Mookie Betts homers twice as Boston takes series opener

The Orioles were able to overcome trailing 3-0 and being no-hit into the seventh inning tonight. They just could not overcome Boston right fielder Mookie Betts.

Betts' two-run homer in the eighth - his second blast of the game - broke a 3-3 tie as Boston beat the Orioles 5-3 tonight at Camden Yards. The teams now have identical 66-52 records with 44 games to play.

Betts connected on an 0-1 pitch from losing pitcher Brad Brach. Betts has five multi-homer games this season and three have come in this ballpark, where he now has hit seven homers his past four games. His seven homers are the most by an opponent in a season at Camden Yards. He has 28 homers and 89 RBIs for the year. Against Baltimore pitchers in 2016, Betts is batting .426 (20-for-47) with eight homers and 17 RBIs.

After being no-hit through 6 1/3 innings by two Boston pitchers, the Orioles turned a walk and infield single into a three-run inning in the seventh to tie the game at 3-3.

Mark Trumbo walked and Steve Pearce reached on an infield hit to third to end Boston's no-hit bid against right-hander Matt Barnes, who had relieved Eduardo Rodriguez. Fernando Abad then replaced Barnes and walked Chris Davis to load the bases. Matt Wieters, hitting just .189 versus left-handers, singled to left to score two runs and make it 3-2. Three batters later, Adam Jones drew a bases-loaded walk for a 3-3 tie.

A former Oriole farmhand, Rodriguez left the game with left hamstring tightness while pitching to Pearce to start the fourth. Rodriguez did not allow a run or hit in four-plus innings with seven strikeouts.

Orioles right-hander Yovani Gallardo stranded the bases loaded for Boston in the third inning when he got Betts to fly out to right on a 1-2 pitch.

But two innings later, he could not get Betts with two men on. Andrew Benintendi started the Boston fifth with a double to right. The next batter was Dustin Pedroia and he lined one back to the mound that hit off Gallardo's right arm. The ball bounced to J.J. Hardy who recorded an out and Gallardo stayed in the game. After a walk, he fanned David Ortiz with two on. But Betts then hit a three-run homer on a first-pitch slider for a 3-0 lead.

Gallardo went five innings, allowing four hits and three runs with five walks and two strikeouts, and throwing 91 pitches. Brach falls to 7-2 with the loss.

The Orioles had won 13 of 17 and 22 of their last 29 home games, but fall to 39-18 at Camden Yards. They are 6-5 against Boston and 26-20 in American League East games.

In the second and final game of this series on Wednesday night, Chris Tillman (15-4, 3.46 ERA) pitches against left-hander David Price (10-8, 4.29 ERA).

Update: After tonight's game, manager Buck Showalter announced that Dylan Bundy (6-3, 2.93 ERA) will start Wednesday night instead of Tillman, who will be pushed to Saturday against Houston because of a sore shoulder.