With the loss, the Orioles (66-53) suffered a two-game series sweep to the Red Sox (67-52), who leapfrogged over Baltimore into second place.
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“It was tough”, said Chris Davis, who supplied the only Orioles run with his 25th homer of the season. He’s 10-for-21 (.476) with a 1.476 slugging percentage on Eutaw Street, and 20-for-47 (.426) with a 1.000 slugging percentage in 11 games against the Orioles overall this season.
Before all of the Betts excitement, Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodríguez was removed in the fifth inning – with a no-hitter still intact – because of hamstring tightness. Ortiz happens to lead the team with a.481 on-base percentage in the same situation, suggesting that Betts will keep the good times rolling with Ortiz hitting in front of him.
The victory lifted Boston into a tie with Baltimore in the AL East, one game behind division-leading Toronto. Manny Machado has logged 140 hits with 81 runs, 26 homers and 69 RBI. He also walked in the seventh after going 4 for 4 on Monday and walking in his final plate appearance Sunday. On May 31st in Baltimore, he hit three home runs in that game, and followed that performance with two more dingers on June 1st.
OUR PICK: The Red Sox are just 1-5 in Price’s last six starts and are winless at 0-5 in his last five road starts. The veteran Texan made five consecutive scoreless relief appearances before rejoining the rotation, beginning with a flawless inning against Detroit on July 27.Boyd has been sharp in seven appearances – six starts – since rejoining the team from the minors just prior to the All-Star break and is coming off his best effort in that stretch.
Adam Warren (1-1) began the eighth for NY and gave up four runs in 1/3 of an inning.
Baltimore starter Dylan Bundy (6-4) ran into trouble for the first time since his first start. The Orioles’ 39-19 home record is the best in the AL, but they are 2-4 against Boston at Camden Yards.
The birthday boy came up next, poised to break open this lead.
Happ (17-3) allowed three home runs for the second time this season and sixth time in his career.
St. Louis’ Tommy Pham and Jedd Gyorko each homered to help the Cardinals beat Houston 8-5.
Nick Franklin and Corey Dickerson also homered, and the Rays won their third straight. After Bundy hit Jackie Bradley Jr., Brock Holt lanced a two-out single into right field, giving Travis Shaw a chance to put the Sox ahead. Betts singled, pushing Ortiz to third and setting up Bradley’s two-run double. Marc Rzepczynski came on and the A’s opted to intentionally walk Adrian Beltre, reloading the bases. Play the games, regardless of where they are.
Kenta Maeda (12-7) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings. However, during Steve Pearce’s at-bat to begin the fifth inning, Rodriguez immediately began showing discomfort, and departed the game. He has now hit seven homers in five games in Baltimore, a quarter of his total of 28 for the season.
Syndergaard (10-7), the losing pitcher in Arizona’s 9-0 rout of the Mets in NY last week, went 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs, two earned, and seven hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.
Sandy Leon hit a two-run shot in the fifth and Bradley doubled in two runs in the sixth against Tyler Wright.
Minnesota’s Ervin Santana pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Twins past Atlanta 4-2.
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The Orioles couldn’t pull off the upset last night but will they tonight when they host the Red Sox at 7:05PM ET?
