FORT MYERS, Fla. -- It wasn't a knockout blow per se, but if Henry Owens loses his bid for the final spot in the Boston Red Sox's starting rotation, Thursday will mark the start in which his chances grew dim.
Never mind that Owens gave up four runs to a Baltimore Orioles split squad that featured only two regulars (Pedro Alvarez and Nolan Reimold). The 6-foot-6 left-hander struggled once again to repeat his delivery and maintain his command, even getting yanked after plunking Paul Janish with two outs in the third inning of an eventual 9-4 Red Sox victory at JetBlue Park.