Lackey has another rough outing in loss to O's

BOSTON -- If the Red Sox needed a sign that things probably were not going to go their way Friday night against the Orioles, they got it on the first pitch of the game. Baltimore's Nick Markakis lofted a fastball from John Lackey down the left-field line and went into second base with what appeared to be a stand-up double.

Boston manager John Farrell challenged the fair call, but after a review of two minutes and 56 seconds, the call on the field stood. Three batters later, after moving to third on Chris Davis' groundout, Markakis scored the game's first run on Adam Jones' infield single.

It was going to be that kind of night for the Red Sox, as they fell to the Orioles, 8-4.

On a frigid night at Fenway Park -- with a first-pitch temperature of 39 degrees and an 8-mph wind from the east, off the ocean -- the Red Sox struggled to find a rhythm. They had runners in all but the third, but struggled to push them across. They had 11 hits, but left 12 runners on base

"We had lots of chances," said catcher A.J. Pierzynski. "A lot of chances. Unfortunately, we didn't get that hit. We got a couple of hits and we got him out of there early and got in the bullpen and we had more chances. But unfortunately every time we scored, it seemed like they came back and scored. Just one of those nights where things didn't work out."

Lackey allowed runners in all but one of his innings. He faced eight batters in a three-run third and seven in the two-run fifth. Lackey went 5 1/3 innings, giving up six runs for the second straight start. On Friday, he yielded 10 hits and four walks with six strikeouts and a wild pitch. He took the loss, falling to 2-2 with a 5.25 ERA.

"I thought he had good stuff tonight," Farrell said. "He managed their lineup with a couple of walks that were instead of giving in. They had a number of ground balls that found some holes; bunched some hits together. Doesn't get a break in that first inning, on the double, then the infield base hit by Jones. The [two runs in the fifth] inning that was a little bit too much at that point to overcome."

Lackey's four walks were more than he had allowed in his three previous outings, when he gave up three over 18 2/3 innings.

"Honestly, they had a couple walks, but they were in spots that wasn't that big a deal, against guys I didn't really want to give in to," Lackey said. "I felt OK with it."

O's No. 9 hitter Jonathan Schoop led off the third with a single, scoring on Markakis' double. With one out, Davis walked. After Jones singled, Nelson Cruz's single scored Markakis and Davis, giving Baltimore a four-run lead.

The Sox got a run in fourth, sending six batters to the plate. Mike Carp led off with a double, scoring on Brock Holt's single.

Boston added two more runs in the fifth, cutting Baltimore's lead to 6-3. Daniel Nava led off with a double, scoring on Dustin Pedroia's single to right. With two outs, Xander Bogaerts walked and Pierzynski singled to center scoring Pedroia.

Orioles starter Chris Tillman earned the win, going five innings, giving up three runs on seven hits and four walks with five strikeouts. He improved to 2-1 with a 1.71 ERA.

"You're trying not to use four or five guys out of the 'pen in the first game," said Orioles manager Buck Showalter. "That was something I was thinking in the dugout. … It was a challenge for [Tillman], but he deserved that. If the guy hadn't had a fister base hit, I probably would have gotten him there, but it's tough to take Tilly out there after that."

The O's added a run in the seventh off Red Sox righty Burke Badenhop, who retired the first two batters he faced before giving up consecutive singles to J.J. Hardy and Steve Lombardozzi and a run-scoring double to Schoop, pushing Baltimore to a 7-3 lead.

Schoop, the O's rookie, went 4-for-5, a career-high in hits, with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.

"As intense as those games are at this level, you do step back and watch Jon," Showalter said. "It's fun to watch. He's got a great look on his face. He's just real sincere, earnest look. He's not giddy. That's what I like about him. He's going to be a good defender whichever infield position he ends up playing. He's just now getting his clock kind of settled in at third base. I think we're seeing some of the results of that."

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the inning, when Mike Napoli led off with a double off the wall in left-center off Brian Matusz, scoring on Bogaerts' one-out single to left.

Boston had been 0-for-3 in challenges this season, but finally got a reviewed play to go in its favor in the eighth. Holt led off with a grounder to second baseman Lombardozzi and was initially called out. Farrell asked the umpires to review the ruling, and after a review that last one minute and three seconds, the call was overturned. However, after three consecutive groundouts, Holt would be stranded at second base.