It’s only 12 games and statistics can change significantly from one day to the next. But it’s getting to a point where happy talk and novelty T-shirts won’t be able to cover up the issues the Red Sox have with their rotation.

Rick Porcello turns away as the Orioles’ Ryan Flaherty rounds third after hitting a solo homer during the second inning.

Rick Porcello couldn’t get out of the sixth inning on Sunday as the Baltimore Orioles beat the Sox, 8-3, before a sellout crowd of 37,761 at Fenway Park.

The performance was part of a trend. Sox starters have a 6.24 earned run average, the highest in the American League. Among AL teams, only Texas has required more innings from its relief pitchers than the Sox have.


The Red Sox, tied for first place in the AL East, have only division games for the next three weeks. Pitching is a problem they need to solve far sooner than later.

Manager John Farrell, desperate to give his bullpen some kind of break, sent a struggling Porcello out for the sixth inning Sunday and he gave up three more runs in a span of four batters.

Baltimore, tied with the Red Sox at 7-5, has taken two of three games in the series with the finale scheduled for Monday morning. The Sox have lost two straight games for the first time this season.

Porcello pitched well in his first two starts after being awarded a four-year, $82.5 million contract extension. But this game was a wreck from the start. Baltimore’s third batter, Adam Jones, hit a two-run homer to left field that left the park in a flash in the direction of Kenmore Square.

Porcello left the game having allowed eight runs on 12 hits with three walks and a hit batter. Baltimore put runners in scoring position in every inning against him.

“I left a lot of fastballs out over the plate. Obviously Adam Jones is a good example of that. I just didn’t pitch my game,” Porcello said.


The Sox have untested prospects in their Triple A rotation and it would be difficult to make a significant trade this early in the season. It’s up to Porcello and the other starters to improve.

“I know I have to be better,” he said.

As Porcello struggled, the Red Sox offense was of little assistance. Hanley Ramirez belted a three-run homer in the first inning, but the Sox did not score again. They had only four more hits against Miguel Gonzalez (2-1) and two relievers.

Ramirez’s fifth home run gave Porcello a lead he could not hold. Baltimore second baseman Ryan Flaherty, a Maine native, hit his first home run at Fenway in the second inning, a shot to center.

Porcello has allowed five home runs in three starts, 13 fewer than he did in 31 starts last season.

“There ended up being some pitches up in the strike zone. He had to fight back in the count a number of times,” Farrell said. “Lefthanders took some good swings against Rick today.”

Porcello started a double play to get out of a bases-loaded jam in the fourth inning. But the game got away from him in the fifth inning.

Jimmy Paredes and Jones started the inning with singles. Chris Davis grounded into a force at second, but Porcello walked free-swinging Delmon Young to load the bases.

Travis Snider grounded a ball to the right side that first baseman Mike Napoli could not make a play on. Second baseman Brock Holt did make the play and tried to beat Snider to the base instead of leading Porcello.


Snider won the race and a run scored. Manny Machado followed with a sacrifice fly.

With the Red Sox down by two runs and Porcello at 96 pitches, Farrell tried to squeeze another inning out of him. Protecting the bullpen was part of the manager’s motivation. The relievers pitched 18⅓ innings in the first five games of this homestand and the Sox do not have a scheduled day off until April 30.

Good intentions went awry when Porcello hit Caleb Joseph with a pitch. Everth Cabrera then bunted for a base hit, a ball Pablo Sandoval tried to let roll foul then picked up just when the ball started to spin toward the line.

The third baseman said he thought Joseph was going to try for third base.

Paredes followed with a single to load the bases. Jones was next and he lined a fastball off the wall in left-center and three runs scored.

The four hits and five RBIs matched career highs for Jones, who is hitting .457 with five homers and 16 RBIs in 12 games.

“I just didn’t execute,” Porcello said. “That’s the bottom line. I made a lot of mistakes. Fell behind in counts, walked three guys, gave up big hits with runners on base. Just not a good recipe.”

Porcello’s next start will be against the Orioles at Camden Yards on Friday.


“You have to have a short memory and turn the page,” he said. “I’ll be ready to go.”

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.