< David Price allows three hits over seven innings for the win as the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 at Fenway Park.
Boston — The big foursome leading Boston's starting rotation had struggled badly this season.
David Price took care of that with a masterful outing.
Price pitched seven stellar innings with seven strikeouts, Xander Bogaerts hit a three-run homer and drove in every run, and the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 4-0 on Sunday.
Price, Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi entered Sunday 0-7 with an 8.43 ERA in 11 starts.
With the starters unable to go deep into games, the Red Sox bullpen has pitched a lot of innings.
"Excellent," Boston manager Alex Cora said of the performance. "Everybody knew where were pitching-wise today, for him to go seven and give the ball to those last two guys was very important for us."
Price (1-1) had easily the best outing from that quartet this season, mixing his mid-90s fastball with a sharp changeup and cutter to allow just three hits without issuing a walk.
"I knew the situation," Price said. "You've got to eat up as many innings as possible. I was able to put up zeros today, so that was big for us."
The teams wrap up their fourgame series with Boston's traditional Patriots' Day morning game Monday, with first pitch set for 11:05 a.m. The Red Sox are scheduled to play on the holiday for the 60th consecutive year.
Baltimore's Chris Davis went 0 for 4 with two strikeouts a day after ending his record 0-for-54 stretch.
Ryan Brasier escaped a jam in the eighth, and Matt Barnes worked the ninth, closing out the combined five-hitter.
Bogaerts hit his shot off reliever Josh Lucas into the center field seats in the eighth.
John Means (1-2) gave up a run and four hits in five innings, striking out three and walking one in just his second big league start. He made his first career appearance in Fenway Park last Sept. 26, allowing five runs over 3 1/3 innings. He's been bouncing between the rotation and bullpen this season.
"I just want that role of being able to do whatever they ask me to do and I come to the field ready to go at all times," he said. "I do like starting. It's what I've always done. So, yeah, I'm just very comfortable."