Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Felix Doubront got on track with 6 and 2/3 effective innings and callup Brock Holt put the Boston Red Sox ahead to stay with a seventh inning RBI triple as Boston defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-2 at Fenway Park.
Doubront struck out seven, allowing five hits, two walks and two runs in his tidiest line of the season. After losing Nick Markakis on a close pitch in the top of the seventh, Junichi Tazawa (1-0) was called upon and delivered 1 and 1/3 hitless frames. Koji Uehara pitched the ninth for his fourth save, despite issuing his first walk since last August 3rd.
Holt put a charge into a Bud Norris (0-2) offering in the bottom of the seventh to score Mike Carp, a huge hit for the recent callup from Pawtucket, as the Sox took the knot out of a 2-2 tie. Jonathan Herrera then squeezed Holt home with a bunt off new pitcher Evan Meek and the Sox were safely ahead.
David Ortiz and Dustin Pedroia had two hits apiece for the Red Sox, including a Big Papi solo shot in the fourth off Norris.
Notes: The benches cleared in the sixth when Norris buzzed Boston catcher David Ross, who was squared around to bunt…Another day, another lost replay decision for the Sox, this time on a bang-bang play at first in the sixth inning involving Nelson Cruz. The original “out” call was overturned, Cruz was called safe and the Orioles got a run to tie the game at two.