Final
Red Sox-Orioles Preview
Aug 2, 2009 - 5:18 AM By JEFF MEZYDLO STATS Senior WriterBoston (60-42) at Baltimore (44-58), 1:35 p.m. EDT
The Boston Red Sox are playing better since losing a season-high five in a row last month. The Baltimore Orioles have been a big reason for that improvement.
The surging Red Sox look for a fourth straight victory to conclude a three-game sweep of the last-place Orioles on Sunday at Camden Yards.
Kevin Youkilis had four hits and Josh Beckett became the majors' first 13-game winner in Boston's 4-0 win over Baltimore on Saturday.
The Red Sox (61-42), who are one-half game behind the AL East-leading New York Yankees, are 6-3 since that five-game skid from July 18-22. Four of those victories are against the Orioles (44-59), who are 2-10 versus Boston this season.
In his first game since being traded by Cleveland on Friday, Victor Martinez drove in a run for Boston, which clinched its ninth straight series win over the Orioles and improved to 25-10 in Baltimore since Sept. 23, 2005.
Youkilis is 7 for 8 with two homers in this series and batting .419 (18 for 43) with five home runs and 13 RBIs versus the Orioles this season.
"Looks like he's starting to get hot. He's staying on pitches," Boston manager Terry Francona said of Youkilis.
Boston's lineup could get stronger if right fielder J.D Drew returns after missing the last two games with a sore right groin.
"It's aggravating," said Drew, who's 11 for 25 (.440) during a seven-game hitting streak. "I feel like I was feeling good at the plate."
Drew went 2 for 3 with a triple and home run off Baltimore rookie Jason Berken during a 4-0 road win over the Orioles on June 29.
Searching for his first victory since his debut on May 26, Berken (1-8, 6.21) gave up all four runs in five innings of that loss to the Red Sox.
The right-hander, who's 0-8 in his last 11 starts, may have preserved his spot in the rotation by limiting Kansas City to two runs and six hits in six innings of a 4-3, 11-inning loss to Kansas City on Tuesday.
Boston counters with Clay Buchholz (1-1, 3.52), who remains with the club despite being the subject of various trade rumors this week.
Making his fourth start of the season, Buchholz gave up two runs and nine hits in 5 2-3 innings of a 9-8, 11-inning loss to Oakland on Tuesday.
"If the team loses, nobody really cares about how the starting pitcher did," Buchholz told the Red Sox official Web site.
The right-hander, who turns 25 this month, had the greatest moment of his young career when he no-hit Baltimore at Fenway Park on Sept. 1, 2007. Buchholz, though, has lost his last two starts versus the Orioles and has a 4.96 ERA against them in his career.
After going 0 for 4 in a 6-5 loss to the Red Sox on Friday, Adam Jones had two of the eight hits Saturday for Baltimore, which is averaging 3.6 runs against Boston this season.
The All-Star center fielder is 5 for 33 (.152) versus the Red Sox in 2009.
Brian Roberts, who's 4 for 9 with three RBIs versus Buchholz, is batting .353 (6 for 17) in his last four games against Boston.
- ** CONFIRMED **
AL
BOSTON 18
BALTIMORE 10 FINAL
Aug 2 5:31 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY ROCCO BALDELLI (5) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0
OUT IN THE 9TH OFF JIM JOHNSON.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 18, BALTIMORE 10
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: C KOTCHMAN (-, 0 HR, 0 RBI)
Red Sox 18, Orioles 10 Top 9, 0 OutsAug 2 5:13 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY VICTOR MARTINEZ SCORED DUSTIN PEDROIA
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, V MARTINEZ ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 17
BALTIMORE 10 TOP,8TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: K YOUKILIS (.316, 3-FOR-3, 2 BB, 2 RBI)
Red Sox 17, Orioles 10 Top 8, 0 OutsAug 2 5:01 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY BRIAN ROBERTS SCORED LUKE SCOTT
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, B ROBERTS ON SECOND, R ANDINO ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 16
BALTIMORE 10 BOTTOM,7TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: F PIE (.242, 1-FOR-3, BB)
Red Sox 16, Orioles 10 Bot 7, 0 OutsAug 2 4:54 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY NICK MARKAKIS SCORED ADAM JONES AND FELIX PIE
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, N MARKAKIS ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 16
BALTIMORE 9 BOTTOM,6TH
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: A HUFF (.254, 2-FOR-3, RBI)
Red Sox 16, Orioles 9 Bot 6, 0 OutsAug 2 4:35 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND DP BY DAVID ORTIZ SCORED DUSTIN PEDROIA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, V MARTINEZ ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 16
BALTIMORE 7 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: R BALDELLI (.264, 1-FOR-3)
Red Sox 16, Orioles 7 Top 6, 0 OutsAug 2 4:20 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO KEVIN YOUKILIS SCORED JACOBY ELLSBURY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, K YOUKILIS ON FIRST, V MARTINEZ ON SECOND, D
PEDROIA ON THIRD, 0 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 15
BALTIMORE 7 TOP,6TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D ORTIZ (.229, 0-FOR-3, BB, RBI)
