Post-game Notes: Boston takes series opener

Not much on offense - The O's were held to just five hits by Clay Buchholz and three relievers Friday night. The O's went 5 for 31 at bat, were 0 for 2 with runners in scoring position and left seven men on base. The Birds have just 14 hits and a team average of .157 (14 for 89) the past three games. They have four doubles and two homers in those games. The team average for the year has dropped to .268. Winning pitcher Clay Buchholz allowed just one run and five hits over six innings. He is 6-3, 3.49 on the year. Over his last five starts, he is 4-0, 1.57. Buchholz has allowed 2ER or less in nine of his 13 starts and the Red Sox are now 9-4 with six straight wins when he takes the mound. Over the last 11 games, Boston starting pitchers are 6-1, 1.77 and have allowed three runs or less 11 consecutive times. Streaking - Dustin Pedroia extended his hitting streak to 10 games and Victor Martinez extended his to 17 games. That tied his career best. Jason Bay hit his 34th homer in the 4th before leaving the game in the 5th due to flu-like symptoms. Josh Reddick replaced him. The O's have now lost six in a row this season vs. Boston and are 2-14 vs. the Sox in 2009. The teams have played nine games decided by two runs or less, like they did tonight, and Boston is 8-1 in those nine games. Boston, which has won ten straight series from the O's, have beaten the O's in 21 of the last 24 games between the clubs. Luke and the longball - Luke Scott, batting just .189 since the All-Star break, hit a solo homer in the 2nd. His 23rd homer of the year traveled 383 feet to right center. It was the first homer Clay Buchholz had allowed all year to a lefty batter. Nick Markakis went 1 for 4, but he is just 3 for 28 (.107) over his last seven games. Markakis has just four RBI over his past 13 contests. Matt Wieters went 1 for 3. Over his last 13 games, he is batting .311-2-9. He has 8 RBI over his last four games. The O's bullpen pitched 3 1/3 shutout innings tonight and has allowed just 2ER over 14 innings (1.29 ERA) over the last four games. East is a beast - The loss drops the O's record to 20-40 vs. the AL East. They are 4-4 in their last eight division games and 14-17 at home vs. the East. The Orioles are now 60-87 on the year, 36-40 at home, 27-37 in games decided by one or two runs, 6-9 in September and 20-39 in the second half.