Sloppy start to Game 1 (Gonzalez ties career high in innings, O's lose 3-2)

BOSTON - The city of Boston celebrated the Fourth of July on Thursday night because of the pending storm. The Red Sox celebrated it today before Game 1 of the doubleheader against the Orioles, draping a huge American flag over the Green Monster.

Maybe that's why both teams appear so disoriented.

The Orioles and Red Sox have combined for four errors in three innings, including three from the gracious hosts.

Third baseman Xander Bogaerts allowed two runs to score with two outs in the third when he misplayed Steve Pearce's bouncer, erasing Boston's 2-0 lead. The inning started with Delmon Young reaching on second baseman Dustin Pedroia's throwing error.

The Red Sox scored twice off Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez in the bottom of the second, and one run was unearned after Pearce came off the bag to field Jonathan Schoop's wide throw and lost control of the ball while trying to make a sweeping tag. Jackie Bradley Jr., who doubled with two outs, raced home from second base.

Brock Holt was credited with an infield hit on the play, though Schoop's throw allowed him to reach.

One run was legitimate. Stephen Drew hit his first home run since Game 6 of the 2013 World Series.

Gonzalez was up to 43 pitches in two innings, but he retired the Red Sox in order in the third on only 11.

Earlier today, I asked Orioles manager Buck Showalter for his opinion on last night's blockbuster trade between the Cubs and Athletics. Starters Jeff Samardzija and Jason Hammel went to Oakland in exchange for 2012 first-round draft pick Addison Russell, 2013 first-round pick Billy McKinney, pitcher Dan Straily and a player to be named.

"The interesting thing is going to be the player to be named later," Showalter said. "That's always interesting. It kind of gets bypassed in a trade. But two good pitchers coming into the league and some good, quality young players ...

"When you make a deal like that and you get borderline major league ready young players, affordable, under control, that's a huge deal. I was reading our reports today on the center fielder. He's a good-looking player. We all saw Straily, what he's capable of. Then you add in that player to be named later and a middle infielder with offensive prowess and a right-handed hitter.

"It'll work out for both teams. It's what Oakland needed."

Update: Miguel Gonzalez has retired 12 of the last 13 batters, and the game remains tied 2-2.

Gonzalez threw 43 pitches in the first two innings. He's thrown 11, eight, nine and 11 over the last four.

Down on the farm, Henry Urrutia went 0-for-4 today as the designated hitter with the Gulf Coast League team. Steve Johnson threw 1 2/3 innings, allowing no runs or hits, walking two and striking out three.

Update II: Miguel Gonzalez tied his career high by going eight innings, the third time he's done it, and the game remains tied 2-2.

Gonzalez stranded two runners in scoring position in the eighth by striking out Xander Bogaerts. He hit a batter and walked one to get himself in trouble.

The Red Sox have two hits off Gonzalez since the second.

Gonzalez has four quality starts in four career starts against the Red Sox.

Update III: Pinch-hitter Jonahtan Herrera delivered his first career walk-off hit, a broken-bat single with one out in the bottom of the ninth that scored Jonny Gomes and gave Boston a 3-2 win in Game 1.

Gomes reached on a pinch-hit infield single off T.J. McFarland and took second on a sacrifice.

McFarland replaced Gonzalez, who allowed two runs (one earned) and seven hits in eight innings, with two walks, six strikeouts, one home run, a wild pitch and a hit batter. He threw 113 pitches, 72 for strikes.

Showalter knew Boston would pinch-hit for two left-handed batters and apparently preferred McFarland over Brian Matusz, who was warming in the eighth.