O's game blog: Pitching strong during series at Fenway Park

In the Red Sox's series against the Washington Nationals last week, they scored 22 runs in taking two of three games. The Red Sox have scored seven runs in losing two of the first three against the Orioles.

After the O's bullpen was scored upon in each of the season's first 10 games, creating some concern, the club's relievers have pitched scoreless ball in back-to-back games.

That is 7 2/3 innings with no runs and two hits given up the past two games at Fenway Park. The relievers gave up one walk and seven strikeouts in those games, reducing the 'pen ERA for the year from 5.30 to 4.40.

In the series finale today at Boston, Wei-Yin Chen (0-0, 4.35 ERA) faces right-hander Justin Masterson (1-0, 7.59 ERA).

In his last start, Monday at home against the Yankees, Chen went six innings, allowing four hits and two runs, throwing 89 pitches. He is working on six days rest today. In 18 career starts with that much rest, Chen is 7-4 with a 3.40 ERA.

In 11 career starts against Boston, Chen is 5-3 with a 4.24 ERA, a .307 average against and a .799 OPS against. But Chen pitched well in 2014 in four starts versus the Red Sox. He went 3-1 with a 2.92 ERA, 1.05 WHIP and .258 batting average against.

Masterson gave up two runs over six innings in his first start against Philadelphia. But last Tuesday against Washington, he went 4 2/3 innings on 93 pitches, allowing eight hits and seven runs.

In two 2014 starts against the Orioles - one with Cleveland and one with St. Louis - he went 0-1 with an ERA of 11.74 and .441 average against.

Masterson is 6-6 with a 5.53 ERA in 16 career games and 12 starts versus the Orioles.

Adam Jones' stats in April the last two years:

2014: .253 average, one homer, 13 RBIs, .638 OPS in 95 at-bats.

2015: .457 average, five homers, 16 RBIs, 1.338 OPS in 46 at-bats.

Jones went 4-for-5 with five RBIs Sunday at Boston. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, Jones is the first player in Orioles history to record at least four hits with five-plus RBIs in a game at Fenway Park. Only two other players have done so for any team in the last 18 seasons: Lyle Overbay (Blue Jays) and Mark Teixeira (Yankees), each in 2010.