Sox Summary: Offense comes alive in finale with Orioles

David Ortiz hit a home run and drove in four as the Sox salvaged the final game with Baltimore. (Boston Globe)

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Wednesday, September 22, 2010) – David Ortiz led the offense with four RBI as the Red Sox salvaged the final game of the series with the Orioles, 6-1, on Wednesday at Fenway Park. The Sox were able to finish the season series tied nine games a piece, despite dropping four of the first six and two of three in this final series. With the win, Boston also gained ground on the Yankees with their loss to Tampa Bay.

The Orioles scored first on a one-out double by Ty Wigginton, while David Ortiz got it right back and then some in the bottom of the frame on a three-run blast into the Red Sox bullpen (31) with one out.

In the fifth, Josh Reddick smacked one out of the yard as he hit a one-out solo shot (1) to right field to make it 4-1. The Sox added two more with no outs in the sixth inning on a David Ortiz single and an Adrian Beltre double.

John Lackey pitched well to earn his 13th win of the season, allowing just five hits and a run in seven innings. Kevin Millwood allowed seven hits and all six runs (earned) over five innings, falling to a whopping 3-16.

The Sox have Thursday off and open a crucial series with the Yankees in the Bronx. It will mark the first of two weekends in a row between the Sox and Yanks. Josh Beckett will face Andy Pettitte in the Friday series opener at 7:05 p.m.

Red Sox Today: September 22 vs. Orioles

RED SOX (83-68)
54 Ryan Kalish CF
7 J.D. Drew RF
41 Victor Martinez C
34 David Ortiz DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
25 Mike Lowell 1B
22 Bill Hall 2B
46 Josh Reddick LF
56 Yamaico Navarro SS

40 John Lackey RHP

ORIOLES (61-90)
1 Brian Roberts 2B
21 Nick Markakis RF
23 Ty Wiggington 1B
30 Luke Scott DH
32 Matt Wieters C
10 Adam Jones CF
18 Felix Pie LF
12 Robert Andino 3B
3 Cesar Izturis SS

34 Kevin Millwood RHP

* The Red Sox and Orioles conclude their final series of the season at Fenway Park tonight. Despite sitting deep in the division cellar, the Orioles have a 9-8 advantage in the season series. The Sox are 4-4 against them at Fenway and 4-5 in Camden Yards.

Hitting a home stretch: The Red Sox conclude a six-in-six homestand with the finale of three against Baltimore. Following this series, the Sox have Thursday off and open up the final roadtrip of the season with stops in New York (this weekend) and Chicago (next Monday-Thursday). The Sox have won 23 of the last 42 home games and the club is 42-28 at home since April 20, the sixth-best record in the A.L. in that span.

For the Record: The Sox are 83-68, good for third in the American League East, fifth in the A.L. and tenth-best in the Majors. The Sox have won five of nine and are 28-242 since July 26. The Sox sit third in the division, nine games behind first place New York. They also stand in second place in the Wild Card race, 6.5 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Spreading the Wealth: The Sox have had 52 players appear in a game this year, most in the A.L. and tied for second in the Majors with the Pirates, behind the Marlins (55). Last season, 52 players also appeared in a game. Boston has used 25 pitchers in 2010, tied for most in the A.L. with the Royals.

Sox Summary: Bullpen blows Buchholz gem as Orioles explode late

The Orioles have taken the first two games from the Red Sox in the series. (AP)

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Tuesday, September 21, 2010) – After Clay Buchholz exited the game in the seventh, the Red Sox bullpen allowed eight runs over the final three innings as the Orioles routed the Sox, 9-1, at Fenway Park on Monday, in game two of the series. With the win, the Orioles take a 9-8 lead in the season series and look for the three-game sweep and season win over the Sox in the finale Wednesday.

In the sixth, Felix Pie popped out to Marco Scutaro with two outs, but what looked like a routine play turned into an error to allow the tying run to score. Things unraveled in the seventh as Ty Wigginton hit a three-run home run around Pesky Pole off Scott Atchison.

Robert Andino hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth inning, while the O’s scored four more in the ninth on Wigginton and Luke Scott singles, a wild pitch by Jonathan Papelbon and a Matt Wieters popout.

The Sox scored their lone run on a second-inning Daniel Nava single.

Brad Bergesen earned the win, his eighth of the season as he allowed five hits and a run over six innings. After Clay Buchholz allowed four hits and an unearned run in six innings, Scott Atchison gave up three runs to take his third loss.

The Orioles go for a three-game sweep as John Lackey faces Kevin Milwood on Wednesday.

