The bottom four batters in the Red Sox lineup combined to drive in all three runs tonight as Boston beat the Orioles 3-1, to snap a five-game losing streak. The O's loaded the bases with one out in the ninth vs. Jon Papelbon. But he fanned Luke Scott for the second out and struck out Melvin Mora on a 3-2 pitch to record his 25th save. Jason Varitek had an RBI single and Jed Lowrie a sac fly as Boston took a 2-1 lead in the 4th. An inning later, an RBI groundout by J.D. Drew made it a 3-1...

I've always wondered how Adam Jones can blow a bubble and catch a baseball simultaneously. He does it all the time. I can't unwrap a piece of gum and walk in a straight line. It's mildly amusing when Jones does it. He's left wide open to criticism when it doesn't work. Jones couldn't make a running grab of John Buck's long fly ball to center with two outs in the first. His bubble didn't pop, but the ball popped out of his glove, allowing two more runs to score off Brad Bergesen and...

Since the O's scored 21 runs on 37 hits in the three-game series at Chicago to start this trip, the O's have struggled on offense. In the last four games of this trip, they have scored just 10 runs on 31 hits with only seven extra-base hits. The O's were 0 for 6 tonight with runners in scoring position and are 3 for 29 over the last four games with RISP. The O's loaded the bases in the 9th vs. Jonathan Papelbon, but he fanned Luke Scott and Melvin Mora to end the game. Papelbon is now...

Game Preview Orioles (41-54) at Boston (56-39) For the Orioles lately it's been a story of close but no cigar or wins. They have a similar story riding vs. Boston. The O's have lost their last four games on their current road trip by 7 total runs. Of the O's seven losses vs. Boston this year, five have come by two runs or less. The O's latest frustration came during Friday's 3-1 loss at Boston. They loaded the bases with one out in the 9th vs. Jonathan Papelbon, but he fanned Luke...

RHP Jeremy Guthrie (7-8, 5.12) tonight will make his 20th start of this season, his 10th on the road and the 9th of his career vs. Boston. Guthrie is coming off one of his best starts of this year. He got the win last Sunday at Chicago, giving up just three hits and two runs over eight innings. He allowed two solo homers and threw 108 pitches. The O's are 8-11 when Guthrie starts, but have won four of the last five. In three July starts, he is 1-1, 5.19. In nine road starts, Guthrie is...

Orioles director of international scouting, John Stockstill, is back from the Dominican Republic tonight. In recent days he has met with the representatives for Dominican shortstop Miguel Angel Sano. "We certainly expressed an interest in him becoming a Baltimore Oriole," Stockstill said. During a week or so in the country, Stockstill met Sano's representatives and officials from Major League baseball. Stockstill would not comment when asked if the O's have begun contract negotiations...

David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in the first inning and Boston was on its way to a 7-2 win over the Orioles Saturday night. The Sox have taken the first two games of this series. The Orioles, who are 1-8 this year vs. Boston, have lost 11 in a row at Fenway Park and are 1-16 on the road this season vs. AL East clubs. Jacoby Ellsbury added a pair of RBI doubles for Boston, which improved the Majors best record at home to 33-14. The O's have now lost five in a row, scoring a total of 12...

Nolan Reimold went 2 for 3 with a double and run scored in Saturday's loss. Reimold is 5 for 6 in this series with two doubles, two runs and two walks. He has increased his average from .259 to .277 the last two days. David Ortiz started the Boston scoring with a three-run homer in the first inning. His 13th of the year came on a 1-0 pitch from Jeremy Guthrie. It was his 25th career homer vs. Baltimore pitching. He has homered more vs. only three teams. He has 34 homers vs. Tampa, his...

Game Preview Orioles (41-55) at Boston (57-39) The road trip that has featured just one win and dropped the Orioles 14 games under the .500 mark comes to an end this afternoon. Boston can sweep three straight from the O's with a win today at 1:35 p.m. David Hernandez (2-2, 3.55) will pitch for Baltimore vs. 42-year-old right-hander John Smoltz (1-3, 6.31) The Orioles win last Sunday at Chicago was their only win so far on this trip. They are 1-7 on the trip and 15-34 on the road this...

RHP David Hernandez (2-2, 3.55) today makes his 7th start of this season, his 5th on the road and the 1st of his career vs. Boston. Hernandez allowed just one run over six innings but did not get a decision last Monday at New York. He gave up just three hits, throwing 103 pitches. Over his last three starts, Hernandez is 1-0, 2.89 (6ER in 18 2/3IP). Right-handed batters are hitting .286 vs. Hernandez while lefties bat .257. He has allowed an average of just .158 when pitching with runners...