.
‘‘When they took me out, I was frustrated, obviously,’’ Kelly said. ‘‘I wanted to stay in that game as long as I could. But, the shoulder and the arm just wouldn’t let me be.’’
Though Kelly didn’t take the loss, it marked the first time in eight outings that he allowed more than two earned runs. The extent of the injury will be determined after further evaluation.
‘‘I don’t think it’s that big of a deal,’’ he said. ‘‘It’s just something I’ve been feeling lately. Just a little tight. That just about it.’’
Asked if Kelly will pitch again this season for the last-place Red Sox, interim manager Torey Lovullo said: ‘‘I know that he’s ramped up his inning total. He’s had a great year. He’s been on a great run. That is something we’ll probably talk about collectively as a group (Wednesday) and move forward with a really good decision.’’
The game was decided long after Kelly left.
Gerardo Parra led off the 13th by drawing a walk from rookie Jonathan Aro (0-1). Manny Machado singled, advancing Parra to third, and Robbie Ross came in to face Chris Davis.
Davis lined a 2-1 pitch past the drawn-in infield and into right field to collect his 107th RBI and end the 4-hour, 20-minute marathon.
Chaz Roe (3-2), the seventh Baltimore pitcher, worked the 13th to get the win.
Boston used nine pitchers, limiting the Orioles to one hit from the sixth inning through the 12th.
‘‘It was a great effort by the bullpen,’’ Lovullo said. ‘‘One after another they stepped up and did their job.’’
Machado gave Baltimore a 5-4 lead with a solo shot in the fifth inning, but Travis Shaw tied it with a drive off Brian Matusz in the eighth.
Boston got a third-inning run when Ubaldo Jimenez walked David Ortiz on four pitches to load the bases for Shaw, who walked on a 3-2 pitch.
In the bottom half, Steve Pearce hit a two-run homer, and a throwing error by Mookie Betts on a single to center allowed another run to score. That ended Kelly’s night, and Matt Wieters greeted Craig Breslow with a sacrifice fly for a 4-1 lead.
The Red Sox tied it in the fifth when Xander Bogaerts and Pablo Sandoval sandwiched RBI singles around a run-scoring fly by Ortiz.
Jimenez allowed four runs, six hits and three walks in five innings.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia, who is 6 for 19 (.316) since returning from the DL on Sept. 8, was back in the lineup after being held out Monday. Pedroia missed almost two months with a right hamstring injury.
Orioles: RHP Miguel Gonzalez (right shoulder tendinitis) has been throwing on the side. He intends to have a bullpen session off a full mound Sunday and hopes to start again this season. ‘‘That’s our goal,’’ he said.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Henry Owens (2-2, 5.25 ERA) will make his eighth career start in the series finale. Owens was promoted from Triple-A Pawtucket on Aug. 4 to make his debut against the Yankees.
Orioles: Rookie Mike Wright (2-4, 5.45 ERA) makes his first career appearance against Boston.
The best Red Sox are NOT in the Hall of Fame?
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