masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgAfter a 2 1/3 inning-outing by their starter yesterday, the Orioles were hoping Bud Norris could get deep into tonight’s game against Boston.

Norris not only got the Orioles deep into this game, he pitched darn well while doing it. Norris pitched eight scoreless innings as the Orioles beat Boston 4-0 in front of 19,729 to start a three-game series. This was the Orioles’ fourth shutout.

The right-hander gave up just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Norris threw 98 pitches to…After a 2 1/3 inning-outing by their starter yesterday, the Orioles were hoping Bud Norris could get deep into tonight’s game against Boston.

Norris not only got the Orioles deep into this game, he pitched darn well while doing it. Norris pitched eight scoreless innings as the Orioles beat Boston 4-0 in front of 19,729 to start a three-game series. This was the Orioles’ fourth shutout.

The right-hander gave up just three hits with three walks and six strikeouts. Norris threw 98 pitches to improve to 5-5 with an ERA of 3.94. After allowing a leadoff single to Brock Holt to start the game, he retired the next 13 batters.

Norris entered this outing with an ERA of 6.88 over his last three starts. After the Orioles went 18 games without a starter lasting seven or more innings, they’ve now seen Kevin Gausman and Norris do that twice in the last three games.

The Orioles backed Norris by hitting the longball three times. The O’s took a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Adam Jones hit a solo homer to right-center off Jake Peavy on a 1-0 pitch. It was Jones’ fourth homer in the last seven games and 10th for the season.

The lead grew to 3-0 in fifth. Ryan Flaherty singled with one out and scored ahead of Nick Markakis’ two-run homer to right. It was his sixth of the year. Markakis had two hits to extend his hitting streak to 14 games. Jones finished 3-for-4 and is now batting .305. Flaherty added a solo homer of his own in the seventh to complete the scoring, his second of 2014.

The Orioles improved to 4-4 on the year against Boston, 2-2 at home. They are 28-17 against the Red Sox since the start of the 2012 season.

In the second game of the series Tuesday night, Chris Tillman (5-2, 5.20 ERA) faces Brandon Workman (0-0, 3.74 ERA).