Homers by Mancini, Schoop Carry Orioles Past Red Sox 4-2
By DAVID GINSBURG, AP Sports Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) — Trey Mancini and Jonathan Schoop homered in succession off knuckleballer Steven Wright, Jayson Aquino won his first big league start and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 4-2 Saturday night for their fourth straight victory.
Baltimore will seek to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday. The Orioles have not lost a series this year and own the best record in the majors (12-4).
Aquino (1-0) allowed two runs and six hits over six innings to earn his first career victory. The 24-year-old lefty previously pitched three times in relief, all last year with Baltimore.
Mychal Givens followed with two perfect innings, Donnie Hart got two outs in the ninth and Darren O'Day finished for his first save.
Jackie Bradley Jr. homered for the Red Sox, who were without injured second baseman Dustin Pedroia.
Wright (1-2) gave up four runs and nine hits in 3 2/3 innings. Just 10 days earlier, the right-hander got only four outs and yielded eight runs against Baltimore at Fenway Park.
Bradley put the Red Sox up 2-0 in the third with his first home run, a shot onto Eutaw Street beyond the right-field scoreboard. Boston came in with only seven home runs, fewest in the big leagues.
Limited to three singles over the first three innings, Baltimore hit two singles, two doubles and two homers in a four-run fourth.
Chris Davis doubled and Mancini and Schoop homered before Adam Jones chased Wright with an RBI single.
It was Mancini's team-high fifth long ball of the year. He has eight homers in 17 big league games over two seasons.
SLUMP BUSTER
Orioles catcher Caleb Joseph snapped an 0-for-23 skid with a third-inning single and added a double in the fourth.
Joseph's slump began last September and included 12 at-bats this season. He's still looking for his first RBI since the 2015 season.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: Pedroia missed the game with a sore left knee and ankle but hopes to return Sunday. The injuries occurred when he was spiked by Manny Machado on Friday night.
Orioles: All-Star closer Zach Britton (forearm strain) will be examined by a hand specialist Monday and could resume throwing on that day. ... RHP Chris Tillman (shoulder) allowed three runs over 3 2/3 innings against Harrisburg in a rehabilitation outing with Double A Bowie. ... OF Joey Rickard (sprained finger) took soft-toss swings in a session manager Buck Showalter called "very encouraging."
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 4.76 ERA) takes the mound Sunday in the series finale. He came to Boston in 2014 in the trade that sent LHP Andrew Miller to the Orioles.
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman (1-1, 7.23) makes his fifth start of the season. He's allowed 26 hits in 18 2/3 innings and opponents are batting .329 against him.
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