No. 9 hitter Robert Andino supplied some power, aggressive baserunning and a great play at shortstop to help the Baltimore Orioles send the Chicago White Sox to yet another defeat.

Andino’s antics were pivotal in the Orioles 6-2 victory Saturday night, but manager Buck Showalter pointed to the work of reliever Mike Gonzalez as the key.

The hard-throwing lefty pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam with only one run scoring in the sixth. He struck out Adam Dunn and A.J. Pierzynski to stop a potential big inning by the struggling White Sox, who’ve lost 14 of 17.

“Gonzalez was the star,” Showalter said. “Big momentum swing with Dunn coming up there. I said, ’Let it loose, let it hang out, let’s go.’

“He’s always emotionally into it. Nobody is a robot that doesn’t have emotions. Everybody pulls for him. (The offense) fed off his success as much as he did.”

Leading 2-1, the Orioles tacked on four runs in the eighth, an inning featuring a passed ball and error on Chicago catcher Pierzynski, some daring baserunning by Andino and a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen missed the game, completing his two-game suspension for tweeting comments about an umpire after he was ejected three nights earlier in New York. Bench coach Joey Cora ran the team for the second straight game.

With or without their manager, the White Sox can’t win and finished April 10-18 — the most losses in April in franchise history. They’ve dropped four straight.

“The league is not going to be feeling sorry for us or wait for us or nothing. We are going to have to play and play through it and start winning some ballgames,” Cora said.

Baltimore’s Chris Tillman (1-2), who had to skip his previously scheduled start because of a sore groin, had a 2-0 lead and was pitching well into the sixth when he gave up singles to Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin and walked Paul Konerko to load the bases with no outs.

Showalter went to the bullpen for Gonzalez, who struck out Dunn looking. Alex Rios then hit a fly ball to medium center field and Adam Jones made a strong throw to the plate that appeared to be in time to get Ramirez, but Orioles catcher Jake Fox couldn’t hold the throw, making it 2-1. Gonzalez then fanned Pierzynski to end the threat.

Phil Humber (2-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his previous start against the Yankees, had another solid outing, giving up three hits and two runs in seven innings.

“Our job is to gout there and go deep in the ballgame and keep us close and give our offense a chance,” Humber said. “Right now we’re not scoring a whole lot of runs, but I think that is going to turn around, I really do. I’ve got all the faith in the world in these guys. … Hopefully it turns around for us pretty quick.”

Andino led off the third with his first homer of the season — and seventh in parts of seven major league seasons — to put Baltimore up 2-0. The Orioles took an early lead when Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the game, went to third on a fly ball and scored on Humber’s wild pitch, a low delivery that eluded Pierzynski.

“I wish I could take one pitch back, the one to Andino,” Humber said. “Other than that pitch and not being there to cover home in the first inning that kind of bit us there. Other than that I threw the ball pretty well.”

Andino also blunted a Chicago rally in the fourth when the White Sox had first and second and no outs. He made a diving stop on Rios’ grounder behind the bag and started a double play with a nice flip to Roberts.

“He’s been playing good shortstop,” Showalter said.

Andino singled in the eighth off Matt Thornton and stole second. When Roberts struck out, the ball got by Pierzynski, who retrieved it and threw low to Dunn at first. Dunn caught the one-hop throw but his relay to the plate was too late to get Andino, who scored all the way from second.

“I came around third aggressive,” Andino said. “He might throw the ball. In this game, anything happens…. Once I saw the ball hit the dirt, I made up my mind.”

Nick Markakis followed with a single and Derrek Lee walked to load the bases before Guerrero delivered a two-run single past third. Luke Scott’s sacrifice fly made it 6-1 and Thornton was booed as he left the mound.

Rios hit his first homer of the season in the ninth to make it 6-2.

