Orioles Are Back On Top After Win Over Red Sox
BOSTON -- Manny Machado's two-run blast coupled with seven strong innings from Chris Tillman helped the Baltimore Orioles reclaim first place in the American League East with a 3-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night at Fenway Park.
Baltimore (37-26) took a one-game lead over Boston (36-27) in the division standings.
Jonathan Schoop added a solo home run for the Orioles, who have outscored the Red Sox 54-40 in winning five of their first eight meetings this season.
Tillman (9-1) allowed one run, five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He threw a season-high 120 pitches, giving up his lone run on his 111th pitch -- a solo homer to Jackie Bradley Jr. Tillman has won eight straight decisions and hasn't lost since April 14.
Zach Britton recorded a five-out save, his 20th of the season.
Hanley Ramirez also drove in a run for the Red Sox.
David Price (7-4) was again a hard-luck loser for Boston, taking the loss despite a quality start with three runs on five hits and 11 strikeouts in eight innings.
Price allowed two runs over eight innings in his last start, a 2-1 loss at San Francisco on Wednesday.
Machado tucked his homer around Pesky's Pole in right to put Baltimore ahead early.
A golden opportunity for Boston was wasted after Tillman walked the slumping Travis Shaw to load the bases with two outs in the second, bringing Christian Vazquez to the plate.
Vazquez worked a 3-1 count, but rolled a grounder to second to end the inning.
Bradley's straightaway blast put the Red Sox on the board in the seventh.
Baltimore got the run back an inning later on Schoop's towering homer to left off Price.
Britton was called on early, entering with runners on the corners and one out in the eighth. He proceeded to strike out David Ortiz, but gave up an RBI single to Ramirez that made it 3-2.
Bradley's grounder back to the mound in the next at-bat got the Orioles out of the jam.
Britton struck out the side to seal the win in the ninth.
