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O's finally get to Lester, down Red Sox

Sep 22, 2012 - 5:41 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - Twenty-one proved to be the Baltimore Orioles' lucky number against nemesis Jon Lester.

Matt Wieters drove in three runs and the Orioles posted a 4-2 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park, pinning a loss on Lester for the first time in 21 career starts.

"Every time they scored, we had an answer it seemed like and Matt was in the middle of that again," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Wieters.

Rookie Miguel Gonzalez (7-4) gave up two runs on seven hits in 6 1/3 innings for Baltimore, which remained one game behind New York in the AL East but moved one game ahead of Oakland for the top wild card spot. The Yankees beat the Athletics in extras on Friday.

Darren O'Day pitched a 1 2/3 flawless innings in relief of Gonzalez, while Jim Johnson worked the ninth for his 46th save, a new Orioles' single-season record.

"It kind of doesn't really mean anything," Johnson said of the record. "We'll talk about it at the end of the year and see if it really does mean anything."

Lester (9-13) allowed four runs on eight hits and walked three in seven frames. He entered the series-opener 14-0 with a 2.49 ERA against the Orioles.

Boston opened the scoring in the third inning when Pedro Ciriaco crushed an RBI double off the Green Monster, but Wieters plated a pair with a ground ball to right field in the fourth. J.J. Hardy had led off with a single and Adam Jones followed with a double before Wieters' single put the visitors on top.

A two-out single by Dustin Pedroia brought home Ciriaco with the tying run in the fifth.

The Orioles quickly regained the lead in the sixth on a one-out double by Wieters that scored Jones, who had walked in front of the Baltimore catcher. Mark Reynolds then knocked in Wieters with a single.

Game Notes

Baltimore notched its AL-leading 44th road win of the season ... The O's lead the season series, 9-4. They are 6-1 in Boston ...Baltimore improved to 25-13 in games decided by two runs.