Red Sox 15, Orioles 7 Top 6, 0 OutsAug 2 4:15 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY ADAM JONES (18) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 5TH OFF CLAY BUCHHOLZ.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 14, BALTIMORE 7
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.296, 0-FOR-2, RBI)
Red Sox 14, Orioles 7 Bot 5, 0 OutsAug 2 3:50 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY KEVIN YOUKILIS SCORED JACOBY ELLSBURY
SITUATION: 7 RUNS IN, K YOUKILIS ON FIRST, V MARTINEZ ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 14
BALTIMORE 6 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: D ORTIZ (.229, 0-FOR-2, BB, RBI)
Red Sox 14, Orioles 6 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 2 3:28 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY VICTOR MARTINEZ SCORED JED LOWRIE AND JOSH
REDDICK
SITUATION: 6 RUNS IN, V MARTINEZ ON FIRST, J ELLSBURY ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 13
BALTIMORE 6 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: K YOUKILIS (.314, 2-FOR-2, BB)
Red Sox 13, Orioles 6 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 2 3:26 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JED LOWRIE SCORED MIKE LOWELL
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, J LOWRIE ON FIRST, J REDDICK ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 11
BALTIMORE 6 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J ELLSBURY (.304, 1-FOR-2, BB)
Red Sox 11, Orioles 6 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 2 3:17 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY JOSH REDDICK SCORED ROCCO BALDELLI
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, J REDDICK ON FIRST, M LOWELL ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 10
BALTIMORE 6 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J LOWRIE (.111, 0-FOR-1, BB)
Red Sox 10, Orioles 6 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 2 3:15 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY MIKE LOWELL SCORED KEVIN YOUKILIS AND VICTOR
MARTINEZ
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, M LOWELL ON SECOND, R BALDELLI ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 9
BALTIMORE 6 TOP,4TH
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J REDDICK (.429, 1-FOR-2, HR, RBI)
Red Sox 9, Orioles 6 Top 4, 0 OutsAug 2 3:14 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
TWO-RUN HOME RUN BY TY WIGGINTON (8) TO LEFT WITH 2 OUT IN
THE 3RD OFF CLAY BUCHHOLZ SCORED AUBREY HUFF.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7, BALTIMORE 6
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: L SCOTT (.274, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 7, Orioles 6 Bot 3, 0 OutsAug 2 2:58 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY AUBREY HUFF SCORED ADAM JONES
SITUATION: 4 RUNS IN, A HUFF ON SECOND, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7
BALTIMORE 4 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: T WIGGINTON (.260, 1-FOR-1)
Red Sox 7, Orioles 4 Bot 3, 0 OutsAug 2 2:57 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
GROUND OUT BY NICK MARKAKIS SCORED FELIX PIE
SITUATION: 3 RUNS IN, A JONES ON THIRD, 2 OUTS
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7
BALTIMORE 3 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: A HUFF (.250, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 7, Orioles 3 Bot 3, 0 OutsAug 2 2:55 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
DOUBLE BY ADAM JONES SCORED BRIAN ROBERTS AND ROBERT ANDINO
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, A JONES ON SECOND, F PIE ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7
BALTIMORE 2 BOTTOM,3RD
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: N MARKAKIS (.297, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 7, Orioles 2 Bot 3, 0 OutsAug 2 2:54 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SOLO HOME RUN BY JOSH REDDICK (1) TO LEFT CENTER WITH 0 OUT
IN THE 3RD OFF BRIAN BASS.
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 7, BALTIMORE 0
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: J LOWRIE (.111, 0-FOR-1)
Red Sox 7, Orioles 0 Top 3, 0 OutsAug 2 2:38 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
BASES LOADED WALK TO DAVID ORTIZ SCORED DUSTIN PEDROIA
SITUATION: 2 RUNS IN, D ORTIZ ON FIRST, K YOUKILIS ON SECOND, V
MARTINEZ ON THIRD, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 6
BALTIMORE 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: R BALDELLI (.262, 4 HR, 16 RBI)
Red Sox 6, Orioles 0 Top 2, 0 OutsAug 2 2:18 PM - AL
AT BALTIMORE - SCORING UPDATE
SINGLE BY VICTOR MARTINEZ SCORED JACOBY ELLSBURY
SITUATION: 1 RUN IN, V MARTINEZ ON FIRST, D PEDROIA ON SECOND, 1 OUT
CURRENT SCORE: BOSTON 5
BALTIMORE 0 TOP,2ND
DUE UP FOR BOSTON: K YOUKILIS (.312, 1-FOR-1)
Red Sox 5, Orioles 0 Top 2, 0 OutsAug 2 2:12 PM - AL
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
- - - - - - - - - - - -
BOSTON 4 4 4 0
BALTIMORE 0 0 1 (BOT 1)
CURRENT PITCHERS: BOS - CLAY BUCHHOLZ
BAL - JASON BERKEN
DUE UP FOR BALTIMORE: B ROBERTS (.280, 8 HR, 44 RBI)
F PIE (.240, 2 HR, 10 RBI)
A JONES (.298, 17 HR, 59 RBI)
Red Sox 4, Orioles 0 Bot 1, 0 OutsAug 2 1:53 PM
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