• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Pedroia, Lester help Red Sox take series from Orioles

Sep 2, 2007 - 10:55 PM By Mike Petraglia PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

BOSTON (Ticker) -- There was no hangover effect for the Boston Red Sox on Sunday from Saturday night's no-hit celebration.

Dustin Pedroia singled, doubled and scored twice while Jon Lester and three relievers combined to hold the Baltimore Orioles' offense in check again as the Red Sox claimed the rubber game of the three-game series, 3-2, Sunday at Fenway Park.

The win enabled the Red Sox (82-55) to increase their first-place lead in the American League East to six games over the Yankees (76-61), who lost Sunday at home to Tampa Bay.

"After we got swept in New York, it kind of took a little bit out of us but we bounced back well," Pedroia said. "We'll be fine."

One day after Clay Buchholz threw the first rookie no-hitter in Red Sox history, Lester (3-0) held the Orioles to six hits and two runs over six-plus innings. He walked four while striking out just one.

"I didn't want us to have a letdown because of how excited everyone was last night and I think Jon did a good job, gave us a quality start and we were able to hold onto the lead," said Red Sox third baseman Mike Lowell, who extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

"Lose the first game and come back and win the series, that's a good job."

Lester was pulled after Ramon Hernandez homered just inside the foul pole down the left field line leading off the seventh.

"I felt good, a lot better than my past couple of starts," Lester said. "When I was in (Class AA) Portland, I started to figure some things out consistency-wise and where my body is at and where my arm was at, and at times today, I felt really, really good."

Javier Lopez replaced the Red Sox starter and retired the next three batters. Hideki Okajima allowed a leadoff double to Nick Markakis in the eighth, but escaped when Kevin Millar and Aubrey Huff struck out to end the threat - stranding Markakis at third.

"We didn't capitalize on some opportunities," Huff said. "I had a couple of opportunities where I could've come through, especially with two outs there with Okajima, he got pretty nasty there with a 3-2 splitty. Give him credit there. I hadn't seen that the whole at-bat. He drops that on me 3-2."

Baltimore's best chance came in the fourth when they loaded the bases against Lester with none out. But Melvin Mora lined out to second for the first out before Hernandez flew out to short right. J.D. Drew made the catch and fired a one-hop strike to Kevin Cash, who tagged out Miguel Tejada at the plate for the inning-ending double play.

"We had the bases loaded, nobody out (in the fourth) and we didn't score," Orioles manager Dave Trembley said. "I thought that was the biggest opportunity we had. We had a chance to knock Lester out of the ballgame and we didn't."

Jonathan Papelbon pitched a perfect ninth for his 31st save in 33 chances.

Rookie Jacoby Ellsbury had two hits, including his first major league homer in the fourth off Baltimore starter Daniel Cabrera (9-14).

"It was very exciting," said Ellsbury said of his homer that landed in the Red Sox bullpen in right field. "I wasn't trying to do too much with it, trying to hit it where it's pitched and hit it hard. He left a change in the zone, I was just hoping he wasn't going to catch it."

Taking a cue from other Red Sox rookies like Pedroia and Buchholz, Ellsbury made an impact in the field, making a sliding catch on Jay Payton in fifth, two outs after restoring a number in the manual scoreboard in left when Brandon Moss crashed into it, robbing Freddie Bynum of extra bases.

"He fixed the scoreboard, he did everything," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona of Ellsbury. "It's kind of an exciting day when we can send out some young kids right in the middle of the pennant race and be excited about it. They impact the game everywhere, that's a really good feeling.

"Sometimes you get in positions where guys are beat up and you're playing people, but when you've got young guys coming up and you're excited about them helping you win, that's a good feeling."

Cabrera allowed Lowell's RBI single in the first but escaped a first-and-second jam when he got Drew to fly out to right and struck out Kevin Youkilis looking. The righthander allowed five hits and three runs over six innings.

Pedroia's .324 average leads all American League rookies and is second on the Red Sox to Lowell's .329 mark.

"Anytime you get on and score a run, it doesn't matter if you get a hit or whatever," Pedroia said. "If I'm hitting leadoff or second, that's my job to score runs so if I do it, I feel good."

The Orioles, who broke a nine-game losing streak Friday, have lost two straight and 11 of 12. They are a season-worst 17 games under .500.