O's mash four homers and beat Boston 7-5 in series opener

This was no way to treat a former teammate. Or maybe it was the best way to treat an American League East rival.

Former Orioles minor league left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez was pounded for four homers tonight, as the Orioles beat the Red Sox 7-5 to open a four-game series at Camden Yards.

After going through a seven-game stretch where the Orioles hit .199 as a team and scored 2.1 runs per game, they've scored 17 the last two nights against Yankees and Red Sox pitchers.

The Red Sox turned a blowout into a close game by scoring four runs in the top of the ninth. Christian Vázquez delivered a two-out RBI single to knock reliever Mike Wright out of the game. Then Jackie Bradley Jr.'s three-run homer off Donnie Hart made it 7-5 before the O's left-hander got the last out.

Rodriguez had some pretty remarkable numbers coming into this game that got obliterated tonight. He had carried a no-hitter through four innings into his past three starts at Camden Yards. He owned a 1.34 career ERA here for Boston in six starts. This season he had recorded seven straight quality starts. He had allowed just three homers over his past nine games and 50 1/3 innings.

All that changed real fast tonight.

Manny Machado singled with two outs in the first to snap an 0-for-18 slump. Then Mark Trumbo turned around a 93 mph Rodriguez fastball for his eighth homer and a quick 2-0 lead. Boston then used three singles and a Chris Davis error to score once in the second.

With one out in the Baltimore fourth, Davis drilled a 424-foot homer to center on a 2-0 fastball. It was his second in two nights and 12th of the year for a 3-1 lead.

The Orioles blew it wide open in the sixth. Adam Jones' homer down the left field line led off the inning and just made the stands. His 10th made it 4-1. With two on later in the frame, Jonathan Schoop blasted a three-run shot to open the 7-1 lead. Schoop hit No. 8 on a 1-0 changeup.

The Orioles' four homers traveled a total distance of 1,602 feet. Last June, the Orioles hit 56 homers, a major league record for that particular month. They begin the month with four this year.

Rodriguez falls to 4-2 with an ERA of 3.54. He gave up eight hits and seven runs over 5 2/3 innings.

Meanwhile, O's starter Wade Miley was in command and got deep into the game for the first time in a while. Over seven innings, he allowed five hits and one run with one walk and three strikeouts. Miley threw 109 pitches and is 2-3 with an ERA of 2.82. His ERA was 3.02 beginning the night to rank 14th-best in the AL.

In six starts for the year against the AL East, Miley is 2-2 with an ERA of 1.95, allowing eight runs over 37 innings.

With the win, the Orioles moved to within a half-game of the second place Red Sox in the AL East at 28-24. They are 3-1 on this homestand and 18-8 at home. Boston (29-24) lost for just the third time in 11 games.

The series continues on Friday night when right-hander Alec Asher (1-3, 3.77 ERA) pitches against reigning AL Cy Young Award winner right-hander Rick Porcello (3-6, 4.21 ERA).