G44: Red Sox 6, Orioles 5

Red Sox - 011 003 010 - 6 13  0
Orioles - 110 002 010 - 5  7  0

Daniel Nava, Scott Podsednik, and Kelly Shoppach - the lower third of the batting order - all homered in the later innings this afternoon as the Red Sox took two of three from the first-place Orioles. Boston has won 10 of its last 13 games.

With two outs in the top of the sixth, Nava clubbed a home run to right-center, snapping a 2-2 tie. After Podsednik singled, Shoppach went deep into the left field bleachers.

Baltimore came right back with a two-out rally of its own, though, as Andrew Miller surrendered a two-run shot to Nick Johnson, who had also homered earlier in the game off Bard (5.1-5-2-4-2, 91).

Podsednik -- in his first MLB start since September 9, 2010 -- homered to right in the top of the eighth, giving the Red Sox a 6-4 lead.

Vicente Padilla walked Nick Markakis to start the bottom of the eighth and gave up a double to Adam Jones. Padilla fanned Chris Davis, but the Orioles still had the potential tying runs on second and third. Wilson Betemit hit a pop-up to shallow right-center. Che-Hsuan Lin, who had pinch-run for Kevin Youkilis and relieved Adrian Gonzalez in right field, raced in and made a diving head-first catch, turning what might have been a game-tying hit into a sacrifice fly that cut Boston's lead to 6-5.

Alfredo Aceves came in for a four-our save. He struck out Johnson to end the eighth and got three weak groundouts in the ninth.

The Red Sox finished their 20-games-in-20-days stretch with an 11-9 record. They are off tomorrow before hosting the Rays on Friday night.

Daniel Bard / Jake Arrieta

Aviles, SS
Pedroia, 2B
Ortiz, DH
Gonzalez, RF
Youkilis, 1B
Middlebrooks, 3B
Nava, LF
Podsednik, CF
Shoppach, C