Major League Baseball

Red Sox yield 7 HRs in 12-7 loss to Orioles

Published Jun. 3, 2016 12:35 a.m. ET

share

facebookxredditlink

foxsports

BALTIMORE (AP) At home or away, the Boston Red Sox are having absolutely no problem scoring a bunch of runs.

It's the pitching that's sometimes been a problem, as evidenced by the manner in which Boston dropped a 12-7 decision to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.

Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 26 games, David Ortiz hit a three-run homer and the Red Sox banged out 12 hits. No problem there.

But four Boston pitchers combined to surrender a franchise record-tying seven home runs, and the Red Sox had to settle for a split of the four-game series after handily winning the first two.

After being outscored by a combined 25-16 on Wednesday and Thursday, the Red Sox finished the series the same way they started it: with a one-game lead over second-place Baltimore in the AL East.

''We continue to have a very good offensive approach,'' manager John Farrell said. ''Our guys up and down the lineup are contributing. Yet, the inability to locate consistently is the difference in the last two ball games, compared to the first two of the series.''

Red Sox pitchers issued nine walks on Wednesday and couldn't keep the ball in the park in the series finale.

''Hopefully, we just continue to swing the bats and the pitching will take care of itself,'' Bogaerts said.

One night after ringing up a season-high 13 runs without benefit of a home run, the Orioles returned to their go-to style of offense: pure power.

Mark Trumbo and Adam Jones each connected twice, Manny Machado hit a tiebreaking three-run shot, and Pedro Alvarez and Francisco Pena went deep in the eighth.

''Follow the lead of the guys in front of you,'' Jones said. ''Get good pitches to hit and drive them out the park.''

The Orioles hit their most homers in a game since connecting eight times last June 16 against Philadelphia.

Trumbo put Baltimore up 2-0 in the fourth inning and Jones added a two-run drive in the fifth. Trumbo then evened the score at 5 in the sixth after the Red Sox roughed up Ubaldo Jimenez in the top half.

In the seventh, Robbie Ross (0-1) walked Ryan Flaherty and gave up a single to Pena before retiring the next two batters. Farrell then summoned Junichi Tazawa to face Machado, who drove the right-hander's second pitch deep into the left-field seats.

The Orioles added four runs in the eighth. Alvarez hit a solo shot off Tazawa, Pena launched the first of his career off Noe Ramirez with a man on and Jones followed with his 200th home run with Baltimore for a 12-5 lead.

Mychal Givens (4-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the Orioles, who next host the AL East rival Yankees for three games.

Jimenez came into the game looking to solidify his tenuous hold on a spot in Baltimore's starting rotation after allowing 15 runs in his previous three outings.

The right-hander retired the first eight batters and yielded only one hit through five innings before running into a whole lot of trouble in the sixth.

A single, a double and a walk loaded the bases for Bogaerts, who doubled off the center-field wall. Ortiz followed with a drive into the right-field stands.

''They just came out swinging,'' Jimenez said. ''They hit pretty much everything I threw. I threw a couple fastballs up. In the first five innings, everything was down. I just got bit in that inning.''

Boston didn't score again until the ninth.

Red Sox starter Rick Porcello went six innings and gave up five runs and six hits, including a career-high tying three homers.

ROSTER SHUFFLE

The Orioles optioned RHP Mike Wright to Triple-A Norfolk, one day after he yielded four HRs in a loss to Boston. Baltimore purchased the contract of LHP Brian Duensing from Norfolk. Duensing pitched the ninth and gave up two runs and four hits.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: Yovani Gallardo (shoulder tendinitis) allowed three runs and six hits in three innings for Class A Frederick vs. Potomac in his first rehabilitation assignment.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Jackie Bradley Jr., who has been on paternity leave, is expected to rejoin the Red Sox when they return home Friday to play Toronto.

Orioles: Chris Tillman (7-1, 2.92 ERA) seeks his seventh straight win Friday night against New York's Nathan Eovaldi.

share

Get more from Major League Baseball Follow your favorites to get information about games, news and more

in this topic

Major League Baseball