Showalter: "It's unfortunate and it's non-tolerable" (O's down 5-2)

BOSTON - On the list of reasons for Orioles manager Buck Showalter to be upset about what transpired last night at Fenway Park, marring a 5-2 victory over the Red Sox, included is how he didn't know Adam Jones had taken such verbal abuse in center field.

He saw the bag of peanuts that flew near the visiting dugout, aimed at Jones but hitting a Boston police officer. But he wasn't aware that racial slurs also were coming down from the stands.

"It's unfortunate and it's non-tolerable. That's the bottom line," Showalter said. "I'm impressed with the action the Red Sox have taken. Mr. (John) Henry and the team president (Sam Kennedy) were in my office about 3 o'clock today and they've probably already done a lot of things probably well before I woke up today. And I know Adam appreciated it and anything that brings some focus on something that intolerable ...

"I've talked with Adam. We proceeded with a lot of things that are going to make it hopefully not happen again. We'll see. I mean, I can't sit here and profess how Adam feels. Like I've said before, I've never been black, so I'm not going to sit here and try to act like I know. But I can tell you how it makes me feel.

"The only thing I got on him about is he didn't let me know. I wish he had let me know. But it's not the only place that it happens, OK?"

Showalter said he would have considered pulling his team off the field if he had been made aware of the situation.

"Especially after the object came out of the stands," he said. "You realize how vulnerable you are. It's like the old, 'I'm not getting out of this alive. It doesn't really matter.' But it only takes a few people to reflect poorly on, whether it's Baltimore, whether it's New York, whether it's Boston, whether it's Kansas City. It's all relevant. It's a challenge in all sports arenas."

Jones has such a large presence in Baltimore and particularly in the African-American community, people tend to listen more closely when he speaks. His words carry significant weight.

"I'd like to say I hope not, but they do," Showalter said. "I'd like to think everybody's voice is the same, but Adam's does. Adam, as he's gotten older, he chooses words a lot more wisely. He knows the weight his words carry, and believe me, I know his teammates have their full support of him. As the Red Sox players are, you know? We've all been in that ... We've seen that happen."

Asked whether he was surprised by the actions of some Red Sox fans last night, Showalter replied, "How do you answer that without reflecting on some people who aren't a part of that at all?

"In our society, I'm not surprised. It's unfortunate and it's sad and it's like a disease."

The two teams will try to keep the focus tonight on continuing their series, and a rivalry that keeps heating up.

"Our guys and the Red Sox, they want to play baseball, and they don't want to have these other things creeping into it," Showalter said. "There's a lot of things that drive it that I could get into, but it's my personal feelings as far as the way things are treated like this. But I think the only good thing is anything that brings focus on this, that's about the only good thing about it. It actually kind of makes you feel more in reality about where we are as a society sometimes. It reflects poorly on everybody, including not just Boston, but it's just something that happens. It's unfortunate that it happened here."

Showalter trusts that any offenders will be dealt with in the appropriate manner.

"I can tell by their sincerity and their intensity about this that they're going to get as far as they can get with it, especially with people throwing stuff into the dugout, at Adam," Showalter said. "I looked at the video tape of that. It can't be tolerated.

"I'm always surprised by the people around him, why they don't say something. I know the Red Sox had a thing where you could text. You don't want a confrontation. You're there with your family of two or three and you want to somehow get it taken care of. But I'm always surprised by some of the things you hear come out of the stands and you see somebody there with their wife and kids and they don't say something. But that's the world we live in."

Down on the farm, the Orioles released Triple-A Norfolk pitcher Zach Stewart and outfielder Michael Choice. Outfielder Mike Yastrzemski has been added to the roster from extended spring training. Left-handers Jayson Aquino and Vidal Nuño have joined the Tides.

Update: Hanley Ramirez led off the fourth inning with a home run to give Boston a 2-0 lead

Dustin Pedroia had an RBI single in the second after Mitch Moreland doubled.

Chris Sale has retired the first 12 batters with eight strikeouts.

Both benches were warned after Sale sailed a pitch behind Manny Machado's knees in the first inning.

Update II: Chris Davis walked with one out in the fifth to end Sale's bid for a perfect game. Trey Mancini collected the first hit with a two-out RBI double, and the Orioles cut the lead to 2-1.

Update III: Ramirez homered again in the sixth off Asher and Mookie Betts had a two-run double off Mychal Givens in the seventh to give Boston a 5-2 lead. Givens inherited two runners from Donnie Hart, who hadn't been charged with a run in his first 12 appearances.

Machado homered off Sale in the top of the seventh to reduce the lead to 3-2.

Asher allowed three runs and six hits in six innings for his second quality start in two outings.