masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgIt wasn’t that long ago that Orioles lefty Brian Matusz was dealing with a 12-game losing streak. Tonight, he pitched a gem against Boston and won for the fourth time over his last five starts.

Matusz gave up just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings tonight, pitching the Orioles to a 4-1 win over the Red Sox. He gave up a homer to Kevin Youkilis in the fourth but little else as he improved to 4-4 on the year with an ERA of 4.86. Matusz walked just one and fanned nine to tie his career…It wasn’t that long ago that Orioles lefty Brian Matusz was dealing with a 12-game losing streak. Tonight, he pitched a gem against Boston and won for the fourth time over his last five starts.

Matusz gave up just one run on two hits over 6 1/3 innings tonight, pitching the Orioles to a 4-1 win over the Red Sox. He gave up a homer to Kevin Youkilis in the fourth but little else as he improved to 4-4 on the year with an ERA of 4.86. Matusz walked just one and fanned nine to tie his career high.

Over his past five stats, he is 4-1 with an ERA of 4.30, which would be a lot lower if he had not given up seven runs on May 7 against Texas.

Matusz did this against a Red Sox team that scored eight runs last night and had won nine of 11 games, scoring 64 runs in that span.

Steve Tolleson gave Matusz an early 2-0 lead when he hit a two-run shot off Felix Doubront in the last of the second. It was his first Orioles homer and the second of his career. His first came on September 26, 2010 for Oakland.

Relievers Darren O’Day, Pedro Strop and Jim Johnson combined for 2 2/3 hitless, scoreless innings to cap the win, as the O’s held Boston to two hits on the night. Johnson recorded his 16th save in as many chances with a perfect ninth.

The Orioles improved to 28-16 overall, 13-10 at home and 14-8 against the AL East. The Orioles are now 8-2 in their last 10 games against Boston.

The Orioles have now won six of their last eight, 14 of their last 21 and they are 20-9 over their last 29 games.

In the rubber game of this three-game series, Jake Arrieta (2-4, 4.72 ERA) pitches for the Orioles against Daniel Bard (3-5, 4.85 ERA) Wednesday afternoon at 12:35 p.m.