 again struggled in the first inning before settling down. But this time the Red Sox couldn't erase the early deficit, stranding 13 and batting 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position.It was the fourth straight loss for Boston, matching its longest losing streak of the season. The Red Sox lead fell to 2 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, the closest the division race has been since Aug. 3.Wade Miley (8-10) allowed one run on seven hits and three walks, striking out three in five innings. It's the sixth straight start in which Miley allowed three runs or fewer, but he's only made it past the fifth inning twice.Brad Brach got the last five outs for his 17th save as the Orioles won their fourth in a row.DOUBLE FISTEDFister gave up two runs on three hits in the first, including a leadoff single to Tim Beckham and then, with two outs, two straight run-scoring doubles.Then he held the Orioles to two more hits before leaving with a 2-1 deficit. He walked two and struck out seven and also had a balk when he appeared to catch his cleat on the mound and failed to deliver the pitch in the first inning.FIRST PITCHChristian Vazquez caught the ceremonial first pitch from Erica Schultz, the mother of a 5-year-old transplant patient who died last month. Vazquez and shortstop Xander Bogaerts visited Ari Schultz at his home about a week before he died. They played Wiffle ball with him and invited him to throw out the first pitch Sunday.Public address announcer Dick Flavin became choked up when he thanked Erica for the pitch. On Saturday, both players wore T-shirts during batting practice with his picture on the front and ''Ari we miss you'' on the back.EXTRA BASESChris Young was hitless in three at-bats, stranding seven. ... The Red Sox had a runner on base in every inning but the ninth and a runner in scoring position in every inning but the fifth and ninth. ... Manny Machado was called out in the third inning when he was hit by a pitch while swinging.TRAINER'S ROOMRed Sox: 1B Hanley Ramirez remained in the game despite taking a bouncing ball off the midsection. ... OF Jackie Bradley Jr., who was placed on the disabled list on Wednesday with a sprained left thumb, will hit off tee and throw the ball in the outfield. ''The last 48 hours for him have been major improvements,'' manager John Farrell said.UP NEXTOrioles: Open three-game series against Seattle at home. Chris Tillman (1-7) faces Marco Gonzales (0-1).Red Sox: Visit Toronto for start of three-game series. Drew Pomeranz (13-4) will start against the Blue Jays.)
Orioles go for three-game sweep of Red Sox 1h ago• 2 min read BOSTON -- Wade Miley is the one being tasked with making sure that the Baltimore Orioles keep going in the right direction after a pair of surprisingly easy victories against the Boston Red Sox.Miley opposes Boston's Doug Fister in Sunday's series finale between the American League East rivals at Fenway Park after the Orioles outscored the Red Sox 23-3 while taking the first two games of the set.Baltimore (64-65) is still a long shot to win the AL East crown, trailing division-leading Boston (73-56) by nine games, but the Orioles are now well within striking distance for a wild-card spot.After Saturday's 7-0 victory, the Orioles were within two games of the second AL wild-card spot, although Baltimore still has four teams to leapfrog to get there."We have to win games like (Saturday)," Orioles pitcher Kevin Gausman said after throwing 8 2/3 scoreless frames. "You get a lead early, you've got to be able to kind of shut the door." Boston's lead atop the AL East shrunk to 3 1/2 games after the New York Yankees' 6-3 win against the Seattle Mariners on Saturday.Miley (7-10, 5.11 ERA) knows a thing or two -- for better or worse -- about pitching at Fenway, having spent the 2015 season with the Red Sox before trades to the Seattle Mariners and Baltimore Orioles.The veteran southpaw is 7-6 with a 4.82 ERA over 15 career starts at Fenway Park but 1-1 with a 7.56 mark in two prior starts against the Red Sox.Miley's most recent visit to Fenway was unceremonious as he was hit hard for six runs on eight hits in a 1 1/3-inning outing that resulted in his 13th and final loss of the 2016 campaign Sept. 12.While he may be on the way to another 13-loss season, Miley's numbers in August have been encouraging. He is 2-1 with a 2.78 ERA through his first four starts of the month.Miley has faced the Red Sox once this season, tossing seven one-run innings while allowing five hits and a walk with three strikeouts in a victory in Baltimore on June 1.Newly acquired Red Sox outfielder Rajai Davis has a decent track record versus Miley. Two of Davis' four hits opposite Miley have been home runs, and he has five total RBIs against him.Hanley Ramirez (6-for-28, four RBIs), Mitch Moreland (2-for-4, two RBIs) and Eduardo Nunez (2-for-8) each have one career homer versus Miley.Fister (3-6, 4.78 ERA) has turned around a disastrous start to his Red Sox career and picked up wins in three of his last four starts, including a complete-game, one-hit gem against the Indians in Cleveland on Tuesday.The right-hander allowed one run on a first-inning solo homer and struck out six on the way to a 9-1 victory."He was outstanding," Boston manager John Farrell said. "The third pitch of the game gets hit out of the park for a home run, and after that, he pitched nine no-hit innings. A very impressive outing." Fister is 3-1 with a 3.62 ERA since joining the rotation following David Price's most recent elbow injury. He is 4-2 with a 4.47 ERA in nine career outings (eight starts) against the Orioles.Seth Smith is 2-for-12 with two home runs and four RBIs and Chris Davis is 5-for-15 with two homers and three RBIs lifetime versus Fister.Manny Machado (4-for-8) has a pair of solo homers opposite Fister.
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