Pedroia drives in four as Red Sox cruise

Second baseman drives in four during rout

BOSTON >> Drew Pomeranz struck out six in his season debut and Dustin Pedroia drove in four runs and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 8-1 Tuesday night.

Christian Vazquez added a tworun triple in the eighth, capping off a 4-for-4 game, as the Red Sox tagged Baltimore pitchers for 15 hits and had back-to-back three-run innings in the seventh and eighth to blow the game open.

Pomeranz, who opened the season on the disabled list with a strained left forearm, took a shutout into the seventh inning. He held Baltimore to four hits and one run in six innings and picked up his first win at Fenway Park.

Pablo Sandoval had a sacrifice fly in the second and Pedroia had one in the fifth off Dylan Bundy (1-1), who was strong through the first six innings. Bundy pitched 6 1-3 innings, allowing three runs and seven hits.

Bundy was pulled after walking Sandoval with one out and Boston up only 2-1. The Red Sox caught a break when shortstop J.J. Hardy botched a grounder that could have started a double play and get the Orioles out of the threat.

Instead, Chris Young reached and Vazquez followed with a single to load the bases. Pedroia blooped a single just out of Jonathan Schoop’s reach in shallow right to drive in two, then Andrew Benintendi added an RBI single to make it 5-1.

Chris Davis scored Baltimore’s only run, leading off the seventh with a single and scoring later on a fielder’s choice.

Adam Jones’ one-out double in sixth was just the third hit for the Orioles and ended a run of 12

straight outs for Pomeranz, who preserved the shutout by getting Manny Machado on a pop out to first and Mark Trumbo’s fly ball to right. Jones was the first baserunner for the Orioles since the second inning. TRAINER’S ROOM Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (right shoulder bursitis) pitched two innings in extended spring game Tuesday in Sarasota, Fla. ... Manager Buck Showalter said some of his players are battling through the bug that has been making its way around the majors. “I know we’ve got a lot of guys that aren’t 100 percent with it, but so do a lot of clubs,” Showalter said. “So nobody really wants to hear somebody else complain about it. Our guys have done a good job not broadcasting it to the world.”

Red Sox: Placed CF Jackie Bradley Jr. (right knee sprain) on the 10-day DL retroactive to April 9. Bradley worked out Tuesday and said he felt great, but will let the knee recover fully before returning to the lineup. “Whenever it’s ready. I am not going to rush it. I just want to make sure I am able to make all the same powerful moves I made before with no hesitation.” ... SS Xander Bogaerts returned from the bereavement list after missing four games. UP NEXT Orioles: Send RHP Ubaldo Jimenez (0-0, 10.38 ERA) out for his second start as Baltimore wraps up its two-day visit to Boston.

Red Sox: RHP Steven Wright (0-0, 5.40) is coming off a no-decision in his season debut last week in Detroit. Wright allowed four runs and seven hits, striking out four and walking three over 6 2-3 innings Friday against the Tigers.

CHARLES KRUPA — THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz delivers during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park in Boston.