Gonzalez leaves early, but O's pitchers combine for 1-0 win over Boston

The Orioles did not beat their former farmhand who is now pitching well with Boston. But they did beat Boston. Pushing across the game's only run on a wild pitch, the Orioles beat the Red Sox 1-0 at Camden Yards in the series and homestand opener.

Miguel Gonzalez was throwing well on his way into the fifth inning of a good pitchers' duel with Eduardo Rodriguez when he was forced from the game by a right groin strain.

Four Orioles pitchers combined on a five-hitter as the O's recorded their third shutout and improved to 27-30.

An errant pitch helped the Orioles break the 0-0 tie in the last of the seventh. Right-hander Matt Barnes came on for Rodriguez, and Steve Pearce greeted him with a double to right and went to third on J.J. Hardy's single to center. With Ryan Flaherty batting, a Barnes wild pitch advanced both runners, and Pearce scored for the 1-0 lead. But Barnes escaped allowing just that one run.

Gonzalez went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits with two walks and one strikeout. He threw 89 pitches, lowering his ERA to 3.33. Rodriguez went six scoreless innings, allowing just three singles, but he walked three and hit one with seven strikeouts. The Orioles went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position against him.

They had two on and none out with the top of the order up in the fifth, but Rodriguez got Manny Machado on a fielder's choice grounder and then struck out Delmon Young and Adam Jones.

He has an ERA of 0.44 through his first three major league starts, allowing just one run and eight hits over 20 2/3 innings.

T.J. McFarland was called on when Gonzalez left the game and pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Chaz Roe followed and got the next four outs.

Zach Britton came on and recorded a five-out save, his second in six days. With runners on first and second and one out in the eighth, he struck out David Ortiz looking at a 97 mph fastball and then got Mike Napoli swining at 96 mph heat. Britton has 16 saves in 17 chances.

The Orioles are 5-3 versus Boston this season and 16-11 since the start of 2014. They are now 16-17 in American League East games. In the second game of this series tomorrow night, Wei-Yin Chen (1-4, 3.18 ERA) faces right-hander Rick Porcello (4-5, 5.01 ERA).