Lester stays perfect against O’s, Red Sox win 6-2

BALTIMORE (AP) – Jon Lester improved to 14-0 all-time against Baltimore with eight dominating innings, Dustin Pedroia hit a tiebreaking infield single and the Boston Red Sox averted a three-game sweep with a 6-2 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night.Lester (3-1) is unbeaten in 17 career starts versus the Orioles. He yielded two runs on four hits, walked three and struck out five.After Derrek Lee’s RBI single in the first, the left-hander didn’t allow another hit until Vladimir Guerrero’s solo homer with two outs in the sixth.It was 2-all when Carl Crawford doubled off Jim Johnson (1-1) to the start the seventh. Crawford held second when Marco Scutaro couldn’t execute a sacrifice bunt, took third on Jacoby Ellsbury’s grounder and scored when third baseman Mark Reynolds bobbled Pedroia’s slow roller.Baltimore fell into last place in the AL East, a half-game behind the Red Sox.Boston’s Adrian Gonzalez had three hits and two RBIs.Ellsbury led off the game with a double and scored on Gonzalez’s one-out double for a 1-0 lead.The Orioles tied it in the bottom half when Brian Roberts drew a leadoff walk, moved to second on Nick Markakis’ single, stole third and scored on Lee’s single.Ellsbury and Gonzalez teamed again to put the Red Sox up 2-1 in the third. Ellsbury singled with one down, moved to second on a groundout and came home on Gonzalez’s single.Guerrero tied it in the sixth with a shot to left off a full-count fastball from Lester, who surrendered a home run for the first time in five starts. It was Guerrero’s fourth homer of the season.Baltimore starter Brad Bergesen went six innings, allowing two runs on six hits. He walked two and struck out five.In the eighth, the Red Sox loaded the bases with none down before Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s RBI single off Michael Gonzalez made it 4-2. Two outs later, Ellsbury looped a two-run single to center.NOTES: Ellsbury and Gonzalez have each doubled in four straight games. ? Orioles LHP Brian Matusz, on the 15-day disabled list since March 30 with a strained left intercostal muscle, is headed to the team’s Sarasota, Fla., facility after throwing a pain-free 35 pitches from the mound in a bullpen session before Thursday’s game. ? Baltimore SS J.J. Hardy, who has been on the 15-day DL since April 10 with strained left oblique, took dry swings, hit off a tee, threw from 120 feet and ran sprints in Sarasota on Thursday. Manager Buck Showalter said Hardy was scheduled to take ground balls Friday. ? The Rays-Red Sox game postponed by rain April 13 will be made up as the 1:05 p.m. portion of a day/night doubleheader at Fenway Park on Aug. 16. ? RHP Chris Jakubauskas (right groin strain) will pitch for the Orioles’ Triple-A Norfolk affiliate Sunday as part of a rehabilitation assignment. He is eligible to come off the 15-day disabled list May 2.