Mookie Betts homered twice and drove in five runs, helping the resurgent Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Tuesday night for their fifth straight victory.
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The O’s entered yesterday with the best home record in the American League, and in a tie for second place with the Sox in the East. The Orioles have been a decent bet coming off losses, going 5-2 in their last seven games following defeat. He has hit eight homers against Baltimore this year, and he has three multi-homer efforts at Camden Yards.
Bradley finished with four RBIs, as he hit his homer in the third and added a two-run double in the sixth.
More than four months into the 2016 season, Price has given up 173 hits, most in baseball entering his start against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday Night Baseball (7 p.m. ET on ESPN/WatchESPN). Betts’ RBIs suggest that someone at the bottom of the order is getting on base regularly for him to drive home.
The Red Sox were only given six innings to work with as the rains hit Baltimore in force. Matt Barnes kept the Orioles hitless until Steve Pearce reached on a dribbler that got past the mound with one out in the seventh.
Craig Kimbrel, the sixth Boston pitcher, worked a flawless ninth for his 21st save.
Red Sox: RHP Clay Buchholz (4-9, 5.66) makes his 14th start of the season Thursday afternoon in the opener of a four-game series in Detroit.
Former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling is considering running against Sen.
Rookie Blake Snell (4-5) struck out eight in five innings, giving up one run, five hits and four walks. But with 13 hits, an 8-1 lead and-after Price stranded a leadoff single-a rain delay, the Red Sox weren’t about to worry about one baserunner lost. The Red Sox needed something positive to happen again, after starter Eduardo Rodriguez left the game with an injury and the bullpen allowed the Orioles to tie the game.
“We didn’t pitch particularly well in certain spots”, manager Buck Showalter conceded.
“Our starters have set the tone in this stretch”, manager John Farrell said. Betts is hitting.315 with 28 homers, 89 RBIs, 93 runs, and 18 stolen bases. He leads the team in both batting average (.379) and slugging percentage (.758) with runners in scoring position. Aybar also could get starts at third base with Nick Castellanos on the DL due to a broken hand. Slugger Miguel Cabrera sat out with a left biceps strain.
Sloppy play by the Tigers allowed the Royals to tack on two runs in the eighth. He was walked off the mound and was done for the night. One out later, Chelsor Cuthbert’s pop fly was dropped by second baseman Ian Kinsler, who then forced Escobar at third as Gordon scored.
Morales homered off Mark Lowe in the ninth. “I put a good swing on an even better pitch”. Hardy, who would retire Pedroia at first.
Verlander didn’t allow another baserunner until Gordon crunched a 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall with two out in the fifth.
Sandy Leon hit a two-run shot in the fifth and Bradley doubled in two runs in the sixth against Tyler Wright.
NOTES: Detroit 1B Miguel Cabrera could return to the lineup as early as Wednesday. Given it was such a hot and humid day, I am gonna cross my fingers and toes that this doesn’t mean he needs to go on the shelf.
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Last night’s game between the Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles was a great example of how Betts has been ripping his bat through the strike zone with lightning speed and accuracy.