Red Sox Today: September 21 vs. Orioles

RED SOX (83-67)
16 Marco Scutaro 2B
7 J.D. Drew RF
41 Victor Martinez C
34 David Ortiz DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
12 Jed Lowrie SS
54 Ryan Kalish CF
60 Daniel Nava LF
44 Lars Anderson 1B

11 Clay Buchholz RHP

ORIOLES (60-90)
1 Brian Roberts 2B
21 Nick Markakis RF
23 Ty Wigginton 1B
30 Luke Scott DH
32 Matt Wieters C
10 Adam Jones CF
18 Felix Pie LF
12 Robert Andino 3B
3 Cesar Izturis SS

35 Brad Bergesen RHP

* The Red Sox and Orioles play game two of a three-game series at Fenway Park tonight, the second to last game of the season series. Despite sitting deep in the division cellar, the Orioles and Sox have each won eight games in the series. The Birds won four of the first six games of the series, but the Sox have come back to win four of the last seven. The Sox are 4-3 against them at Fenway and 4-5 in Camden Yards.

Hitting a home stretch: The Red Sox continue a six-in-six homestand with the second of three against Baltimore. Following this series, the Sox have Thursday off and open up the final roadtrip of the season with stops in New York (this weekend) and Chicago (next Monday-Thursday). The Sox have won 23 of the last 41 home games and the club is 42-27 at home since April 20, the sixth-best record in the A.L. in that span.

For the Record: The Sox are 83-67, good for third in the American League East, fifth in the A.L. and tied for eighth-best in the Majors. The Sox have won five of eight and are 28-23 since July 26. The Sox sit third in the division, seven games behind first place New York. They also stand in second place in the Wild Card race, 6.5 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Congrats Clay: Right-handed pitcher Clay Buchholz was today named the 2010 recipient of the BoSox Club Man of the Year Award. Buchholz was chosen not only for his contributions to the success of the Red Sox but also for his cooperation and efforts in community endeavors. The award will be presented at the BoSox Club’s luncheon tomorrow, Wednesday, September 22 at the Newton Marriott where various local amateur championship teams will also be honored.

Spreading the Wealth: The Sox have had 52 players appear in a game this year, most in the A.L. and tied for second in the Majors with the Pirates, behind the Marlins (55). Last season, 52 players also appeared in a game. Boston has used 25 pitchers in 2010, tied for most in the A.L. with the Royals.

Sox Summary: Wigginton, Scott help lowly Orioles top Sox in series opener

The Sox were unable to come through when it mattered as they dropped their third in the last four games. (AP)

BOSTON, Massachusetts (Monday, September 20, 2010) – Luke Scott drove in two runs, while Ty Wigginton drove in the go-ahead RBI in the eighth inning as the Orioles came out with a rare 4-2 win at Fenway on Monday night. The Sox have now lost three of their last four games and the loss broke a two-game winning streak against the O’s after dropping four of the first six.

The Orioles jumped out on top as Luke Scott hit a sacrifice fly to center field with one out in the top of the first. A no-out Victor Martinez RBI single to right field squared the score at 1-1 in the bottom of the first.

In the fourth, the Orioles came back in front as Cesar Izturis hit into a force out at third base to erase Felix Pie with one out.

Bill Hall singled to right field with one down in the sixth to plate Mike Lowell for the tying score.

In the seventh, Wigginton and Scott came through for the Orioles to put them up for good. Scott delivered a go-ahead sacrifice fly to center field with one out, while Scott hit a single through the right side for the fourth run of the game.

After Brian Matusz threw 101 pitches in just five innings, David Hernandez came in for his eighth win of the season by allowing a run and a hit in two innings. Daisuke Matsuzaka suffered the loss as he allowed six hits and four runs in 6.1 innings.

The Red Sox look to even the series when the teams hit Fenway for the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday night. Clay Buchholz will face Brad Bergeson.

Red Sox Today: September 20 vs. Orioles

RED SOX (83-66)
16 Marco Scutaro 2B
54 Darnell McDonald RF
41 Victor Martinez 1B
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
25 Mike Lowell DH
12 Jed Lowrie SS
22 Bill Hall LF
33 Jason Varitek C
54 Ryan Kalish CF

18 Daisuke Matsuzaka RHP

ORIOLES (59-90)
1 Brian Roberts 2B
21 Nick Markakis RF
23 Ty Wigginton 1B
30 Luke Scott DH
32 Matt Wieters C
10 Adam Jones CF
18 Felix Pie LF
3 Cesar Izturis SS
25 Josh Bell 3B

17 Brian Matusz LHP

* The Red Sox and Orioles open up their final series of the season at Fenway Park tonight with the first of a three-game set. Despite sitting deep in the division cellar, the Orioles only trail the Sox by one game in the season series (8-7). The Birds won four of the first six games of the series, but the Sox have come back to win four of the last six. The Sox are 4-2 against them at Fenway and 4-5 in Camden Yards.

