Masterson leads Sox over O's at rainy Fenway

BOSTON -- Fueled by a four-run inning and solid pitching from Justin Masterson, the Red Sox ousted the Orioles in a 7-1 Patriots' Day victory in a rain-shortened game at Fenway Park.

Masterson gave his bullpen some much-needed rest, spinning five innings of one-run baseball in a contest that was called due to inclement weather in the seventh inning. The lanky sinkerballer recorded six strikeouts and benefited from a particularly effective slider as Boston earned a split in the four-game series.

"They're a good team," said Red Sox manager John Farrell, whose 8-5 club sits atop the American League East. "I would imagine we're going to be neck-and-neck with most everybody in this division throughout. Any time you can come away with the final game of a series to earn a split -- whether it's home or road -- it send us off on a positive note."

O's starter Wei-Yin Chen allowed five unearned runs as Baltimore made an uncharacteristic three errors -- including one from the lefty in a decisive four-run third inning. The Orioles' offense mustered just four hits, two of which came from Maine native Ryan Flaherty.

"I think [Chen] was a little frustrated with the strike zone," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "He won't say it. There were a lot of borderline pitches that didn't go his way and I don't think he handled that frustration too well. There was a game there to be won."

Video: BAL@BOS: Masterson stymies O's over five solid frames

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED
They'll take it: The Red Sox's lineup did most of its damage in the third, breaking out for four runs despite only recording one hit. The team took advantage of two Orioles errors and drew four walks before emerging with a 5-1 lead. Through 13 games, Boston has scored 18 unearned runs on 20 errors committed by opposing teams.

"The errors kind of [were] gift-wrapped or built into the four-run inning along with some base on balls," Farrell said. "At this level, [when] you give extra outs, you're asking for trouble. And it's happened to us defensively. Hopefully we stay on the positive side of it going forward."

Video: BAL@BOS: Red Sox score two runs on error

Chen's command: The lefty had five walks, a hit batsman and a fielding error in a forgettable afternoon. Chen lasted 4 1/3 innings, his second outing in three starts under five.

"At the moment, I feel a little upset," Chen said through his interpreter. "But if you threw a good pitch and the umpire didn't call it a strike, the next pitch you couldn't throw in the middle. You still had to aim for the corners. I tried to make an adjustment. On some of the pitches I hoped I would get a call, but I didn't. It was upsetting, but I tried to focus on my pitches and not let it bother me. Apparently, I didn't do well today." More >

Video: BAL@BOS: Bogaerts scores on Chen's error in the 3rd

Garcia surfaces: The O's Rule 5 Draft pick made his first appearance since April 10, throwing 1 2/3 innings before rain halted play. Garcia allowed two runs on two hits and a walk in his third career outing.

QUOTABLE
"Is that how he wants to get respect from us? Is that how he wants me to respect him? It's not going to happen."
-- David Ortiz, on former Orioles pitcher Jim Palmer, who criticized the slugger's behavior when he was ejected on Sunday. More >

SOUND SMART WITH YOUR FRIENDS
When David Ortiz plated Mookie Betts on a first-inning sacrifice fly, he tied Hall of Famer Joe DiMaggio for 46th place on baseball's all-time RBI leaderboard. Boston's designated hitter now has 1,537 career RBIs and ranks behind only Alex Rodriguez and Albert Pujols among active players.

"Very cool," catcher Ryan Hanigan said. "I congratulated him. He said something like, 'Yeah, that's me getting old.' I said, 'No that's you being the man.' That's an awesome thing. The guy's a Hall of Famer."

Video: BAL@BOS: Ortiz opens scoring with sac fly

HANLEY'S EARLY EXIT
The Red Sox removed Hanley Ramirez from the game in the third inning after he began feeling dizzy and ill. Farrell said the outfielder was cleared by the medical staff and should be available to play on Tuesday. Allen Craig assumed his place in left field and went 1-for-2 with a walk. Ramirez grounded out to first base in his only at-bat of the day. More >

WHAT'S NEXT
Orioles: Baltimore will travel to Toronto for a three-game series against the Blue Jays. Righty Bud Norris will get the start for Tuesday's opener at 7:07 p.m. ET looking to help the O's secure a winning road trip.

Boston: The Red Sox kick off a six-game road trip Tuesday in St. Petersburg, renewing their rivalry with the Rays. Lefty Wade Miley makes his third start for the club after the Nationals pounded out seven runs over 2 1/3 innings in his last outing. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

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