G36: Orioles 4, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 010 000 - 1  3  0
Orioles - 040 000 00x - 4  8  1

It's hard to win when you manage only three hits (and no walks) over nine innings.

Red Sox spot starter Josh Smith (3.1-5-4-2-3, 70) loaded the bases with none out in the second on two singles and a walk. When he struck out Pedro Severino and Richie Martin, it looked like Smith might dodge a huge bullet. But Jonathan Villar blasted a grand slam to center. That was all the runs Baltimore would score - and all the runs the Orioles (behind John Means (7-3-1-0-4, 96)) would need.

For Boston, it was The Váz and Nuñey Show. They went 3-for-5 while everyone else went 0-for-25. All three hits came in the first five innings. Christian Vázquez singled with two outs in the second, Eduardo Nuñez singled to lead off the third, and Vázquez doubled to start the fifth (he eventually scored on Nuñez's sac fly).

Boston's only baserunner in the final four innings was Nuñez, who reached on an error with one out in the eighth. He was stranded at second, one of only three Red Sox runners left on base

Josh Smith / John Means

Betts, RF
Bogaerts, SS
Martinez, LF
Chavis, 2B
Devers, DH
Vázquez, C
Pearce, 1B
Nuñez, 3B
Bradley, CF

Update: David Price is now on the injured list with left elbow tendinitis, retroactive to May 3. Ryan Weber was called up. Peter Abraham (Globe): "Cora said Price's injury is such that he'd be pitching were this a critical time in September. They're being cautious." Hector Velazquez will start tomorrow, with Chris Sale going on Wednesday.

A win tonight against the last-place Orioles will put the Red Sox (17-18, 3rd place, 5 GB) at .500.

Manager Alex Cora:

We feel good where we're at. As a team, it's getting better. We still have stuff that we have to clean up to get where we want to go. ... So, on we go.

Michael Chavis, who has had either a hit or a walk in 14 of his 15 games, including the last 12:

I can't say enough about the guys in the clubhouse right now. I'm not just saying that because it's cliché or anything like that, but they've absolutely done everything to make me comfortable. I can't say enough about Mookie, J.D., Pearce ... taking me under their wing and showing me how things are. I mean, the scouting reports and everything we get, they're all so elaborate, everything that goes on in the game ... I honestly think I've learned more and grown more as a player [since] I've been up here than I did the entire year last year.

Odd: The Rays (21-12 overall) are 1-5 in one-run games.