BOSTON - Boston starter Aaron Cook left today's game. Then he returned to it - with a gash on his left shin that could double as a parking garage.
Cook was injured while covering home plate as Chris Davis scored on a passed ball. Cook's leg came down on Davis' spikes, and he limped to the dugout with the Red Sox's head athletic trainer as reliever Clayton Mortensen jogged in from the bullpen.
All of a sudden, Davis walked back to the mound as the Star Wars theme blared over the PA system. He threw a few warmup tosses, and Mortensen returned to the bullpen.
Davis singled with two outs, making him 13-for-32 in his last 10 games. He took third base on Wilson Betemit's single and scored on the passed ball by Jarrod Saltalamacchia.
Betemit extended his hitting streak to nine games.
Jason Hammel stranded runners on second and third base in the first inning, and he struck out the side in the second. He's fanned five in two innings.
Here's what manager Buck Showalter said about the Orioles inviting infielder Miguel Tejada for a tryout in Sarasota:
"It's way too early. I don't know Miguel that well. I haven't been with him. I know people liked him as a person and as a teammate here. They all speak highly of him as a teammate. I don't really know him. I'm more focused on our team here and the people that are active. But from what understand, the first step is just getting through the physical on Monday."
Update: Adam Jones just hit a long two-run homer in the third inning after Nick Markakis's RBI single.
Orioles 4, Red Sox 0
I didn't get an estimated distance on Jones' homer, but I'm pretty sure the ball hit Maine on the bounce.
Chris Davis singled again, making him 2-for-2 today and 14-for-33.
Jumping topics again, Elias has the bullpen's scoreless-innings streak at 18 2/3 instead of 19.
Update II: Betemit's RBI single knocked Cook out of the game, and this time I mean it. Mortensen has replaced him with the Orioles leading, 5-0.
That's five straight two-out hits.
Update III: Mark Reynolds found his power stroke. His three-run shot off Mortensen increased the Orioles' lead to 8-0 in the third.
The Orioles sent 10 batters to the plate. Robert Andino made the first and last outs.
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