Hitting a home stretch: The Red Sox continue a six-in-six homestand with the opener of three against Baltimore. Following this series, the Sox have Thursday off and open up the final roadtrip of the season with stops in New York (this weekend) and Chicago (next Monday-Thursday). The Sox have won 23 of the last 40 home games and the club is 42-26 at home since April 20, the sixth-best record in the division in that span.

For the Record: The Sox are 83-66, good for third in the American League East, fifth in the A.L. and tied for ninth-best in the Majors. The Sox have won five of seven and are 28-22 since July 26. The Sox sit third in the division, seven games behind first place New York. They also stand in second place in the Wild Card race, 6.5 games behind first-place Tampa Bay.

Spreading the Wealth: The Sox have had 52 players appear in a game this year, most in the A.L. and tied for second in the Majors with the Pirates, behind the Marlins (55). Last season, 52 players also appeared in a game. Boston has used 25 pitchers in 2010, tied for most in the A.L. with the Royals.

Sox Summary: Up, up and away

Adrian Beltre hit a solo home run to open the Sox' second inning. (Gail Burton/AP)

BALTIMORE, Maryland (Thursday, September 2, 2010) – The Red Sox used a five-run second inning as all the offense they needed in a 6-4 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday at Camden Yards. Both teams have taken two decisions in a row, while the Sox won the final two games of the final series of the season in the Charm City.

Boston got their work started in the five-run second inning with a solo home run to left field (25) by Adrian Beltre. Still with no outs, Daniel Nava reached on an error and Ryan Kalish hit an RBI double to right field. With two outs, two runs scored on a David Ortiz single to left.

The Orioles cut the lead to one with four runs in the sixth, sending starter Daisuke Matsuzaka out of the game. Nick Markakis hit an RBI single to center with no outs, while Ty Wigginton hit into an RBI groundout and Matt Weiters hit a two-out, two-run double to center field.

A Mike Lowell groundout in the seventh inning gave the Sox insurance as their sixth run came across.

Matsuzaka earned his ninth win, allowing six hits and four runs over 5.2 innings. Jonathan Papelbon allowed two hits, but then came back to fan two for his 35th save.

Brad Bergeson suffered his tenth loss as he allowed eight hits and five runs (two earned) over 5.1 innings. He was very wild in the game, issuing five walks.

Manny-mania returns to Fenway on Friday as Manny Ramirez and the Chicago White Sox invade Boston for a weekend series. Clay Buchholz will face John Danks.

Red Sox Today: Spetember 2 at Orioles

RED SOX (75-58)
16 Marco Scutaro SS
7 J.D. Drew RF
41 Victor Martinez C
34 David Ortiz DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
12 Jed Lowrie 2B
25 Mike Lowell 1B
60 Daniel Nava LF
55 Ryan Kalish CF

18 Daisuke Matsuzaka RHP

ORIOLES (49-84)
1 Brian Roberts 2B
21 Nick Markakis RF
23 Ty Wigginton 1B
30 Luke Scott DH
18 Felix Pie CF
32 Matt Wieters C
14 Nolan Reimold LF
3 Cesar Izturis SS
25 Josh Bell 3B

35 Brad Bergesen RHP

* Boston and Baltimore play the rubber game of the three-game series tonight at Camden Yards. This will be the final game between the teams this season on Eutaw Street. Last night, Boston came from behind in support of Jon Lester and stole a 9-6 win. The Sox have now lost three of their last four, while the Orioles are surging on four wins in five games. Despite their last place standing and struggles against Boston in recent seasons, the Orioles are tied 7-7 with the Sox this season, including a 4-3 mark in Maryland.

Clay honored by MLB: Blue Jays outfielder Jose Bautista and Sox pitcher Clay Buchholz have been voted the American League Player and Pitcher of the Month, respectively, for August. Buchholz went 4-0 with a 1.03 earned run average and 28 strikeouts over six August starts. The right-hander finished the month second in the A.L. in ERA, tied for second in wins and tied for third in innings pitched (43.2). He is also the Major League-leader with a 2.21 ERA on the season. This is the first career monthly award for Buchholz. Along with Jon Lester (May), it marks the sixth time two different Boston pitchers have earned the honor in the same season, and the first time since 2002 (Derek Lowe in April and Pedro Martinez in July).

On the road again: The Red Sox tonight conclude a seven-day, six-game road trip with the finale of three in Baltimore. Following the game, Boston hosts a seven-day, seven-game homestand against the White Sox (September 3-5) and Rays (September 6-8). Of Boston’s remaining 34 regular season games, 19 will be played on the road and 15 will be at Fenway Park. Despite dropping each of their last two road sets and six of their last nine road games overall, the Sox have won ten of their last 18 and 12 of their last 22 tilts away from home.