NOTES: The Orioles have won four of their last five. … Guillen said he watched Friday night’s 10-4 loss on TV. He said that more difficult than from the dugout because he has to watch replays and can still hear the booing. He said he was in the parking lot and then went home Friday night. “It was painful to watch as a fan,” he said. … Dunn, who underwent an appendectomy and was 7 for 61 over his previous 17 games, got his first start at first base for the White Sox after serving for 20 games as a DH. He went 1 for 4 Saturday night. … RHP Jake Peavy (shoulder) is scheduled to make his next rehab start on May 5 for the White Sox’s Triple-A Charlotte team and throw 100 pitches. … Orioles’ DL update: SS J.J. Hardy (left oblique) hit off a tee, ran the bases and took ground balls Saturday. RHP Justin Duchscherer (left hip) threw 30 pitches in batting practice and said he felt great afterward. LHP Brian Matusz (back) threw 45 pitches in a side session Saturday and reported no problems.

CHICAGO – No. 9 hitter Robert Andino supplied some power, aggressive baserunning and a great play at shortstop to help the Baltimore Orioles send the Chicago White Sox to yet another defeat.

Andino’s antics were pivotal in the Orioles 6-2 victory Saturday night, but manager Buck Showalter pointed to the work of reliever Mike Gonzalez as the key.

The hard-throwing lefty pitched out of a bases-loaded, no-out jam with only one run scoring in the sixth. He struck out Adam Dunn and A.J. Pierzynski to stop a potential big inning by the struggling White Sox, who’ve lost 14 of 17.

“Gonzalez was the star,” Showalter said. “Big momentum swing with Dunn coming up there. I said, ‘Let it loose, let it hang out, let’s go.’

“He’s always emotionally into it. Nobody is a robot that doesn’t have emotions. Everybody pulls for him. (The offense) fed off his success as much as he did.”

Leading 2-1, the Orioles tacked on four runs in the eighth, an inning featuring a passed ball and error on Chicago catcher Pierzynski, some daring baserunning by Andino and a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen missed the game, completing his two-game suspension for tweeting comments about an umpire after he was ejected three nights earlier in New York. Bench coach Joey Cora ran the team for the second straight game.

With or without their manager, the White Sox can’t win and finished April 10-18 — the most losses in April in franchise history. They’ve dropped four straight.

“The league is not going to be feeling sorry for us or wait for us or nothing. We are going to have to play and play through it and start winning some ballgames,” Cora said.

Baltimore’s Chris Tillman (1-2), who had to skip his previously scheduled start because of a sore groin, had a 2-0 lead and was pitching well into the sixth when he gave up singles to Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin and walked Paul Konerko to load the bases with no outs.

Showalter went to the bullpen for Gonzalez, who struck out Dunn looking. Alex Rios then hit a fly ball to medium center field and Adam Jones made a strong throw to the plate that appeared to be in time to get Ramirez, but Orioles catcher Jake Fox couldn’t hold the throw, making it 2-1. Gonzalez then fanned Pierzynski to end the threat.

Phil Humber (2-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his previous start against the Yankees, had another solid outing, giving up three hits and two runs in seven innings.

“Our job is to gout there and go deep in the ballgame and keep us close and give our offense a chance,” Humber said. “Right now we’re not scoring a whole lot of runs, but I think that is going to turn around, I really do. I’ve got all the faith in the world in these guys. … Hopefully it turns around for us pretty quick.”

Andino led off the third with his first homer of the season — and seventh in parts of seven major league seasons — to put Baltimore up 2-0. The Orioles took an early lead when Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the game, went to third on a fly ball and scored on Humber’s wild pitch, a low delivery that eluded Pierzynski.

“I wish I could take one pitch back, the one to Andino,” Humber said. “Other than that pitch and not being there to cover home in the first inning that kind of bit us there. Other than that I threw the ball pretty well.”

Andino also blunted a Chicago rally in the fourth when the White Sox had first and second and no outs. He made a diving stop on Rios’ grounder behind the bag and started a double play with a nice flip to Roberts.

“He’s been playing good shortstop,” Showalter said.

