BOSTON (AP) — Shane Victorino homered twice and drove in a career-high seven runs to lead the Boston Red Sox to a 13-2 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.
Felix Doubront pitched 6 2-3 innings of four-hit ball for AL East-leading Boston.
Victorino also had a two-run double in the seventh, and Dustin Pedroia had three hits for the Red Sox.
J.J. Hardy and Danny Valencia each had two of Baltimore’s four hits. Wei-Yin Chen (7-7) lasted just 3 2-3 innings, allowing eight runs on eight hits and three walks. He struck out five and hit a batter.
Doubront (10-6) had only one bad inning, allowing the first four batters in Baltimore’s two-run third to reach. But he retired 14 of the next 16 before leaving to a standing ovation from the Fenway Park crowd of 36,226.
In all, Doubront gave up two runs on four hits, a walk and a hit batsman. He struck out seven and has allowed three or fewer runs in 21 of 24 starts.
Victorino started the scoring in the first when he walked, took third on Pedroia’s double and scored on David Ortiz’s sacrifice fly. After Doubront allowed his only runs in the third to give the Orioles a 2-1 lead, Boston came back in the bottom half with two of their own when Will Middlebrooks singled and scored on Victorino’s two-run shot.
Mike Napoli led off the fourth with a homer to spark a five-run inning and chase Chen. Boston added three more in the fifth on Victorino’s second homer — the 100th of his career and the second multihomer game of his career.
The Red Sox started a nine game homestand after playing 16 of the previous 19 on the road. They were 4-2 on their most recent trip, to California to play the Giants and Dodgers. In all, the Red Sox will play 18 of their final 30 games at home.
NOTES: Red Sox infield prospect Xander Bogaerts made his Fenway debut as a defensive replacement in the ninth inning. … To honor their connection with the Jimmy Fund, “God Bless America” was sung during the seventh-inning stretch by a patient at the Dana Farber cancer clinic, 4-year-old Darla Holloway, who has acute lymphoblastic leukemia. … Red Sox starters have held opponents to two or fewer runs in seven straight games. … Pedroia is batting .424 (14-for-33) with 6 doubles, a triple, 4 RBIs, and 7 runs over his current eight-game hit streak. … It was Chen’s fourth loss in five starts. … Victorino is the first Red Sox player with four runs and seven RBIs in a game since Dwight Evans in 1988.