Red Sox Implode, Orioles Make Greatest Comeback in Franchise History

Baltimore Orioles' Brian Roberts scored on Nick Markakis's double, completely a rally for the ages over the Boston Red Sox. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)" title="Roberts scores winning run" width="415" height="300" />

Baltimore Orioles' Brian Roberts scored on Nick Markakis' double, a rally for the ages over the Boston Red Sox. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

The Boston Red Sox were well on their way to a resounding win.

Kevin Youkilis hit a two-run home run in the first inning, then backing starting pitcher John Smoltz, Dustin Pedroia followed with a two-run double in the second.

Smoltz mowed down the Baltimore Orioles, allowing just one base runner over the first three innings. His only blemish was a two-out RBI triple by Felix Pie in the fourth inning.

The flood gates then opened in the fourth for the Sox.

Jacoby Ellsbury hit a towering home run to right field to lead off inning. Jeff Bailey, called up before the game, beat out a grounder to reach on an infield single. After Julio Lugo struck out, Pedroia benefited from a botched handle by third baseman Melvin Mora. Youkilis proceeded to extend the Orioles' woes, drilling a double that scored Bailey. Jason Bay was intentionally walked, then David Ortiz hit an opposite-field single, plating Pedroia to send Baltimore starting pitcher Rich Hill to the showers.

Jason Varitek watched a high fastball by reliever Matt Albers speed past his right shoulder. Umpire Tony Randazzo, who had an awful night behind the plate, stood motionless. Only after Varitek’s acting job did he motion to first base, reloading the bases to score Boston’s eighth run of the night. The pitch didn’t hit Varitek.

Nothing was going Baltimore’s way. It was just that kind of night for the last-place Orioles.

Rocco Baldellii struck out, but Ellsbury ended the frame on a high note, nailing an RBI single in his second at-bat of the inning. The Red Sox led 9-1 and seemed to be rolling once again.

During a quiet top half of the fifth inning for Boston, the rain came. It wasn’t just a drizzle, something that could be played through, it was a torrential downpour. Raindrops pelted Bay at the plate, the thousands of fans sparsely spread throughout Camden Yards, the Orioles on the field, as well as Randazzo and his fellow umpires. Bay watched strike-three, then walked through puddles back to the dugout.

The game was delayed...an hour and eleven minutes later...the game resumed.

The rain delay doomed Boston, draining whatever momentum they gained in a fourth inning that was seemingly played years prior. Justin Masterson started off great in relief of Smoltz, retiring the first six hitters he faced.

Baltimore had three innings to pull off a miracle. It turns out, they only needed two.

Pedroia increased the margin to nine runs with an RBI single in the seventh inning. It was the last time any of the Red Sox would smile.

Masterson didn’t record an out in the bottom of the seventh. Instead, he allowed a single to Aubrey Huff, a single to Nolan Reimold, an RBI double to Luke Scott, and a three-run home run to pinch hitter Oscar Salazar. His outing was over after allowing a single to rookie Matt Wieters. All-in-all, he gave up four runs on four hits in a nightmarish frame. The lead was cut to five.

The lead was then trimmed to four once Robert Andino singled home Wieters. Now, three bloops and a blast would tie the game.

Boston tried to lengthen their slimming lead, but Pie fielded Ellsbury’s single and gunned down Baldelli at the plate. Three bloops and a blast could still tie.

Their rally wouldn’t come in that form, but it came nonetheless. Hideki Okajima, who got the final out of a hectic seventh inning, did his best to cough up the lead in the eighth. Reimold singled to begin the frame. Scott followed with a double. Salazar followed that up with a infield single, which only travelled ten feet. The bases were loaded with nobody out. The worst was now expected out of the Red Sox.

Takashi Saito relieved his countrymen and only fueled the fire.

During the previous inning, the wheels began to fall off. Now, the Red Sox train was in serious danger of blowing up in flames. To make things worse, the majority of fans who stayed donned Boston’s red, transplants from the heart of Massachusetts. They were all cheers a few hours before, but were now silent. So silent in fact that the Orioles fans could be heard.

The first hitter, Wigginton, lined a fly ball to right field. Baldelli didn’t know how much room was between him and the wall, so he jumped awkwardly, thinking he’d bump into the padding. Instead, he was five feet away from the wall. Nonetheless, though he had an adventure, finally the first out of the inning was made. Because of Okajima’s miserable performance, even the fly out led to a run. Scott tagged up to score Baltimore’s eighth run.

Closer Jonathan Papelbon attempted to keep Boston from completely collapsing. He could not. His outing got off to a promising start, getting Pie to chase high fastballs for the second out, but he couldn’t give up the third before the Orioles completed a miraculous rally.

Markakis battled Papelbon, patiently waiting for his pitch. After fighting off some offerings, and watching others narrowly miss, he found it. Papelbon put a fastball in the heart of the plate, and Markakis mashed it into the left center gap. Jeremy Guthrie, a starting pitcher for the Orioles who pinch ran for Wieters, scored easily. Roberts slid home safely as well. Baltimore, inconceivably, held the lead.

Unlike Boston, they would not lose their advantage.

Their closer, George Sherrill, unlike Papelbon, closed the door. He allowed two runners to reach base, giving Bay the chance to help Boston rebound and avert disaster. Bay’s average continued to dip, unable to duplicate Markakis' heroics, striking out swinging to end the game.

The amazing win for the Orioles was the greatest comeback in franchise history, breaking the previous record of eight set in 1956.

Over the final two innings, they compiled 13 hits and scored 10 runs. Maybe it was getting Smoltz out of the game, or the fault of baseball’s, statistically, best bullpen, or the baseball gods smiling down on them, pitying another season full of struggles.

Whatever it was, the young Orioles never gave up.