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Red Sox hand ball to Miller in matchup with Orioles

Jul 7, 2011 - 2:59 PM (Sports Network) - Andrew Miller has been a pleasant surprise for the Boston Red Sox. He tries to stay undefeated tonight when the Red Sox open a four-game series with the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Miller has filled in admirably for an injured Clay Buchholz, and could become a bigger factor now that Jon Lester has been placed on the 15-day disabled list. A former first round pick of the Detroit Tigers in 2006, Miller has gone 2-0 with a 3.06 earned run average and has not allowed more than three runs in any of his three starts.

He won his second straight outing on Saturday in Houston, as he allowed two runs and seven hits in six innings.

"I felt good," said Miller. "I went out there and felt like I normally do for a start. I tried to treat it like any other one -- go out there, throw a lot of strikes, make them put it in play, and fortunately I was able to do that today, and we put up more runs on the board than they did."

Miller has faced the Orioles on just one other occasion and did not get a decision, but gave up just one run and one hit in seven innings of that one.

The Red Sox enter this series on the heels of taking two of three from the Toronto Blue Jays and have moved within a half-game of the New York Yankees for first place in the American League East.

On Wednesday, Jacoby Ellsbury led off the bottom of the first inning with a homer and his two-run double capped a big fourth, as the Red Sox rolled to a 6-4 win. Kevin Youkilis went 3-for-4 with a solo homer for Boston, which won for the sixth time in seven games despite playing without American League batting-leader Adrian Gonzalez. He was given the day off Wednesday after playing in all 85 previous contests this season.

Tim Wakefield (5-3) had a season-high seven strikeouts over seven frames to get the win. The 44-year-old knuckleball specialist scattered nine hits and allowed three runs and a walk for his 198th career victory.

"It was very satisfying. I knew I had to go deep in the game today. The bullpen has been taxed pretty heavily the past couple of days," Wakefield said. "That's something as a starting pitcher you take a lot of pride in to get deep in the game and try to preserve those guys for the next series."

Jonathan Papelbon allowed an RBI single to Yunel Escobar with two outs in the ninth, but then struck out Eric Thames to secure his 19th save of the season.

Baltimore, meanwhile, was swept in a three-game set by the Texas Rangers, losing 13-5 in Wednesday's finale. The defending AL champs outscored the O's 30-11 in the whitewash.

Derrek Lee and Vladimir Guerrero homered for the Orioles, losers in eight of their last nine games.

Guthrie (3-11), who was charged with nine hits and six runs over five innings, fell to 1-7 on the road. He threw 38 pitches in the first inning.

"I would have loved to pitch better," Guthrie said. "I did not have a good outing, start to finish really struggled. I worked harder than I should have had to work. It's disappointing."

Hoping for a better effort tonight, Baltimore will turn to young right-hander Jake Arrieta, who is 9-5 with a 4.74 ERA. Arrieta lost for the second time in three tries on Saturday in Atlanta, as he allowed five runs - all in the fourth inning - and six hits in five innings.

"I got two quick outs, had a guy 0-2 and just fell apart," Arrieta said. "I don't know, to be honest with you. I couldn't get it done. ... It's just a terrible feeling."

He has faced the Red Sox one other time and gave up three runs and six hits in five innings, but did not get a decision.

The Orioles have split their four matchups with the Red Sox this season.