Wrapping up a 19-3 loss in Game 1 (O's lead 6-3)

BOSTON - Today's 16-run defeat in Game 1 of a doubleheader is the largest for the Orioles since their 30-3 loss to the Rangers back in 2007.

Also the first game of a doubleheader. Also hard to digest.

Manager Buck Showalter never wants to use a position player to pitch, but he's done it twice this summer, with Danny Valencia and Jace Peterson.

Peterson is the ninth player in Orioles history to do it, and he almost tossed a scoreless eighth after getting Ian Kinsler to ground back to the mound for a double play. But Rafael Devers homered and the Red Sox tacked on four runs to complete their 19-3 victory at Fenway Park.

"You know how much I detest doing that, especially in September," Showalter said. "We've been talking about it for a while. He knew he was the guy. I met him off the field and told him to go down to the bullpen. He said he was loose, but I said 'You need to go throw.'

"That's Jace. He's a pro. I know he's frustrated he wasn't able to get them out."

The 112 losses the Orioles have accumulated are the most in franchise history, surpassing the 1939 St. Louis Browns. The Orioles are 2-16 against the Red Sox and still dangerously thin in pitching with the nightcap approaching.

Ryan Meisinger made his first major league start and lasted only six batters, getting one out. John Means made his major league debut and allowed five runs in 3 1/3 innings. Showalter used Donnie Hart as Meisinger's replacement in the first inning.

Peterson wasn't the only Oriole working in an unfamiliar role.

This isn't your father's September baseball.

"There are some guys, whether it's Meisinger or Means or (Cody) Carroll, the presentation right now is not what it's going to be," Showalter said. "There are better days ahead for those guys. (You) may not think so now, but it's a tough learning curve. But it's never as bad as it seems or as good as it seems.

"It's tough spots. Even Donnie Hart. He's pitching in a situation he shouldn't be pitching in."

The Orioles have allowed 19 runs twice this season. The 22 hits today are the most since they surrendered 24 on July 30, 2011 at Yankee Stadium.

Jimmy Yacabonis will try to restore order in Game 2.

"We wanted to do something else," Showalter said, "but we're not going to be able to now."

Meisinger was charged with five runs, three scoring after Hart inherited a bases-loaded mess and Rafael Devers collected three of his career-high six RBIs.

"We felt like he was going to give us a clean inning there," Showalter said. "He had a double play ball that he couldn't turn that he's got to. He's got another play that he's got to make off the mound. We had a guy picked off, didn't get an out there. Got a double play ball that he didn't turn. So, there's a lot more to the game than just pitching.

"He's got a chance to get out of this inning clean if he defends his position a little bit, too. I think that is a teaching point there. When you get outs, especially two with one batted ball, you've got to make it work."

Said Meisinger: "Obviously, it didn't go how I wanted it to, but you can't use that as an excuse. It's my first start since college, but it's still pitching once you're out there. It's relatively the same thing, but I just didn't get it done today.

"It's still pitching and obviously I wanted to get through two, three innings out there today. I have had experience pitching multiple innings. Obviously, it's a little different, coming out and starting the first inning. Roger (McDowell) and I agreed to kind of wait until the last second to get ready, so I came straight out of the bullpen out onto the field. That was the best approach. I didn't want to change much, but it's definitely a little difficult.

"Guys are trying to pick up innings, and it's unfortunate that we've had some injuries, but at the same time everybody needs to pick up their share and I just didn't do that today."

Meisinger estimated that his last start came early in his sophomore year at Radford University.

"I didn't even have a routine then," he said. "I threw two innings on Sunday and I was just going to treat it as a two- or three-inning appearance out of the bullpen."

Means is the 15th Oriole to make his major league debut this season, the most in club history. He retired the side in order in the third with a strikeout, but the Red Sox scored three runs with two outs in the fourth and two more in the fifth.

"I didn't have my fastball command today," he said. "I liked what my slider was doing. I liked what my changeup was doing, but my fastball just wasn't there today.

"I know this is a good-hitting team and they're the best in the league. Fastball command, I mean, that's been a staple of my whole career in the minor leagues. Not having that was frustrating, but I'll get better."

Not how Means envisioned his first major league game.

"It's not," he said. "It's disappointing with the team not doing as well as they would hope. Being here is really all I care about. I know going forward it will be a lot better."

A rainout on Tuesday forced Means to wait an extra day. He knew that he'd be used this afternoon.

"It's tough," he said, "but at the same time I expect myself to be better."

"It's a tough spot for John," Showalter said. "I knew it was going to be a challenge for him. It's one of the best teams in baseball, if not the. But you're going to get a lot of mistakes magnified.

"I talked to John in the dugout. You take 24 days off and pitch as well as he did, especially early on. It's a tough spot for him. I could have left him out there. I just didn't think it was fair to him. We've got some people available to finish that game, but we wouldn't have anybody for the second game."

And beyond.

Showalter mentioned how rookies David Hess and Yefry Ramírez are starting the first two games against the Astros at Camden Yards. Ramírez has been pushed back due to a cut on his thumb.

"We've got to continue to cover ourselves," Showalter said.

For the Red Sox
Jackie Bradley Jr. CF
Brock Holt 3B
Steve Pearce 1B
Rafael Devers DH
Blake Swihart RF
Brandon Phillips 2B
Cristian Vázquez C
Sam Travis LF
Tzu-Wei Lin SS

Chris Sale LHP

Update: Trey Mancini had an RBI triple in the first inning and scored on Renato Núñez's fly ball for a 2-0 lead.

Update II: Jonathan Villar's error with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the first let Jackie Bradley Jr. score and reduce the lead to 2-1.

Update III: Jimmy Yacabonis gave up a game-tying RBI triple to Tzu-Wei Lin in the fourth inning, but Adam Jones put the Orioles ahead 3-2 in the fifth with an RBI double that scored Caleb Joseph.

Update IV: Rafael Devers doubled off Tanner Scott in the bottom of the fifth and scored the tying run on Blake Swihart's single.

Update V: Mancini's two-run single in the seventh broke a 3-3 tie and Núñez added an RBI single on a high bouncer over first base for a 6-3 lead.