BOSTON — Adam Jones’ second run-scoring hit of the night broke a seventh-inning tie, and the Baltimore Orioles held on for a 3-2 win over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday at Fenway Park.
“He had a big night for us,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “Had some big hits when we needed them.
The Orioles improved to 1-3 in one-run games this season, after going 29-9 in 2012.
“It was just a matter of time before that one-run stuff,” Jones said. “We’ve got the kind of bullpen that can shut down any type of lineup any night. We’ve got the majority of the same team. I know those guys down there, when that number’s called, they want to come in and get the job done and have done a pretty good job of it.”
The Orioles have won 11 of their last 15 games against the Red Sox.
“Explain to me how the Red Sox are trying to be like the Orioles,” Jones said. “They had like 12 straight years in the playoffs and the last two haven’t gone that well.
“If they want to try and copy us, cool, that would be a first for the Orioles.”
With two out in a 2-2 game in the seventh, Manny Machado singled off Red Sox right-hander Clayton Mortensen, who started the sixth in relief of Alfredo Aceves. The hit ended Mortensen’s outing. He was replaced by left-hander Andrew Miller, who walked Nick Markakis, the lone batter he faced.
Right-hander Koji Uehara, who had been perfect in his three previous appearances this season, entered and gave up a first-pitch RBI double to Jones, scoring Machado and giving Baltimore a 3-2 lead.
Right-hander Jim Johnson, who entered the game tied for the American League lead in saves, earned his fourth. He struck out two while allowing one hit in the ninth.
“We know what we have to do,” Johnson said. “We’re playing against a team in our division. They’re a good team, a lot better than they were last year.”
Brian Matusz (1-0) earned the win. He went two-thirds of an inning, giving up no runs and no hits with two strikeouts.
Orioles starter Chris Tillman held the Red Sox to two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Tillman was in a minor car accident on the way to Fenway before the game. He was riding in a taxi with fellow right-hander Miguel Gonzalez when it was tapped from behind by another vehicle. Manager Buck Showalter said before the game there were no injuries and Gonzalez is expected to make his start on Friday.
“(Tillman) had good stuff and competed well and gave us a chance to win the game,” Showalter said. “You have to have a good start no matter what happens later to give you a chance.”
Mortensen (0-1) gave up one run in 1 2/3 innings.
Boston’s Aceves made his first start of the season, taking the rotation spot of John Lackey, who is on the disabled list due to a right biceps strain. Aceves pitched five innings, allowing two runs on six hits and three walks while striking out four. He threw 79 pitches, 47 for strikes.
“Gave us five solid innings of work,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Eighty pitches, 80-85 was kind of the range we had targeted for him tonight. But given his first start of the year, kept the game under control. I thought he managed the lineup well. With the exception of the solo home run on the 3-0 pitch by Davis, I thought he worked his way around the lineup fairly well tonight.”
Orioles first baseman Chris Davis, who was selected the American League player of the week for the first week of the season, continued his hot hitting. His solo home run on a 3-and-0 fastball in the second inning gave Baltimore an early lead.
However, the Red Sox touched up Tillman in the third. With two outs, Dustin Pedroia’s single scored Stephen Drew, and Mike Napoli’s nine-pitch at-bat ended with single to left, scoring Shane Victorino, giving the Red Sox a 2-1 lead.
Jones tied the score in the fifth with a two-out single, scoring Machado.
“I missed my spot,” Aceves said. “Nobody’s perfect. I missed my spot and he hit it. His approach, he was trying to go up the middle and got a good pitch to hit and hit it. Like I said, unfortunately we didn’t win today.”
NOTES: Machado was thrown out trying to stretch a double to right field into a triple in the first inning. … With his third-inning RBI single, Pedroia has reached base safely in all nine of the Red Sox games this season. It is the longest such streak of his career to start a season. Going back to last season, he has reached base in 19 straight games since Sept. 21 … With his second-inning solo homer, Davis became the seventh player, and third left-handed batter, to record a home run in six of his team’s first nine games of a season. His 19 RBI in the first nine games of the season are the most by any player to start a year since the RBI became a statistic in 1920. He has driven in at least one run in seven of the nine games. … Jones’ RBI single in the fifth extended his hitting streak to nine games. … The Red Sox are 5-0 when scoring first, 0-4 when their opponents score first.