Red Sox 10, Orioles 3
David Ortiz hit a three-run homer in an eight-run first inning and was the main combatant in a bench-clearing melee in the eighth as the host Boston Red Sox hammered the Baltimore Orioles 10-3 on Friday night.
After Josh Reddick's RBI triple made it 10-3, Gregg nearly hit Ortiz on three consecutive pitches. The benches cleared on the third pitch, but no punches were thrown. After Ortiz hit a fly ball on the fourth pitch, Gregg said something and gestured to the Red Sox slugger as he ran to first. Ortiz charged Gregg and each threw punches, but none landed.
Gregg, Ortiz, the Red Sox' Jarrod Saltalamacchia and the Orioles' Jim Johnson were ejected.
Josh Beckett (8-3) allowed three runs on seven hits before leaving the game with a slightly hyperextended left knee after five innings. Beckett slipped on the wet mound after a pitch.
The Red Sox sent 13 men to the plate in the first against Orioles starter Zach Britton (6-7) en route to their fourth straight win. Kevin Youkilis began the scoring with an RBI single. Boston also got a two-run double by Darnell McDonald, and RBI singles from Jacoby Ellsbury and Adrian Gonzalez.
Dustin Pedroia also homered for Boston, which has won eight of its last nine games and leads the American League East by a game over the New York Yankees.
Derrek Lee homered in a three-run fifth inning for Baltimore, which has lost five straight games.