Orioles beat reeling Red Sox again

BOSTON -- Boos poured down on the struggling Red Sox as they left the field after their latest loss. In the clubhouse, it was quiet as they packed for their final road trip -- and perhaps their last games -- of the year.

The Red Sox's road to the playoffs hit more rough spots when they blew another late lead, falling to the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 last night, their 14th loss in 18 games.

Boston's lead in the AL wild-card race increased by a half game to 21/2 when Tampa Bay lost a doubleheader to the Yankees. But the Red Sox seemed stunned by their collapse, with blank looks on their faces and little expression in their voices.

"We certainly haven't made it very easy for ourselves," manager Terry Francona said. "That doesn't mean we can't get where we want to go, but we have our work cut out for us."

Vladimir Guerrero hit a two-run single in the eighth inning that broke a 4-all tie. Then the Red Sox went meekly in the last two innings, failing to get a hit and ending on Jed Lowrie's soft grounder to pitcher Jim Johnson.

The Red Sox led Tampa Bay by nine games on Sept. 3. Now they also must hold off the Angels, who also are 21/2 games out in the AL wild-card race after beating Toronto, 7-2.

The Red Sox have six games left -- three at Yankee Stadium and three at Baltimore. Tampa Bay has seven remaining -- four against the Yankees and three against Toronto.

Can the Red Sox, who straightened out their season after losing their first six games and 10 of their first 12, do it again? "I think I can answer that better next Wednesday" after the regular-season finale, Francona said. "I'm not in a very good mood right now. We just lost a game, you know. We've lost a lot of games."