BALTIMORE — Although the Boston Red Sox are the highest-scoring team in the majors, they’ve relied heavily on pitching to put together a momentum-changing winning streak.
David Price allowed four hits before a rainstorm stopped play for good after six innings Wednesday night, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-1 for their sixth straight win.
Jackie Bradley Jr. homered and drove in four runs for the Red Sox, who swept the two-game series to climb past the Orioles into second place in the AL East.
Boston had lost 13 of 20 before sweeping three from Arizona, topping Cleveland in a makeup game and twice casting aside Baltimore.
“Our starters have set the tone in this stretch,” Manager John Farrell said.
Price (11-8) was cruising until a driving storm stopped play, and the game was called after a delay of 1 hour, 17 minutes.
Price struck out four and walked none to earn his second victory in seven starts since July 10. The only run he allowed came on a second-inning homer by Chris Davis.
“We’ll go as far as the starters take us, and we’ve thrown the ball well as a group,” Price said.
Boston outscored the Orioles 13-4 in the two games.
“We didn’t pitch particularly well in certain spots,” Baltimore Manager Buck Showalter said.
The Orioles’ 39-19 home record is the best in the AL but they’re 2-4 against Boston at Camden Yards. Baltimore, which had been in first or second place since opening day, dropped behind Toronto and the Red Sox.
“I mean it’s so close, the separation between the teams,” Davis said. “The important part is to keep going. There’s still plenty of time left to regroup and get back on track.”
Dylan Bundy (6-4) entered with three straight wins and a 2.93 ERA for Baltimore but yielded five runs and nine hits in 41/3 innings.
“I threw some good pitches and they still hit them,” Bundy said. “So it’s just one of those nights. Just got to learn from it and get better from here.”
Mookie Betts of Boston went 2 for 3 with a walk and scored three runs. Betts is batting .440 with eight homers, 19 runs and 17 RBI in 12 games against Baltimore this season.
The game turned in the third inning with the score 1-1. Bundy toppled off the mound chasing a grounder to the right side and appeared to twist his right ankle. He declared himself OK after taking a few warm-up pitches, and play resumed with two outs and the bases empty.
Bundy issued a two-out walk to Betts on a 3-2 count and Bradley followed with a drive that cleared the wall in center field.
Sandy Leon hit a two-run shot in the fifth and Bradley doubled in two runs in the sixth against Tyler Wright.
NOTES: Farrell picked up his 313th win as Red Sox manager, moving past Ralph Houk for sole possession of ninth place in club history. Eddie Kasko ranks eighth with 345 wins. … Left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez showed no lingering effects from the left hamstring tightness that forced him to leave Tuesday’s game. “At this point we’re planning on him starting on Sunday,” Farrell said.… Right-hander Steven Wright (right shoulder strain) will have a bullpen session Saturday before coming off the DL on Tuesday.
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