Rick Porcello, Mookie Betts Push Red Sox’s AL East Lead To 4 With 5-2 Over Orioles

Rick Porcello held an astounding Baltimore lineup to two runs over nine innings, and Mookie Betts hit his eighth homer in seven games at Camden Yards on Monday night to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 5-2 victory over the Orioles.

Rick Porcello, Mookie Betts Push Red Sox’s AL East Lead To 4 With 5-2 Over Orioles

With the series-opening win, the Red Sox have now increased their lead in the American League East to a season-high four games over the Orioles, who are tied with the Blue Jays for the two AL Wild Cards. The magic number for the Sox 86-64 to clinch the division is now at nine, with 12 games remaining.

“It’s huge,” said Betts. “Anytime you can come into somebody else’s place and win, that’s huge, but obviously, we have three more left and they’re a really good ball-club. We’re pretty good too, so it’s going to be a good series.”

Orioles manager Buck Showalter realized early in the game that his team was in trouble against Porcello, Boston’s right-handed starter who has now positioned himself as a strong Cy Young Award contender.

“Hitters at this level try to box out a pitch that you can’t throw over and you can’t get where you want to get it,” Showalter said. “It cuts down what you’ve got to be ready for. We didn’t get to a point where we could box a pitch out.”

Porcello (21-4, 3.08 ERA)  pitched his third complete game of the season on Monday. He threw 89 pitche and allowed four hits while striking out seven without a walk.

David Ortiz also smacked his 35th homer for Boston as part of a three-run fifth inning.

Mark Trumbo doubled in Baltimore’s first run in the fourth inning, with Adam Jones firing a solo homer off Porcello in the eighth. Orioles rookie starter Dylan Bundy gave up five runs over five innings in the loss.

“Up to this point right now, this is the biggest series of the year for us,” said Porcello. “So you know we’ve got to beat these guys up front and we have three more games left. It’s a good way to start it.”

Ortiz’s 35 homers are the most by a player age 40 or older, surpassing the previous record held by Darrell Evans in 1987. If Ortiz goes deep one more time before the end of the regular season, the 40-year-old Dominican designated hitter will break Dave Kingman’s record in 1986 for most in a final season.

Perhaps the most impressive part of Porcello’s latest strong outing was his efficiency. He threw 10 pitches or fewer in six of his nine innings and didn’t throw more than 14 pitches in any inning. It was the 11th consecutive start Porcello has gone seven innings or more while allowing three earned runs or fewer.

The right-hander’s performance drew praise from Red Sox manager John Farrell. 

“Rick Porcello was outstanding,” said Farrell. “He threw a high number of first-pitch strikes. He was able to induce ground balls. He elevated at appropriate times. He had four pitches working for strikes tonight. He was in complete command for this one.”

Betts smacked a two-run shot to left field to give the Red Sox a 2-0 lead in the third, his eighth homer at Oriole Park this season. The eight homers by Betts in Baltimore are the most by a Red Sox player in a visiting park since Jimmie Foxx hit that many in 1939 in St. Louis against the Browns.

Manny Machado was hit by Porcello’s pitch in the fourth inning, and seemed very angered by this. The Orioles third baseman glared at Porcello before taking his base, with the Boston starter talking back about the unintentional nature of the pitch. Machado went on to score on Trumbo’s double.

“We were just walking to first base, just talking. Talking like human beings. Nothing much was said,” Machado said. “We all know he doesn’t want to hit me there in that situation. I know who we’ve got behind me. I’m not dumb. We’ve got Trumbo, [Chris] Davis, guys who with one swing of the bat can drive in a couple runs. There’s nothing much to it honestly.”

“It’s September baseball,” said Porcello. “Obviously emotions are running high. Nobody wants to get hit by a pitch, that’s why I completely understand. I wouldn’t like it if I was up there and I got hit.

“At the same time, there’s absolutely no reason why I would hit him right there, especially with Mark Trumbo standing on deck. I mean, he’s hitting missiles all over the ballpark off me. So I don’t want to face him in a 2-0 game, especially when I got a perfect game going.”

The two teams will face off again for the second game of their four-game series at Camden Yards on Tuesday night. Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez will start for the Red Sox, seeking his first win since July 16. Righty Kevin Gausman will take the mound for the Orioles. Gausman held Boston scoreless over eight innings in his last start. The 25-year-old has been terrific lately, posting a 2.06 ERA since Aug. 3.

BALTIMORE, MD – SEPTEMBER 19: Starting pitcher Rick Porcello #22 of the Boston Red Sox throws to a Baltimore Orioles batter in the first inning at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 19, 2016 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)