Mora Stays Hot, Orioles Overpower the Red Sox

Orioles 11, Red Sox 6

BALTIMORE, Aug. 20 -- Before starting a three-game set with the Boston Red Sox, the Baltimore Orioles had averaged nearly nine runs per contest during their recent seven-game road trip.

Yet, upon their return to Camden Yards, known the last few days as "Fenway South," the Orioles managed just five runs total in a pair of losses. Over back-to-back nights, the prolific offense that has come to define the Orioles this summer wilted against the Red Sox.

But on Wednesday, there seemed nothing the Red Sox could do to hold the Orioles' offense down for a third straight time as Baltimore powered its way to an 11-6 victory before a crowd of 33,364.

Melvin Mora continued his remarkable second-half tear, driving in four runs to bring him within 10 of surpassing his career high, 104 in 2004, for a season. And Ramón Hernández drilled a three-run shot, which sent Coco Crisp tumbling over the center field fence in an attempt to prevent the homer.

"You never know if you're ever going to get enough runs," Manager Dave Trembley said.

The Orioles' offensive production was even enough to withstand a shaky outing by left-hander Chris Waters, who picked up his second major league victory despite allowing five runs (four earned) in five innings.

"It gives you more confidence to know that you can make mistakes and still have a lead," said Waters, who settled down after his team clawed back from an early 4-0 deficit.

His counterpart, Clay Buchholz, became an easy target for the Orioles. Nearly one year ago, the Red Sox right-hander made a grand entrance to the major league arena by no-hitting the Orioles in his second career start. But since that night, Buchholz has endured mostly hardship.

He spent all of June in the minor leagues and is 0-6 since his return to the majors on July 11. In his second ineffective start against the Orioles this year, Buchholz surrendered five runs in 2 1/3 innings, the shortest outing of his brief career.

After falling behind, the Orioles rallied with three runs in the second inning before going ahead for good in a bizarre third inning.

During the frame, Boston's Jed Lowrie picked up a double on an interference call when an Orioles ballgirl tried to field a fair ball down the left field line. Then, Nick Markakis doubled Lowrie off of second base.

In the Orioles' half of the third, Buchholz nearly hit Mora on the head with a pitch, nailing him on the wrist. But putting the red-hot Mora on base started Baltimore's rally.

Mora caused a stir by advancing from first to third on a walk and a stolen base on the same play. And three hitters later, Hernández drilled a three-run homer over a leaping Crisp to make it 7-4.

"I don't know, I don't care either," Hernández said of Crisp's play. "He didn't catch it, so why am I going to worry whether he had a shot or not. I didn't even see him. I knew it was over the wall."

Of course, by the time Hernández took his decisive swing, and Crisp made his valiant attempt, Buchholz was out of the game, removed after walking Luke Scott. The Red Sox later announced that Buchholz was demoted to the minors.

In the fourth, Mora affixed the exclamation point, belting a three-run shot that made it a six-run game. He added another RBI later with a bases-loaded sacrifice fly. Since the all-star break, Mora is hitting an American League-best .411 with 10 homers and 47 RBI.