BOSTON | Ty Wigginton had a tiebreaking sacrifice fly and Luke Scott followed with an RBI single in the seventh inning, lifting the Baltimore Orioles to a 4-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Monday night.
The Orioles, rejuvenated since Buck Showalter took over as manager Aug. 3, won for the 11th time 15 games. Baltimore won for just the fourth time in their last 21 games in Fenway Park.
Victor Martinez had a double, two singles and RBI for Boston.
David Hernandez (8-8) worked two innings of relief for the win.
Baltimore tied the season series 8-all after going just 6-28 against the Red Sox since May 30, 2008.
The Orioles regained the lead for the third time in the seventh, moving ahead 4-2. Brian Roberts walked and Nick Markakis doubled off Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-6). Daniel Bard relieved and Wigginton followed with sacrifice fly to deep center. Scott then singled to right.
Koji Uehara pitched a perfect ninth for his 10 save.
Matsuzaka pitched 6 1-3 innings, allowing four runs, six hits, walking five and striking out four. It’s his career-high seventh straight start he’s given up at least four runs.
Boston reliever Hideki Okajima worked a scoreless inning in his 51st appearance. He’s only the second Red Sox pitcher ever to reach 50 or more outings in his first four seasons. The late Dick Radatz did from it 1962-65.
Martinez’s throwing error allowed Matt Wieters to score on a potential inning-ending double play grounder, pushing the Orioles ahead 2-1 in the fourth. With runners on first and second, Martinez fielded Cesar Izturis’ grounder and fired the ball into the outfield, attempting to force Felix Pie at second. Left fielder Bill Hall threw out Pie at third on the play — his second outfield assist in three outs. Hall also cut down Roberts at the plate for the final out of the third.
Hall’s RBI single off reliever David Hernandez tied it at 2 in the sixth.
Orioles starter Brian Matusz was solid again, allowing just one run and three hits, walking three and striking out four in five innings. He’s 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA in his last six starts, and has lost just once in his last 10.
Matusz, who had a high pitch count early Monday, was knocked out of his last start in the first inning after getting hit on the left triceps by a liner off the bat of Toronto’s Yunel Escobar.
Roberts opened the game with a single before scoring on Wieters’ sacrifice fly to make it 1-0.
Martinez’s RBI tied it in the bottom of the inning. Matusz worked out of a first and second nobody out jam after the run.
NOTES: Red Sox 3B Adrian Beltre was back in the lineup after missing Sunday’s game with a sore left wrist. He rolled it diving for a groundball Saturday. … Okajima has gone 9 1-3 scoreless since coming off the DL from a strained right hamstring on Aug. 28. … When Showalter was asked to handicap the two-team AL East race he said: “I think there’s three,” referring to the Red Sox being seven games out entering Monday. Then he joked: “I can’t handicap. We’re not allowed to do that.” … Boston manager Terry Francona loaded his lineup with eight players that hit lefty against Matusz. … Boston DH David Ortiz, who has eight strikeouts in nine at-bats against Matusz, was not in the lineup. … Showalter said Julio Lugo was cleared to play after undergoing tests in Baltimore on Monday. He’s had recurring headaches after getting hit the helmet with a pickoff attempt on Aug. 29.
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