Andino singled in the eighth off Matt Thornton and stole second. When Roberts struck out, the ball got by Pierzynski, who retrieved it and threw low to Dunn at first. Dunn caught the one-hop throw but his relay to the plate was too late to get Andino, who scored all the way from second.

“I came around third aggressive,” Andino said. “He might throw the ball. In this game, anything happens…. Once I saw the ball hit the dirt, I made up my mind.”

Nick Markakis followed with a single and Derrek Lee walked to load the bases before Guerrero delivered a two-run single past third. Luke Scott’s sacrifice fly made it 6-1 and Thornton was booed as he left the mound.

Rios hit his first homer of the season in the ninth to make it 6-2.

NOTES: The Orioles have won four of their last five. … Guillen said he watched Friday night’s 10-4 loss on TV. He said that more difficult than from the dugout because he has to watch replays and can still hear the booing. He said he was in the parking lot and then went home Friday night. “It was painful to watch as a fan,” he said. … Dunn, who underwent an appendectomy and was 7 for 61 over his previous 17 games, got his first start at first base for the White Sox after serving for 20 games as a DH. He went 1 for 4 Saturday night. … RHP Jake Peavy (shoulder) is scheduled to make his next rehab start on May 5 for the White Sox’s Triple-A Charlotte team and throw 100 pitches. … Orioles’ DL update: SS J.J. Hardy (left oblique) hit off a tee, ran the bases and took ground balls Saturday. RHP Justin Duchscherer (left hip) threw 30 pitches in batting practice and said he felt great afterward. LHP Brian Matusz (back) threw 45 pitches in a side session Saturday and reported no problems.

CHICAGO – Robert Andino homered and reliever Mike Gonzalez doused a no-out bases-loaded situation as the Baltimore Orioles sent the reeling Chicago White Sox to their 14th loss in 17 games with a 6-2 victory Saturday night.

Leading 2-1, the Orioles tacked on four runs in the eighth, an inning featuring a passed ball and error on Chicago catcher A.J. Pierzynski and a two-run single by Vladimir Guerrero.

White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen missed the game, completing his two-game suspension for tweeting comments about an umpire after he was ejected three nights earlier in New York. Bench coach Joey Cora ran the team for the second straight game.

Guillen had been tossed Wednesday night for arguing with plate umpire Todd Tichenor in the first inning of Chicago’s game against the New York Yankees. He then went on Twitter to say the ejection was pathetic.

With or without their manager, the White Sox can’t win and finished April 10-18 — the most losses in April in franchise history. They’ve dropped four straight.

Baltimore’s Chris Tillman (1-2), who had to skip his previously scheduled start because of a sore groin, had a 2-0 lead and was pitching well into the sixth when he gave up singles to Alexei Ramirez and Carlos Quentin and walked Paul Konerko to load the bases with no outs.

Manager Buck Showalter went to the bullpen for southpaw Gonzalez, who struck out Adam Dunn looking. Alex Rios then hit a fly ball to medium center field and Adam Jones made a strong throw to the plate that appeared to be in time to get Ramirez, but Orioles’ catcher Jake Fox couldn’t hold the throw, making it 2-1. Gonzalez then fanned Pierzynski to end the threat.

Chicago’s Phil Humber (2-3), who took a no-hitter into the seventh inning in his previous start against the Yankees, had another solid outing, giving up three hits and two runs in seven innings.

Andino led off the third with his first homer of the season — and seventh in parts of seven major league seasons — to put Baltimore up 2-0. The Orioles took an early lead when Brian Roberts doubled to lead off the game, went to third on a fly ball and scored on Humber’s wild pitch, a low delivery that eluded Pierzynski.

Andino also snuffed out a Chicago rally in the fourth when the White Sox had first and second and no outs. He made a diving stop on Rios’ grounder behind the bag and started a double play with a nice flip to Roberts.

