masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgNot made of clay: Cla Meredith picked up his first career save after 271 Major League appearances as the O’s beat Boston 7-6 Sunday in ten innings. Meredith got the final two outs to strand runners at first and second.

The O’s trailed 4-1 after six but scored three in the 7th to tie it and three in the top of the tenth for the lead.

The O’s improve to 3-16 with the win and end the road trip at 2-8. They also snapped a ten-game losing streak with Boston posting their first win over the…Not made of clay: Cla Meredith picked up his first career save after 271 Major League appearances as the O’s beat Boston 7-6 Sunday in ten innings. Meredith got the final two outs to strand runners at first and second.

The O’s trailed 4-1 after six but scored three in the 7th to tie it and three in the top of the tenth for the lead.

The O’s improve to 3-16 with the win and end the road trip at 2-8. They also snapped a ten-game losing streak with Boston posting their first win over the Sox since 7-26-09. They are now 2-10 in games vs. the AL East.

All three games at Boston were one-run decisions. The O’s are now 2-6 in one-run games and 2-9 in games decided by two runs or less.

Are the bats waking up?: The Orioles offense has finally started to hit. The Birds scored 13 runs with 31 hits the last two games and batted .331 (40 for 121) as a team in the Boston series.

The Orioles have had nine hits or more in six of the last eight games and are now 3-3 when scoring five runs or more.

The O’s went 10 for 33 (.303) the last two days with runners in scoring position.

Updating some of the hitters:

Markakis: He is 8 for 17 the last four games and batting .351 his last nine games. Three of his last five hits are doubles.

Reimold: He batted leadoff and was 2 for 5 after a 2 for 17 stretch.

Hughes: He went 4 for 9 with a double and 2 RBI in his first two Major League games. His clutch RBI single in the 10th snapped the 4-4 tie.

Tejada: Has produced four consecutive multi-hit games, going 9 for 17. His two-run homer in the 7th tied this game, 4-4.

Wieters: Gave the O’s a 7-4 lead in the 10th with a two-run single. He is batting .375 (12 for 32) during an eight-game batting streak. He has 4 RBI over his last four games.

Long ball notes: The O’s have hit 16 homers on the year. Ten have been solo shots and six are two-run shots. They have hit 10 of the 16 homers on the road.

The Orioles are now 3-3 in the final game of a series.

By winning Sunday, the 2010 Orioles avoid a dubious distinction. Only three teams since 1900, a list that includes the 1988 Orioles, have failed to win at least three contests in their first 20 games.

1907 Brooklyn Dodgers: 2-18
1988 Orioles: 0-20
2003 Detroit Tigers: 2-18

In the series, the O’s bullpen pitched nine innings allowing 13 hits, 8 ER with six walks and two homers.

Not great late: Entering today’s game, the O’s had been outscored 36-18 on the year from the 7th inning on. Today they outscored the Sox 6-2 from the 7th on.

The Orioles are off Monday and begin a homestand Tuesday with the start of a three-game series vs. the New York Yankees.

Kevin Millwood (0-3, 3.38) starts Tuesday vs. righty Phil Hughes (2-0, 2.19). Millwood pitched a complete-game, six-hitter Wednesday at Seattle. In his four starts on the year he has thrown 100, 95, 115 and 112 pitches. He is 2-4, 4.86, in nine career starts vs. New York.

Hughes, who a no-hitter through seven in his last start, has allowed four hits in 12 1/3 in two starts. He has allowed 3 ER or less in nine of his last 11 starts.

In 2009, Hughes went 1-1, 9.90 vs. the O’s and he is 2-2, 6.92 in eight career games, five starts vs. Baltimore.

The O’s went 5-13 vs. the Yankees in 2009, including a mark of 3-6 at Camden Yards.

Coming tomorrow: A story with Frederick Keys outfielder Xavier Avery. At just 20, he is off to a great start this year in the Carolina League.