Aaron Cook

BALTIMORE – A good throw could have made a big difference Wednesday night.

Just listen to the pitcher who made the toss in question, Aaron Cook.

“Yeah, I feel awful,” he said after the Red Sox’ 5-3 loss to the Orioles. “I let the team down. We’re trying to win games, and that was a game we should have won. We lost because I made an error.”

With one out in the sixth inning of the Red Sox’ game against the Orioles Wednesday night at Camden Yards, and the visitors holding a one-run lead, Cook fielded a comebacker off the bat of Baltimore’s Adam Jones.

The Red Sox starter immediately whipped around toward second base looking to what appeared to be an inning-ending, 1-6-3 double play.

But instead of escaping the frame still with the lead, Cook’s throw sailed wide of shortstop Mike Aviles and into center field. The result was a run for the Orioles, with J.J. Hardy scoring to tie it up.

One batter later, Matt Wieters launched a ground-rule double to left field, plating another run and driving Cook from the game.

When the inning was over, the Red Sox found themselves in a 5-2 hole, having used four pitchers in the pivotal frame.

“It’s a play I’ve made over 100 times,” Cook said. “I just didn’t get my feet set, tried to make a quick throw. I had plenty of time and just yanked it. It’s just a bad throw, and it ended up costing us the game. Stuff like that, I can’t let happen. I’ve got to be able to set my feet, take my time, make a good throw and we’re out of that inning with one run and we’re in here high-fiving right now.”