Major League Baseball

Herrera has big hit in 9th, lifts Red Sox to win

Published Jul. 5, 2014 4:17 p.m. ET

foxsports

BOSTON (AP) Nelson Cruz went a career-best 5 for 5, including a solo home run and a bad-hop single that scored the go-ahead run in the sixth inning, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 7-4 on Saturday night to earn a split of a day-night doubleheader.

The Red Sox won the opener 3-2 on Jonathan Herrera's one-out, broken-bat RBI single off T.J. McFarland in the bottom of the ninth.

Cruz had two doubles and was thrown at third in an attempt for the cycle in eighth. Nick Hundley added a two-run homer in the second game as Baltimore overcame Boston starter John Lackey's 11 strikeouts over 5 2-3 innings.

Stephen Drew homered in both games for the Red Sox, who have lost four of five. Drew hadn't homered since Boston's World Series clinching Game 6 win in October.

Brad Bach (3-0) and four other Baltimore relievers combined to shut down Boston in the second game after Ubaldo Jimenez gave up four runs, five hits with six walks while getting 11 outs.

While third baseman Manny Machado went 2 for 5 in the nightcap in his return from his five-game suspension for throwing a bat during a June 8 game against Oakland, Cruz carried Baltimore after a heartbreaking opening loss.

Cruz doubled, singled, hit a solo home run, his 27th, and finally chased Lackey with a single that took a big hop off the lip in front of third base in a three-run sixth.

Cruz doubled into the gap off Edward Mujica in the eighth, but was cut down at third on a relay throw from Drew. His average jumped to .286.

Lackey (9-6) was charged with five runs and 10 hits with 11 strikeouts, a much different outing than Boston got in the opener.

Jon Lester gave up two unearned runs, struck out seven and walked none in eight innings, but was denied his 10th win due to shoddy defense and poor hitting.

After closer Koji Uehara (4-2) pitched a perfect ninth to keep it 2-2, manager John Farrell went to his bench.

Pinch-hitter Jonny Gomes legged out a leadoff infield single off McFarland (1-2). David Ross bunted Gomes to second before Herrera, hitting for Jackie Bradley Jr., dropped a blooper to right that scored a sliding Gomes and snapped Baltimore's four-game winning streak.

Drew, re-signed in May, came in hitting .136. He hit a solo shot in the opener and his two-run homer in the second game off Jimenez came in a four-run fourth that put the Red Sox ahead 4-2.

NOTES: Boston DH David Ortiz went 1 for 4 in the nightcap after missing the opener to attend his daughter's graduation in the Dominican Republic. . The Red Sox committed five errors on the day. . Orioles RHP Bud Norris (groin) threw a simulated game after the opener. Manager Buck Showalter said he's a ''candidate'' to start Wednesday. . Farrell said OF Shane Victorino (hamstring, back) could begin another rehabilitation assignment in a few days. . The Orioles planned to recall RHP Kevin Gausman from Triple-A Norfolk to start Sunday's series finale against Jake Peavy.