BOSTON (AP) - It was a repeat performance the John Lackey could have done without.
For the second straight start, the Boston Red Sox right-hander gave up six earned runs on 10 hits and couldn’t get out of the sixth inning. The result also was similar, an 8-4 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Friday night.
“Honestly, they had a couple walks, but they were in spots that wasn’t that big a deal against guys I didn’t really want to give in to,” Lackey said. “I felt OK with it.”
Last Saturday in a 7-4 loss to the New York Yankees, he worked 5 2-3 innings. On Friday, Lackey (2-2) lasted 5 1-3.
“’’I thought he had good stuff tonight. He managed their lineup with a couple of walks that were instead of giving in,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “They had a number of ground balls that found some holes; bunched some hits together.”
Every Orioles starter had at least one hit except for Chris Davis. Orioles third baseman Jonathan Schoop went 4 for 5 with two doubles, two RBIs and a run scored.
The first four-hit game of Schoop’s career extended his hitting streak to seven games.
“Balls found holes,” Red Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski said. “Just one of those nights.”
Nick Markakis led off the game with a double down the left-field line. Red Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call, but it was upheld and Markakis scored on Adam Jones’ first hit, a ball fielded by Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts on the outfield grass.
“It looked foul from the mound, but obviously I don’t have that great of an angle on it,” Lackey said. “Brock (Holt, the Red Sox third baseman) also thought it was foul.”
Schoop started the third with a base hit and scored on Markakis’ second double to put the Orioles on top 2-0. Nelson Cruz singled four batters later to put the Orioles up 4-0.
Boston scored its first run on Holt’s base hit in fourth and added two more in the fifth on RBI singles from Dustin Pedroia and Pierzynski, who snapped an 0-for-15 stretch with the hit.
Orioles starter Chris Tillman (2-1) labored through five innings, throwing 122 pitches and giving up three earned runs on seven hits and four walks. He struck out five.
Tillman struck out Jackie Bradley with runners on first and second to end the Red Sox threat in the fifth.
“It was a lot more Boston than Chris’ lack of effectiveness,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said.
Baltimore scored two runs in the fifth on singles by Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy, and added a run in the seventh and another in the ninth on the doubles by Schoop.
Darren O’Day recorded the last four outs for his first save of the year.
David Ortiz took a scheduled night off. Mike Carp took his place in the lineup and got two hits, as did Holt. Every Boston starter had at least one hit.
The Red Sox were beneficiaries of a replay in the seventh, when it showed that Holt beat out a throw from Orioles second baseman Steve Lombardozzi for a base hit. The next three Red Sox were retired on ground balls, squandering the scoring opportunity.
NOTES: Boston OF Shane Victorino will begin a rehab assignment at Triple-A Pawtucket on Saturday. Victorino has not played this season due to a strained right hamstring. … Holt was recalled from Pawtucket earlier in the day. The Red Sox designated IF Ryan Roberts for assignment. … RHP Bud Norris (0-1, 3.75) starts for the Orioles against LHP Felix Doubront (1-2, 6.75) on Saturday.
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