BOSTON (AP) — Baltimore right-hander Miguel Gonzalez had a chance to watch his teammates get on winning spurt.
Now he’s glad to be a part of it.
Matt Wieters hit a two-run homer during a six-run fourth inning that carried the Orioles over the Boston Red Sox 8-6 Thursday, earning Gonzalez a victory in his first start off the disabled list.
“It was fun to watch,” Gonzalez said. “It’s good to be back and healthy. My teammates gave me a chance to win a ballgame.”
Gonzalez (6-4), activated before the game following a stint on the DL with a strained right groin, allowed four runs and eight hits in five-plus innings, helping the Orioles to their 13th win in 17 games.
“He kept us engaged,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s a good start for him. The important thing is he’s healthy.”
J.J. Hardy added a two-run double against rookie left-hander Eduardo Rodriguez, who lasted just 3 2-3 innings.
Steve Pearce had three hits for Baltimore, which took two of three in the series and bounced back after Wednesday’s loss to beat Boston for the seventh time in eight games.
“We’re getting closer little by little. We have our moments.”
Alejandro De Aza hit a three-run homer for the Red Sox.
Zach Britton gave up a leadoff single to Jackie Bradley Jr. in the ninth, then got three straight outs for his 21st save in 22 chances.
Rodriguez (3-2) yielded six runs and seven hits after allowing one run or none in four of his first five major league starts.
Baltimore scored the tying run in the fourth when Rodriguez’s throwing error on Nolan Reimold’s infield hit allowed Chris Parmelee to come home.
Wieters homered in Boston’s bullpen on a 2-0 pitch for a 3-1 lead, starting a streak of five straight hits for the Orioles that included Hardy’s double off the Green Monster. No. 9 hitter Ryan Flaherty chased Rodriguez with a sacrifice fly.
Rodriguez shutout his former organization over six innings with seven strikeouts in a victory on June 9. He was traded to the Red Sox at last season’s non-waiver deadline for reliever Andrew Miller.
“I just knew we were going to have to put up a big inning to get a win against him,” Wieters said.
Rodriguez retired the first nine batters easily, striking out five, before the fourth.
“He’s cruising along. He retires the first 10 of the game. He was dominant,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “And then he gets in the stretch, they make a little bit of an adjustment, and he’s not commanding the baseball as he was when he got into the stretch.”
De Aza’s fourth-inning homer hooked around the Pesky Pole.
Manny Machado hit a run-scoring single in the sixth off Jonathan Aro, who made his major league debut, and Chris Davis made it 8-4 with an RBI double in the seventh.
Nice glove
Parmelee made a couple of stellar plays at first after getting into a collision with right fielder Delmon Young earlier in the game. He made a leaping grab of Pablo Sandoval’s line drive and a diving stab of Blake Swihart’s ground ball.
What a throw
Bradley fired a strike to the plate from medium right, cutting down David Lough trying to score in the ninth.
Trainer’s room
Orioles: CF Adam Jones missed his seventh game in Baltimore’s last nine because of an injured right shoulder.
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia was placed on the 15-day DL after straining his right hamstring Wednesday. … LF Hanley Ramirez missed the game after bruising his left hand Wednesday. “He’s swollen and got some soreness,” Farrell said.
Finally
Bradley was recalled from Pawtucket. His infield hit in the fourth stopped an 0-for-30 slide dating to Sept. 14.
Up next
Orioles: LHP Wei-Yin Chen (3-4) is slated to rejoin the rotation on Friday when the Orioles open a three-game series against Cleveland and RHP Corey Kluber (3-9).
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (4-8, 5.61 ERA), who has lost six straight starts since winning at Seattle on May 16, is scheduled to start Friday against the Rays and RHP Alex Colome (3-3).
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