Everyone enjoys winning and the Red Sox have done plenty of that this season but one of the things that has made them so extra enjoyable to watch is that it feels like they're competitive in every single game. Indeed, the Orioles (70-61 overall, 32-32 away) led 3-1 in the seventh inning tonight at Fenway Park but choked that two-run lead away as Boston (79-55 overall, 42-23 home) won their fourth straight contest by a score of 4-3.
There were plenty of heroes for the Red Sox' cause: pinch hitter Mike Carp drove in the winning run-Jacoby Ellsbury (2 hits, run, walk, 2 stolen bases) with a bloop RBI single to left field. Craig Breslow (4-2) sneaked away with the win after getting the last two outs in the eighth and Koji Uehara had a 1-2-3 ninth with a strikeout for his 14th save of the season.
Early on it was the Chris Davis and Manny Machado show. Davis had an RBI double in the first and he clocked his MLB-best 47th homer in the sixth for a 3-1 O's lead. Machado (2 hits, 2 runs) had a solo homer of his own in the third inning. Boston hung around as Shane Victorino got them on the board with an RBI single in the third and Dustin Pedroia (2 walks) came through with a clutch two-run single in the seventh.
Stephen Drew doubled, walked twice and scored two runs while Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a double and run. The Red Sox chased Bud Norris after 5.1 innings, he had only allowed one earned run on five hits but his pitch count was 105. John Lackey lasted two innings more and threw 13 less pitches. It wasn't his best performance but as always, he gave them innings and didn't walk anybody (1 walk).
Boston will try to sweep the series tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) and throw a serious wrench into any plans Baltimore had of making the playoffs for the second year in a row. Jon Lester (12-7) meets Chris Tillman (14-4).
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