For the Record: The Sox are 75-58, good for third in the A.L. East and tied for seventh-best in the Majors. The Sox have dropped three of four, but won six of ten and 12 of 21. The Sox sit third in the division, eight games behind first place New York, their largest deficit since July 26. They sit seven games behind Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race.

Sox Summary: Lester struggles, but offense squeaks out win

BALTIMORE, Maryland (Wednesday, September 1, 2010) – The Orioles tagged Jon Lester for five early runs, but he bounced back to strike out ten over six innings for his 13th career win over the Birds in a 9-6 triumph on Wednesday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The win breaks a three-game losing streak for the Sox and a three-game win streak for Baltimore.

David Ortiz and Ryan Kalish hit RBI doubles in the first two innings for the Red Sox. The Orioles scored four runs in the first on a two-run double by Adam Jones, a wild pitch and a Felix Pie RBI double. Ty Wigginton hit an RBI single in the second to make it 5-2 for the Birds.

In the fifth, J.D. Drew hit a solo home run to center field (18), while the Sox got on the board seven times in the seventh on a two-run Marco Scutaro home run (8), two-run double by Victor Martinez and a three-run shot by Adrian Beltre.

The Orioles closed the scoring on a Nolan Reimold sac fly in the eighth.

Jon Lester earned his 15th win by pitching six innings of eight-hit, five-run ball, while walking two and fanning ten. Jonathan Papelbon came in and shut the door for his 34th save. Jake Arrieta allowed six hits and three runs over five innings for a no-decision, while Mark Hendrickson allowed three hits and three runs over 1.1 innings for his second blown save and fifith loss.

The Sox and Orioles conclude the series on Thursday at Camden Yards with Daisuke Matsuzaka facing Brad Bergeson.

Red Sox Today: September 1 at Orioles

RED SOX (74-57)
16 Marco Scutaro SS
7 J.D. Drew RF
41 Victor Martinez C
34 David Ortiz DH
29 Adrian Beltre 3B
12 Jed Lowrie 2B
25 Mike Lowell 1B
60 Daniel Nava LF
54 Ryan Kalish CF

31 Jon Lester LHP

ORIOLES (48-83)
TBA

57 Jake Arrieta RHP

* Although playoff hopes have been diminished, the Red Sox look for a win in the middle game of a three-game set at Camden Yards. The Sox have now lost three in a row. The Sox have now lost three games in a row, while the Orioles are surging on a four-game winning streak. Despite their last place standing and struggles against Boston in recent seasons, the Orioles have a 7-6 lead in the season series.

Roster Moves: The Sox added three players with the September expansion of active Major League rosters. The club reinstated infielder/outfielder Eric Patterson and catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia from the 15-day disabled list and recalled left-handed pitcher Dustin Richardson from Triple-A Pawtucket.

On the road again: The Red Sox tonight continue a seven-day, six-game road trip with the second of three in Baltimore. Following tomorrow’s game, Boston hosts a seven-day, seven-game homestand against the White Sox (September 3-5) and Rays (September 6-8). Of Boston’s remaining 34 regular season games, 19 will be played on the road and 15 will be at Fenway Park. Despite dropping each of their last two road sets and six of their last eight road games overall, the Sox have won nine of their last 17 and 11 of their last 21 tilts away from home.

For the Record: The Sox are 74-58, good for third in the A.L. East and tied for seventh-best in the Majors. The Sox have dropped three straight, but won five of nine and 11 of 20. The Sox sit third in the division, eight games behind first place New York, their largest deficit since July 26. They sit seven games behind Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race.

Clutch Clay: Clay Buchholz leads the Majors with a 2.21 ERA. He also ranks among AL leaders in wins (T-3rd, 15), winning percentage (4th, .750, 15-5) and opponent batting average (4th, .222), while also pacing the Majors with a 2.13 road ERA and 1.76 mark at night. Buchholz today was named as one of six August nominees for the “Major League Baseball Clutch Performer of the Month Award Presented by Pepsi”. He went 4-0 with a 1.03 ERA over six starts during the month, ranking second in the Majors in ERA and tied for second in the A.L. in wins. Starting today, fans can visit pepsiclutch.mlb.com to vote. Online voting for the August winner will conclude at 11:59 pm ET on Monday and the winner will be announced on Tuesday.

Sweet home…Arizona?: The Red Sox announced that they will send seven players to the Arizona Fall League, the prospect-laden finishing school for future big leaguers. This October, the Sox will be affiliated with the Peoria Javelinas and the minor leaguers on the roster include: right-handed pitchers Seth Garrison, Jason Rice, and Daniel Turpen; shortstop Jose Iglesias; catcher Ryan Lavarnway and outfielder Juan Carlos Linares.