Game update and Reimold note (and attendance)

Alfredo Simon lasted only 4 1/3 innings tonight. Dustin Pedroia hit a tie-breaking home run in the top of the fifth, and Simon exited after David Ortiz singled off the out-of-town scoreboard in right field. Simon was charged with three runs and six hits, with three walks, two strikeouts and a balk. He threw 87 pitches, 53 for strikes. Simon also gave up three runs in his last start, but they were spread out over eight innings against the Tigers. In the start before that one, he allowed six runs and eight hits in five innings against the Angels. Consistency isn't his calling card. Has Nolan Reimold established to manager Buck Showalter that he's a platoon player or is there an upside as an everyday player? "Yes," Showalter says. I'm glad that's settled. Reimold began the night batting .246 with 13 homers and 44 RBIs in 86 games. Showalter has done the math and computed how those numbers unfold over a full season. "The question is whether it could happen," Showalter said. "I would not say that's not a possibility. I do feel that, of the two options, I think he's capable of both. And I have a real strong suspicion that he'd be good at either one. "I'm real lucky that I got to see him healthy and doing the things he's capable of doing this year, because last year he had a lot of challenges that affected his ability to show that. But he's a very toolsy guy who can impact a game in a lot of ways. And one of the things that's attractive about him is he does walk and he's selective. That plays both left and right." Reimold will report to spring training as a different player in Showalter's eyes. "Because of the health-factor alone and getting to see him play and do what he's capable of doing," Showalter said. "He's very definitely in the picture." Update: Jon Lester walked three batters in the sixth and the Orioles still couldn't score. Vladimir Guerrero hit into a 6-4-3 double play, which the Red Sox's turned in impressive fashion, and Adam Jones struck out. Red Sox 3, Orioles 2. Jones registered his 15th outfield assist in the seventh by cutting down David Ortiz at second base. Tonight's attendance: 29,749. The 80-date season total: 1,755,461. It's not 81 dates because the Orioles played a straight doubleheader with one gate. Last year, the Orioles drew 1,733,019.