Red Sox back at .500 after falling to surging Orioles, 6-2

By David Ginsburg, Associated Press

BALTIMORE (AP/CBS) — Ramón Urías went 4 for 4 and scored three runs, Anthony Santander had two RBIs and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Boston Red Sox 6-2 Wednesday to win their fifth straight series.

Urías had four singles to set a career high for hits and raise his batting average 46 points to .292. He scored in the fourth, fifth and eighth innings.

Tyler Wells (1-1) gave up two runs and four hits over 5 2/3 innings for Baltimore. The right-hander retired 10 straight at one point and matched his career high of seven strikeouts.

Félix Bautista, the third Orioles reliever, worked the ninth to seal Baltimore's 10th win in 12 games.

Masataka Yoshida homered for the Red Sox, who had won four straight series before dropping two of three in Baltimore. With Wednesday's loss, Boston is back to .500 at 13-13.

Tanner Houck (3-1) allowed three earned runs and seven hits in five innings. Boston was 4-0 in his four previous starts this season.

Baltimore went up 4-1 with a three-run fourth. Urías and Cedric Mullins hit RBI singles before Adley Rutschman delivered a sacrifice fly.

After Justin Turner chased Wells with an RBI single in the sixth, Santander hit his second sacrifice fly of the game in the bottom half for a 5-2 lead.

Santander's other run-scoring fly came in the first inning after Boston rookie second baseman Enmanuel Valdez let a line drive whisk under his glove, his third error in three games this season.

Yoshida tied it in the second with a drive to center.

SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER

Boston and Baltimore have already played two three-game series this season, with each team winning twice at home. The AL East rivals don't meet again until September.

FINALLY, A DAY OF REST

The Red Sox get a day off Thursday after playing 19 games over 19 consecutive days. They went 10-9 during that stretch, including 0-4 against Tampa Bay.

"I think we did an outstanding job. Heath-wise we got hit, but that's part of it," manager Alex Cora said. "We played good baseball. Pretty good, pretty solid."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Christian Arroyo wasn't in the starting lineup after aggravating a right hamstring injury Tuesday night. He struck out in the seventh as a pinch hitter. ... LHP James Paxton (right hamstring strain) will likely throw Sunday in a rehab assignment. "He's getting close (to returning)," Cora said. ... Reliever Chris Martin (right shoulder inflammation) is scheduled to throw Thursday on a rehab assignment. "Hopefully he will be with us over the weekend," Cora said. "He's a strike-throwing machine with great stuff."

Orioles: OF Austin Hays, who bruised his right hand on a failed bunt attempt Tuesday night, was not in the lineup. "It's pretty sore. Hopefully, just a few days," manager Brandon Hyde said.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: After a welcome day off Thursday, the Red Sox send Nick Pivetta (1-1, 4.58 ERA) to the mound to face visiting Cleveland.

Orioles: RH Kyle Gibson (4-0, 3.60) starts Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series against host Detroit. Baltimore swept three games from the Tigers last week.

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