O's win, but BoSox secure top seed in AL
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Steve Pearce delivered a go-ahead two-run double in the bottom of the eighth inning to lift the Baltimore Orioles to a 6-5 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the second tilt of a three-game set at Camden Yards.
Despite the loss, Boston secured the top seed in the AL and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs after Oakland lost in Seattle earlier on Saturday.
"We would have liked this game to finish up a little bit differently, but to know going into the postseason that for every series that we go into with that home-field advantage, being able to play in front of Fenway fans and how comfortable and successful we've been at home, this is a good thing," Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
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Pearce finished with three RBI and Brian Roberts added a solo homer for the Orioles, who have won three of their last four games.
"He's a pro, that's why every body respects him so much," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of Pearce. "He's always willing to do what's best for the team."
Kevin Gausman (3-5) spun 1 1/3 flawless innings in relief to pick up the win, while Jim Johnson worked around a two-out single in the ninth to nail down his 49th save of the season.
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David Ross drove in two runs and Dustin Pedroia collected three hits, an RBI and a run scored for the Red Sox, who will host the winner of Wednesday's AL Wild Card Game in Game 1 of the ALDS.
Junichi Tazawa (5-4) was tagged with the loss after serving up back-to-back singles prior to Pearce's go-ahead double.
Jonny Gomes and Daniel Nava stroked back-to-back run-scoring singles in the seventh to give Boston a 5-4 edge, but Matt Wieters and Danny Valencia opened the home half of the eighth with consecutive base hits off Tazawa.
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Franklin Morales entered from the bullpen and fanned Nick Markakis, but Pearce cleared the bases with a double to left to put the O's in front for good.
Early on, Pearce provided the home team with a 1-0 lead with an RBI double in the second before Roberts led off the third with a blast to left.
Roberts misplayed a Ross pop up in the fourth that allowed Boston to trim the margin in half before Pedroia punched a single up the middle in the fifth to score Stephen Drew, who doubled in front of Pedroia's base hit.
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Wieters and Valencia laced back-to-back RBI singles in the home half to restore Baltimore's one-run edge, but Ross ripped a run-scoring double with one out in the sixth to even the score.
Game Notes
The Orioles have a 10-8 edge on the Red Sox this season ... Boston starter Jon Lester allowed four runs on nine hits and two walks over five frames ... Wei- Yin Chen made the start for Baltimore and was charged for three runs on nine hits over 5 1/3 innings ... Boston went 4-for-13 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.