Wieters still looking to break out of slump (O's lead 5-2)

Matt Wieters grounded out to Boston third baseman Will Middlebrooks in the second inning. The funk continues. Wieters is 0-for-19 and 4-for-41. Is he banged up from that violent collision at home plate? "No more than usual," manager Buck Showalter said. "We gave him a full day off yesterday. I didn't want to even pinch hit unless we had a chance to win the game. As you've seen, we've tried to back off him as much as possible. Sometimes to a fault. "I think it's part of something we stay on top of. I talk to him every day and he's a big part of our club and we'll continue to protect him. I don't ever take for granted what he does. I think we are fortunate one time he didn't catch, one of the extra-inning games." Tommy Hunter has thrown 14 strikes among his 18 pitches over the first two innings. He's retired all six batters, with two strikeouts. In Hunter's last three starts, the Orioles have played 17, nine and 15 innings. Adam Jones needs a hit tonight to extend his streak to 13 games, which would tie his career high. Before Stephen Strasburg took Wei-Yin Chen deep yesterday, no pitcher had homered off the Orioles since Boston's Sonny Seibert on Sept. 2, 1971. Seibert homered twice off Pat Dobson. Update: Hunter gave up two runs and three hits in the third inning. Mike Aviles had an RBI single on a ball hit up the middle that almost took Hunter's face off, and Dustin Pedroia lifted a sacrifice fly to right field. The Orioles loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the third on a Wilson Betemit single, a Nick Johnson walk and Robert Andino's bunt single. Xavier Avery fell behind 0-2 before drawing a walk on the ninth pitch thrown by Clay Buchholz. J.J. Hardy reached on an infield hit, with Avery getting to second base so fast, Aviles couldn't try for the force. Nick Markakis got ahead 3-0 before drawing Buchholz's third walk of the inning. Adam Jones grounded into a double play as another run scored. Orioles 4, Red Sox 2. Here's Chris Tillman's line so far at Triple-A Norfolk: two innings, five hits, four runs, two walks, one strikeout, one wild pitch. He's thrown 46 pitches, 31 for strikes. Miguel Tejada, starting at third base tonight, grounded out in his first at-bat. Update II: Chris Davis led off the bottom of the fourth inning with his sixth home run. Orioles 5, Red Sox 2. Wieters is 0-for-2. His 0-for-20 streak ties the longest of his career.



Some early-game notes
Matt Lindstrom updates his status
 

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