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Red Sox bully Orioles; Ortiz, Gregg go toe-to-toe

Jul 9, 2011 - 3:26 AM Boston, MA (Sports Network) - The Orioles had seen enough of David Ortiz, and in the eighth inning Big Papi grew tired of the antics of reliever Kevin Gregg. What ensued was a brawl between the two teams, capping an ugly Friday night that saw the Boston Red Sox pound Baltimore again, this time 10-3 at Fenway Park.

Ortiz smacked a three-run homer to highlight an eight-run opening inning, but the fireworks took place in the bottom of the eighth inning when he charged the mound after flying out to right-center field.

Ortiz, who also homered in Thursday's 10-4 win, saw three inside pitches during his at-bat in the eighth. Gregg's 2-0 pitch was at the belt and brushed back Ortiz, who took a slow walk toward the mound and was held back by home plate umpire Mike Estabrook and Orioles catcher Matt Wieters as the dugouts emptied.

The Red Sox DH though, got back in the box and then lifted a lazy fly ball to right-center field. As he was going to first, Gregg motioned with his glove and seemed to say something to Ortiz, who made his way from the first-base line toward the reliever. The two shoved each other and both missed punches just as the dugouts and bullpens emptied.

After the game Gregg admitted he was upset that Ortiz didn't run to first base on the fly ball.

"If he thinks there's something wrong for me saying that, he has other things he has to figure out in this game," Gregg said.

"You get tired of getting your butt kicked every night when you come in here. I'm going to stick up for what's ours, try to get the plate back. We're not backing down. We're not scared of them and their $180 million payroll. We don't care. We're here to play the game. We have just as much right to play the game here and we're going to do everything we can to win."

Ortiz, the captain of the American League team in this year's All-Star Home Run Derby and the defending champion of the event, has homered in two straight games. He was part of a six-homer parade Thursday night. He and Gregg were ejected along with Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Orioles pitcher Jim Johnson.

Red Sox starting pitcher Josh Beckett (8-3) departed the contest after five innings due to a mildly hyperextended left knee. The Red Sox say he left for precautionary reasons.

"I've done this before," Beckett said. "It scared me when it first happened. I literally felt like bone on bone when I took it too far. Straightening it out is a little bit of an issue. He [team doctor] thinks I'll be fine in a couple of days.

Beckett's plant foot slipped after throwing a ball to Felix Pie. Red Sox manager Terry Francona and trainer Greg Barajas came racing out of the dugout to look at their star ace, who threw 50 of his 68 pitches for strikes. He gave up three runs in the fifth and was replaced by Matt Albers for the sixth.

Dustin Pedroia also homered and Darnell McDonald drove in two runs for the AL East leaders, winners in eight of their last nine games.

Zach Britton (6-7) was charged with eight runs -- seven earned -- on six hits over two-thirds of an inning, as the Orioles lost for the 10th time in 11 contests.

Boston sent 13 men to the plate in the first inning. Kevin Youkilis singled to left to drive in Pedroia with the first run. Ortiz followed with a homer to right field. McDonald tacked on a two-run double and Jacoby Ellsbury had an RBI single before Brad Bergesen replaced Britton.

After a J.J. Hardy error allowed Pedroia to reach base, Adrian Gonzalez singled to left to cap the eight-run inning.

Derrek Lee led off the top of the fifth with a homer and the Orioles got RBI singles from Nick Markakis and Adam Jones later in the frame.

Pedroia led off the sixth with his 10th homer of the year and Josh Reddick tripled in Pedroia in the eighth to cap the scoring. Reddick's at-bat took place just before Ortiz came to the plate. As it turns out, Reddick was called out for vacating third during the brawl.

Game Notes

Beckett hadn't allowed a homer at Fenway Park all season before this game...The Red Sox named Kyle Weiland the starter for Sunday's contest. It will be his major league debut. Weiland, 24, will take the place of lefty Jon Lester, who is on the 15-day disabled list with a left lat strain suffered earlier this week...Ortiz has 146 career HRs at Fenway Park, passing Bobby Doerr into fifth-most all-time at the ballpark. Dwight Evans is next at 199...Bergesen was forced out of the game after being hit by a line drive on the right forearm from Ortiz in the fourth inning...Gonzalez has 126 hits, the most by a Red Sox before the All-Star break since 1946...After the game, Youkilis was named as an All-Star replacement for Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.