Wrapping up a 16-8 win

SARASOTA, Fla. - It took two touchdowns and a safety today for the Orioles to run their winning streak to three games.

Get used to it.

The Orioles broke out the heavy lumber again to compensate for another poor statistical outing from their starter, pounding out 20 hits and defeating the Red Sox 16-8 at Ed Smith Stadium.

J.J. Hardy, Manny Machado, Chris Davis and Audry Perez homered for the Orioles, who improved to 8-14-4 in the spring. Perez drove in four runs after replacing catcher Caleb Joseph.

Machado, Davis and Perez did their damage in the sixth inning against Red Sox left-hander Roenis Elias. Machado's two-run shot broke a 7-7 tie.

Nolan Reimold singled in his only two at-bats and drove in another run, giving him four straight hits and three RBIs dating back to yesterday's game. His average is up to .227.

Yovani Gallardo lasted 3 2/3 innings and allowed seven runs and eight hits to nudge his ERA a little higher, putting it at 16.88 in the Grapefruit League. He walked three batters and served up a home run to Jackie Bradley Jr.

Gallardo has one more start before the Orioles break camp. Is manager Buck Showalter hoping to see more from him?

"In April I am," he replied. "That's when the results count."

"Every day we pick up the box scores and guys are giving up seven, eight, nine runs," Showalter added. "It's just unfortunately part of it. Experience tells you. I can't count on one hand veteran pitchers who had great springs and it carried over into the season, but it is what it is. We have a lot of confidence in him."

Gallardo loaded the bases with no outs in the second on two walks and a single, and Mauricio Dubon plated two runs with a single. Mookie Betts added an RBI single with two outs and Bradley followed with a home run to the opposite field.

Gallardo also issued a leadoff walk in the third that led to another run on Sandy Leon's sacrifice fly. Chris Young had an RBI double in the fourth and Gallardo was done.

"You've got probably 30 pitches that could be balls or strikes," Showalter said. Got (his pitch count) up in the late 70s. I would have liked to get one more inning out of him, but they wouldn't cooperate.

"You look at his track record and his history, he's pretty much following that. He's actually a tick or two better than what he was last year at this time just pure velocity, so that's good to know."

Hardy's track record says he hits for power when he's healthy. He's homered in three straight games and is batting .333.

"It's been evident to me since the first probably week of spring training, just him moving around and just the body language, everything when you know J.J. as well as we do," Showalter said.

"I told everybody in the first week of March, with the schedule and everything what should happen. When we get to this period with these three days at home and guys are starting to catch up a little bit ... it's good to be right about one thing this spring. A lot of guys now get a day or two away from it and then we'll go back at it hard again toward the end.

"People forget this is a shortstop capable of hitting 20-30 home runs and hitting .270 when healthy."