Orioles All But Done In AL East After A 5-3 Loss To Red Sox
BALTIMORE (AP) — Though still mathematically alive in the AL East chase, the Baltimore Orioles have formally turned their attention toward reaching the playoffs as a wild card.
David Price won his eighth straight decision, Hanley Ramirez homered and the Boston Red Sox completed a four-game sweep of the sinking Orioles with a 5-3 victory Thursday night.
Baltimore fell seven games out in the division with nine to play and dipped a half-game behind Detroit for the second AL wild card. It was the first time since 2002 that the Orioles were swept at home by Boston in a four-game series.
"I think you've got be realistic about where we are at this point after losing four," closer Zach Britton said. "It's kind of time to light a fire under our butt because those other teams playing for the wild card are right there."
Britton pitched the ninth for the Orioles, but never had a save opportunity during the series.
"We should be playing better ball than what we showed," he said. "Right now everything's not really clicking for us."
Not even ace Chris Tillman, who gave up three runs, five hits and walked three in 1 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since June 2015.
"I was just mechanically bad tonight," he said. "The more I tried to make an adjustment, the worse it kind of got for me."
Boston has won eight straight to open a 5½-game lead over idle Toronto in the AL East. With 13 victories in their last 16 games, the Red Sox have moved within one game of Texas for best record in the AL.
Price (17-8) gave up three runs and six hits in seven innings, walking two and striking out five. The Red Sox have won each of his last nine starts since Aug. 7.
"That was a big win," the left-hander said. "We've played good baseball, and this is the time of the year when you want your team to get on a roll the way we have, and that's what we've done."
Koji Uehara worked the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel got three straight outs for his 29th save in 31 chances.
Baltimore trailed 3-0 before Trey Mancini, starting his second major league game, hit a tying three-run homer in the third inning. It was his second home run in six at-bats.
"At the moment, it's just an unbelievable experience," the rookie said. "But on the flip side, after a loss like that, you don't really think about the home run so much. It really doesn't matter."
Boston used a walk, a wild pitch and Andrew Benintendi's two-out RBI single off Vance Worley (2-2) to move back in front in the fifth.
Ramirez hit his 29th homer in the seventh to make it 5-3 and send the Red Sox to their eighth straight win over an AL East foe, their longest such run since 1990.
Boston got a first-inning RBI single from Ramirez and added two runs in the second, the last on a bases-loaded walk to David Ortiz that ended Tillman's outing.
A here-we-go-again pall engulfed Orioles fans in the crowd of 26,788, but their spirits were rekindled when Mancini lined a 2-2 pitch into the seats in left field. The standing ovation continued until Price threw his next pitch.
ORTIZ FAREWELL
In a ceremony before his final regular-season game in Baltimore, Ortiz was given the phone he smashed inside the visitor's dugout during a tirade on July 27, 2013.
Wearing a huge grin, Baltimore center fielder Adam Jones handed Ortiz the shattered phone, which was mounted on a wooden frame.
Ortiz also received a $10,000 check, made out to a charity in his name. He took the check to the dugout but left the phone on the field.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: RHP Steven Wright (shoulder) threw from 60 feet on Thursday and was scheduled to throw from 120 feet on Friday. ... LHP Henry Owens threw five innings in the Instructional League to stay sharp and was set to rejoin the Red Sox on Friday.
Orioles: RHP Kevin Gausman will have his next start delayed after experiencing discomfort near his rib cage. Dylan Bundy will start Sunday against Arizona, and the Orioles hope Gausman can pitch Tuesday or Wednesday in Toronto. ... LHP Jayson Aquino was unavailable because of a viral infection.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: Winless in his last five starts, Drew Pomeranz (2-5, 4.91 ERA) faces the Rays in the start of a three-game series.
Orioles: Yovani Gallardo (5-8, 5.77) starts Friday against Arizona, which hopes to play spoiler behind struggling right-hander Shelby Miller (2-12, 6.90).
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