By SeanMcAdam
CSNNE.com
BALTIMORE -- Someday, maybe, the Baltimore Orioles will figure out a way to beat Jon Lester.
Maybe.
For now, Lester is literally unbeatable to the Orioles. He limited them to two runs over eight innings in a 6-2 victory to improve his lifetime mark to 14-0 in 17 career starts against them with a 2.33 ERA. The 14 wins represent the longest winning streak for any active pitcher against one team.
The Sox snapped a 2-2 tie in the seventh when Dustin Pedroia -- who had been 1-for-20 before that at-bat -- scored Carl Crawford from third on an infield dribbler. Boston added to its lead in the eighth with an RBI-single by Jarrod Saltalamacchia and a two-run single by Jacoby Ellsbury.
The top three hitters in the Red Sox order -- Ellsbury, Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez -- combined for eight hits and five RBI on the night. Ellsbury enjoyed his second consecutive three-hit game.
Lester allowed four hits and two runs over eight innings. Jonathan Papelbon pitched the ninth in a non-save situation.
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The win snapped a two-game losing streak and left the Sox with a 6-3 mark on their three-city, nine-game road trip.
STAR OF THE GAME: Jon Lester
Lester allowed two runs over eight innings to improve to 3-1 this season and 14-0 lifetime against the Orioles.
The night began ominously for the lefty, who allowed a walk and two singles to the first three hitters he faced. But after allowing a run on the second hit, he got himself out of the jam and allowed just one more run the rest of the way -- a solo homer to Vladmir Guerrero in the sixth.
HONORABLE MENTION: Adrian Gonzalez
Gonzalez had three hits -- including two doubles -- and drove in two runs. The first baseman has hit safely in 10 of his last 11 games and has eight RBI in that span.
Gonzalez is one of just two Red Sox regulars to be hitting over .300 this season (.308); Jed Lowrie is the other.
GOAT OF THE GAME: Mike Gonzalez
Baltimore lefty reliever Mike Gonzalez came in with a runner on and no out in the eighth and allowed three of the four hitters he faced to reach. Two later scored.
TURNING POINT
Jarrod Saltalamacchia's bases-loaded single in the eighth increased the Red Sox lead from a run to two runs.
BY THE NUMBERS
Adrian Gonzalez had two doubles Thursday and four in the series, giving him 10 through 24 games.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It ticked me off a little.'' -- Jarrod Saltalamacchia on Orioles' decision to intentionally walk J.D. Drew in the sixth to get to him.
Sean McAdam can be reached at smcadam@comcastsportsnet.com.Follow Sean on Twitter at http:twitter.comsean_mcadam
