O' lead AL East by 2, head to D.C.

The Baltimore Orioles survived a bullpen meltdown Sunday in Boston that robbed Kevin Gausman of a win after he pitched brilliantly for five and two thirds. What should have taken nine innings took twelve as the O’s pounded out another victory in Beantown against a team that throws the ball around like little leaguers. Boston's once solid defense has descended into the abyss.

Kevin Gausman

Nelson Cruz continues to dominate Red Sox pitching much to the chagrin of John Lackey and others in Boston. Lackey decided that immediately the five hit performance of Cruz in game two of Saturday’s double header was the best time for him to grumble about the Cruz suspension for appearing in the files of a PED dealer in Miami last year. Apparently Cruz was untroubled. He went three for six with an RBI as the O’s took advantage of two more Sox errors en route to a 7-6 win.

The O’s head back home with a two game lead in the AL East for a huge series in Washington with the Nats that begins tonight. The 48-39 Nats are in second place just a half a game behind Atlanta in the NL East. Chris Tillman will face Stephen Strasburg in the series opener. Both teams are on a roll having won seven of their last ten games.