Moreland homers to push Red Sox past Orioles

Mitch Moreland hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the fifth inning, and the visiting Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 8-5 on Tuesday night. The home run gave Moreland 10 this season and handed the Red Sox a lead they never lost. The Red Sox ended up with three homers from Moreland, Xander Bogaerts and J.D. Martinez, while Moreland and Martinez drove in three runs apiece.

David Hess started for Baltimore and labored through four innings. He gave up two homers and three runs on three hits with five strikeouts and four walks but came away with a no-decision. The long ball has been an issue for Hess as the right-hander now has given up 10 home runs in just 34 1/3 innings this season.

Hector Velazquez was the opener for the Red Sox and gave up two runs on three hits in three innings and did not get a decision. Marcus Walden improved to 5-0 in 13 relief appearances as he got the win thanks to allowing one run in three innings. Matt Barnes came on in the eighth and got the final four outs for his third save.

Boston took the lead in the top of the first when Mookie Betts walked and Martinez homered to center. The lead did not last long, though, as the Orioles tied it in the bottom of the inning. With two outs, Dwight Smith Jr. singled and then scored when Rio Ruiz followed with a two-run homer.

Bogaerts gave Boston a 3-2 lead with a solo homer in the fourth. Hanser Alberto tied it for the Orioles in the bottom of that inning with his solo shot off of Walden.

But Boston went in front for good in the fifth against Branden Kline (1-1) when Moreland crushed his three-run homer to left-center. That gave the Red Sox a 6-3 lead. The Orioles then cut it to 6-5 in the eighth thanks to a Smith RBI double and a Chris Davis run-scoring single.

In the ninth, the Red Sox added two thanks to Betts drawing a bases-loaded walk and Martinez hitting a sacrifice fly. --Field Level Media

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