Orioles shut out again while Red Sox complete sweep

Wade Miley escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third inning tonight and walked straight into an ambush in the fourth. No one could save him. No one can save this season.

Miley served up two-run homers to the Red Sox's Mookie Betts and Deven Marrero in the fourth and the Orioles lost for the 12th time in 14 games, 9-0, before an announced crowd of 16,906 at Camden Yards.

Did anyone believe that Chris Sale would hand back a four-run lead, or the six-run margin in the fifth? Extra innings weren't in the cards tonight. Not with the opposition holding another ace.

The Red Sox completed the sweep, leaving the Orioles (73-80) with four games against the Rays to close out their final homestand. They're seven below .500 for the first time since July 16 and must go 8-1 to avoid their first losing season since 2011.

If anyone is checking the wild card standings, perhaps on a whim, the Orioles remain 5 1/2 behind the Twins, who lost earlier today to the Yankees.

The Orioles haven't scored in 26 consecutive innings - they stranded two in scoring position in the ninth after an error and Anthony Santander double off Austin Maddox - and suffered back-to-back shutouts for the first time since Sept. 25-27, 2015 in Boston. Miley lasted only 4 1/3 innings. The defense committed two errors to raise its season total to 89.

The reasons for the Orioles' latest tumble toward the cellar come in a variety pack.

Sale allowed only four hits, two each by Adam Jones and Trey Mancini, over eight innings. He struck out 13 and joined Pedro Martinez as the only pitchers in Red Sox history with 300. Martinez fanned 313 in 1999.

Left-hander Tanner Scott, up from Double-A Bowie, made his major league debut in the eighth and gave up Dustin Pedroia's two-run double with two outs and the bases loaded. His fastball topped out at 100 mph.

Scott's first two pitches were clocked at 99 mph, the second lined into right field by Sam Travis for a leadoff single. Marrero swung through three straight 90 mph sliders for Scott's first strikeout.

Sandy Leon walked with one out, Jackie Bradley Jr. grounded into a fielder's choice, Xander Bogaerts walked on four pitches and Pedroia lined a 98 mph fastball into right field for an 8-0 lead. Andrew Benintendi flied out on Scott's 28th pitch.

Jimmy Yacabonis allowed a run in the ninth on Betts' leadoff triple and Hanley Ramirez's single. Reserves were all over the field for the Orioles to start the inning. Joey Rickard almost took down the fence in left-center field while chasing Betts' ball, hitting it in full stride but coming away unscathed.

Symbolic for a club that's hit the wall.

Miley loaded the bases with one out in the third on an error and two walks - Ryan Flaherty was responsible for the miscue at third base - but J.J. Hardy made a leaping grab of Pedroia's liner and fired to Jonathan Schoop to double off Leon. Miley pounded his fist into his glove and spun toward the dugout.

The game would take a dizzying turn.

Benintendi led off the fourth with a single and Betts lined a curveball into the left field seats. Ramirez doubled and Marrero launched a 91 mph fastball over the center field fence for a 4-0 lead.

Miley issued back-to-back one-out walks in the fifth, Mike Wright replaced him and both runners scored on Ramirez's double.

The six runs raised Miley's ERA to 5.52 in 153 1/3 innings. He's failed to exceed five innings in 19 of his 31 starts, including the May 5 "two line drives" game, as it shall forever be known.

Miley has allowed 12 runs in his last two starts totaling only 4 2/3 innings. Manager Buck Showalter will be asked in the coming days, if not sooner, whether someone else will take Miley's next turn in the rotation.

Jones led off the second inning with a single and was erased on Mark Trumbo's double play grounder. Mancini reached with one out in the fourth after hitting Sale's leg with a comebacker, and he doubled to lead off the seventh. Jones followed with a single to put runners on the corners with one out, but Welington Castillo and Trumbo struck out.

Mancini has a career-high 10-game hitting streak.

The Orioles are left to mine for anything positive.