Baltimore, MD -- (Sports Network) - Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona will miss the team's two-game series against the Baltimore Orioles after the death of his mother-in-law.

Mary Ann Lang, the mother of Francona's wife, Jacque, passed away on Monday night in Tucson, Arizona.

Francona and his family flew to Tucson and the skipper will miss his second game Wednesday.

Bench coach Brad Mills managed the defending World Series champions in Francona's absence Tuesday, a 5-4 loss to the Orioles.

Boston slid out of first place for the first time since May 1 with the loss, falling a half-game back of the Tampa Bay Rays, who beat the Yankees in 11 innings on Tuesday. Boston is in the midst of a mini-slump having lost five of its last seven and is 4-5 on a current 10-game road trip.