The Boston Red Sox aren't making this playoff push easy on themselves, suffering a fourth straight loss Tuesday night against the Baltimore Orioles.
The Red Sox mustered just three hits in a game with great gravity, eventually falling 4-2 to the 51-win hosts at Camden Yards.
Boston drops to 88-69 on the season with just five games remaining in the regular season, and clutching onto the second wild-card spot.
Check out the full box score.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
A big hope for Tuesday was to see if Chris Sale could pitch deep into the game. Instead, he was done after 5 1/3 innings.
Sale knew the importance of this game, and wasn't pleased with himself when manager Alex Cora called to the bullpen to relieve him. Sale shouldn't shoulder the blame for the loss, though, no matter what he says after the game.
The lefty allowed three earned runs on four hits and a walk while striking out six batters. Ideally, though, Boston's offense should give him as much run support as it has been in such a big matchup.
STARS OF THE GAME
-- Kyle Schwarber at least was a silver lining from the start. He hit a solo home run on the first pitch he saw to give Boston an early 1-0 lead in the top of the second inning. He also worked a walk on a 10-pitch at-bat, going 1-for-2 with a run and RBI.
-- Hunter Renfroe provided the rest of the offense, going 2-for-3 with a home run that gave Boston a 2-0 edge.
-- Baltimore's Ryan Mountcastle made the biggest difference for the Orioles, hitting a two-run homer off Sale in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game. From there, Baltimore added one more to steal the lead before the end of the frame.
WAGER WATCH
Just before first pitch the Orioles had favorable betting odds for those who could sense a Red Sox loss. A $100 moneyline bet on Baltimore at the beginning of the contest would have paid out $240, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.
NEXT UP ON NESN
The Red Sox and Orioles go at it again Wednesday with the second game of the series starting at 7:05 p.m. ET. You can watch the game live on NESN.
