Beltre homers in 5-run 2nd inning, Red Sox beat Orioles 6-4 to win 3-game series

Red Sox beat Orioles 6-4 to win 3-game series

BALTIMORE — Adrian Beltre homered to spark a five-run second inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Thursday night to salvage a .500 road trip.

David Ortiz drove in two runs and J.D. Drew had three hits for the Red Sox, who moved within 6½ games of idle Tampa Bay in the AL wild-card race.

Boston dropped two of three on the road against the Rays, then lost in Baltimore on Tuesday before winning two straight. The Red Sox open a six-game homestand Friday against former teammate Manny Ramirez and the Chicago White Sox.

After missing his last start with a sore back, Daisuke Matsuzaka (9-4) gave up four runs in 5 2-3 innings. He has allowed four runs in each of his last four outings.

Jonathan Papelbon worked the ninth for his 35th save, and second in two nights. Baltimore got runners on second and third with one out before Papelbon struck out Cesar Izturis and rookie Josh Bell.

Papelbon is the only pitcher in major league history to record at least 35 saves in each of his first five seasons. In 38 career appearances against the Orioles, he has 30 saves and an 0.75 ERA.

Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen (6-10) gave up five runs, two earned, eight hits and a career-high five walks in 5 1-3 innings. He was 3-0 in six starts since July 26.

Down 5-0 and limited to two hits over the first five innings, the Orioles chased Matsuzaka with a four-run sixth. Nick Markakis hit an RBI single and Ty Wigginton followed with a run-scoring groundout before Matt Wieters hit a two-run double.

The Red Sox made it 6-4 in the seventh. With runners on the corners and one out, Mike Lowell hit a grounder to third. Bell’s throw to second was behind the bag, and although Brian Roberts made the catch, his off-balance relay bounced through the legs of first baseman Wigginton.

A poor fielding play was also a factor in the pivotal second inning. After Beltre hit his 25th homer on Bergesen’s first pitch, the Red Sox got another run when Wigginton mishandled a sharp grounder by Daniel Nava. Ryan Kalish added an RBI double before Ortiz slapped a two-run, opposite-field single to left.

The only runner against Matsuzaka in the first three innings was Luke Scott, who reached on an error and was promptly wiped out in a double play. Markakis got Baltimore’s first hit, a one-out double in the fourth.

Wieters doubled with one out in the fifth but did not advance.

Notes: Beltre leads Boston with 92 RBIs and needs two more to reach 1,000 in his career. … Baltimore CF Adam Jones (shoulder) was held out and is day-to-day. … Boston 2B Dustin Pedroia will have a CT scan on his broken left foot Friday and will have season-ending surgery if there is no apparent improvement. … Orioles LHP Brian Matusz was named the AL rookie of the month for August. He was 4-1 with a 2.43 ERA in six starts. … Boston finished 4-5 in Baltimore after going 8-1 last year.