Orioles errors ‘gift wrap’ an easy triumph for the Red Sox

BOSTON — The way Justin Masterson was pitching, he didn’t need much help. The Orioles gave it to him, anyway.

On a rainy, chilly Patriots’ Day holiday, Baltimore made three errors that led to five unearned runs, WeiYin Chen struggled with his control and the Boston Red Sox won 7-1 Monday in a game shortened by rain to 6½ innings.

“The errors kind of gift-wrapped or built into the four-run inning, along with some bases on balls,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “At this level, you give extra outs, you’re asking for trouble.”

The first pitch was thrown at 11:04 a.m. after Boston Marathon runners already were on the course that passes close to Fenway Park. Rain began falling steadily in the fourth inning, and the game was called after a onehour, 42-minute wait.

“It was the same for both teams,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.

Masterson (2-0) allowed one run, three hits and three walks in five innings with six strikeouts. He didn’t want to change his plan to get five innings in before the rain, to make the game official.

“We’re not just laying balls in there, because that’s kind of the way things snowball,” Masterson said. “All of a sudden now you’ve got the bases loaded and you’re giving up a grand slam or putting people in a bad spot.”

With the score tied at one, Boston scored four runs in the third when Chen walked four and made an error, and third baseman Manny Machado committed another error.

Chen (0-1) thought umpire Andy Fletcher had a small strike zone.

“When you make a pitch and can’t throw it for a strike, you can’t throw the next pitch down the middle,” Chen said.

Boston took a 1-0 lead in the first when Mookie Betts singled, stole second, took third on catcher Ryan Lavarnway’s wild throw and scored on David Ortiz’s sacrifice fly.

Baltimore tied it in the second on Travis Snider’s triple and Ryan Flaherty’s double.

Xander Bogaerts led off the third with a walk, took third on a single by Ryan Hanigan and scored when Chen bobbled Betts’ grounder. Dustin Pedroia sacrificed, and Allen Craig loaded the bases with a walk.

Mike Napoli walked, forcing in a run, and Machado’s error allowed Betts and Craig to score.

Baltimore had three errors, the first game this season in which the Orioles committed more than one.

Boston made it 7-1 in the sixth. Hanigan was hit for the second time and scored on Pedroia’s double off Jason Garcia. After Ortiz was walked intentionally, Craig singled in Pedroia.