Jayson Aquino gets first major league win as O's top Boston (quotes added)

The latest Orioles starting pitcher to shine was a 24-year-old left-hander from the Dominican Republic that was acquired from St. Louis last April for cash considerations.

And left-hander Jayson Aquino was making just his fourth major league appearance and first as a starter. But save for allowing a two-run homer, he was strong tonight as the Orioles beat Boston 4-2 in front of 35,457 at Camden Yards.

The first-place Orioles improved to 12-4, have won four in a row and win this series by taking the first two games. They are now 5-0-1 in their six series.

Aquino earned his first major league win by going six innings and allowing six hits and two runs with three walks and two strikeouts. He threw 99 pitches, pounded the ball down in the zone and showed plenty of poise. He stranded two runners each in the fifth and sixth innings and Boston went 1-for-7 against him with runners in scoring position.

For the Orioles, this was their eighth quality start in the last nine games with Kevin Gausman's outing at Cincinnati on Tuesday the lone exception. The rotation ERA in those eight games is a stunning 1.36. The Orioles' rotation ERA over their past four games is 0.94, with three runs allowed over 28 2/3 innings.

Orioles pitchers have allowed just three runs over their last 42 innings and began tonight ranked sixth in the American League with a team ERA of 3.47.

After the Orioles had scored a total of six runs their previous three games (but gone 3-0), they erupted for a four-run last of the fourth tonight. It happened quickly for the second time this year against knuckleballer Steven Wright, who held them scoreless through three and had a 2-0 lead at that point.

Chris Davis doubled with one out and scored on Trey Mancini's two-run shot to left for a 2-2 tie. It was Mancini's fifth homer and all have come over the last eight games. He blasted a knuckler 422 feet. Jonathan Schoop then homered as the Orioles went back-to-back to lead 3-2. Schoop's homer, his fourth, came on an 0-2 pitch.

This is the second time the O's have hit back-to-back homers. Both times, it was by Mancini and Schoop and both times against Wright. The Orioles made it 4-2 later in that inning on an RBI single by Adam Jones.

Wright took the loss and in two starts this year versus the Orioles, has given up 17 hits, six homers and 12 runs over just five innings.

Boston had taken a 2-0 lead in the third on Jackie Bradley Jr.'s homer, which scored Xander Bogaerts after his single. Aquino hung a breaking ball and Bradley blasted it onto Eutaw Street, 420 feet away. It is the 89th homer onto Eutaw Street in Camden Yards history and 49th by a visiting player.

But the Orioles bullpen recorded three scoreless innings to end it, two from Mychal Givens, who retired six in a row over the seventh and eighth. Donnie Hart got the first two outs of the ninth, then hit a batter, and Darren O'Day came on for the last out on one pitch for the save.

The O's can sweep the defending AL East champions here on Sunday after when Gausman (1-1, 7.23 ERA) pitches against former O's farmhand Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 5.23 ERA).

Some postgame clubhouse quotes:

Aquino on his first major league win: "I feel very happy. It's an incredible feeling what I'm feeling right now. I just tried to make my pitches and follow the lead of my catcher."

Aquino on the importance of showing the club what he can do: "I really can't control the decision they make above me. I just try to concentrate on my job. Whenever he's (Chris Tillman) ready to come off (the DL) and whatever decision they make on myself, I just try to do my work."

Aquino on having played for six different organizations: "It's been a tough process. I've been through a few organizations. But I'm just thankful to the Orioles for this opportunity and allowing me to start a game at the major league level."

Mancini was asked if his power surprises even him: "I wouldn't say so. I think I'm coming into my own power-wise. It is something that, when you get older, you hope it kind of happens more frequently. I never think about hitting home runs. Never think about it when I hit them. If I can go astray, it's because I am thinking a little too much about driving the ball far. It's something where you want to put a good approach on the ball and it just happens."

Mancini on getting AL East wins: "These are very important games within the division and it's great to have gotten off to this start against our division rivals that we see a lot during the year."

Givens on faring better versus lefty hitters: "Yeah, last year they got to see me and kind of had a good approach on me. Towards the end of last year, I made adjustments on getting lefties out. Just have to make those and getting back with my changeup and throwing my slider well and attacking the hitters a bit better (has helped there)."

Givens on Mancini: "I got to see him a little bit in '14 and '15. We gave him the nickname Boom Boom Mancini for a reason. Every time he goes up, we expect him to hit it hard and far."