Andino singled in the eighth off Matt Thornton and stole second. When Roberts struck out, the ball got by Pierzynski, who retrieved it and threw low to Dunn at first. Dunn caught the one-hop throw but his relay to the plate was too late to get Andino, who scored all the way from second.

Nick Markakis followed with a single and Derrek Lee walked to load the bases before Guerrero delivered a two-run single past third. Luke Scott’s sacrifice fly made it 6-1 and Thornton was booed as he left the mound.

Rios hit his first homer of the season in the ninth to make it 6-2.

NOTES: The Orioles have won four of their last five. … Guillen said he watched Friday night’s 10-4 loss on TV. He said that more difficult than from the dugout because he has to watch replays and can still hear the booing. He said he was in the parking lot and then went home Friday night. “It was painful to watch as a fan,” he said. … Dunn, who underwent an appendectomy and was 7 for 61 over his previous 17 games, got his first start at first base for the White Sox after serving for 20 games as a DH. He went 1 for 4 Saturday night. … RHP Jake Peavy (shoulder) is scheduled to make his next rehab start on May 5 for the White Sox’s Triple-A Charlotte team and throw 100 pitches. … Orioles’ DL update: SS J.J. Hardy (left oblique) hit off a tee, ran the bases and took ground balls Saturday. RHP Justin Duchscherer (left hip) threw 30 pitches in batting practice and said he felt great afterward. LHP Brian Matusz (back) threw 45 pitches in a side session Saturday and reported no problems.

The Arizona Diamondbacks sent catcher John Hester to the Baltimore Orioles to complete the trade in which the Diamondbacks acquired right-handers David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio for infielder Mark Reynolds on Dec. 6.

Hester, 27, hit .263 (10-for-38) with 4 runs, 3 doubles, a home run and 5 RBIs in 10 games with Triple-A Reno this season. He batted .220 (27-for-123) with 13 runs, 9 doubles, 3 home runs and 11 RBIs in 53 games over two seasons with the Diamondbacks.

Derrick Lee had three hits and scored the tiebreaking run on an eighth-inning single by Vladimir Guerrero, giving the Baltimore Orioles a 5-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.

After blowing a 4-0 lead in the top of the eighth, Baltimore regained the lead in the bottom half against Daniel Bard (0-3). Nick Markakis singled and took second on a single by Lee. Both moved up on a passed ball by Jason Varitek, and with Guerrero at the plate, Markakis was thrown out trying to score on a pitch that eluded Varitek.

Guerrero then bounced an RBI single up the middle to bring in Lee from third base.

Koji Uehara (1-0) got the victory despite giving up a three-run homer to Kevin Youkilis, and Kevin Gregg worked a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

By winning the first two games of the three-game set, the Orioles captured their first series since taking two of three against Detroit on April 4-7. Baltimore has won 11 of 18 against the Red Sox after going 3-25 from July 12, 2008 through April 24, 2010.

Boston made a game of it in the eighth. After Jacoby Ellsbury singled and Dustin Pedroia walked against Jeremy Accardo, Adrian Gonzalez hit an RBI single off Clay Rapada. Uehara entered, and Youkilis hit a 2-1 pitch into the left-field seats to tie it.

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie gave up seven hits, walked one and struck out six in six shutout innings. He left with a 4-0 lead, but the Baltimore bullpen ruined his bid to end a seven-game losing streak against Boston.

Guthrie outpitched Josh Beckett, who allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. The right-hander permitted only three earned runs in his previous three starts and surrendered only one homer in 31 innings this season before Luke Scott and Adam Jones connected in succession in the fourth.

Both starters were in control until Lee hit a popup to right field with one out in the fourth. As a result of an apparent miscommunication, the ball landed between second baseman Pedroia and Ellsbury, the center fielder.

One out later, Scott hit a 1-0 pitch onto Eutaw Street beyond the 25-foot scoreboard in right. Jones followed with his fifth home run, a drive to left that was touched by a fan in the front row of the stands before Carl Crawford could try to catch it. A sacrifice fly by Brian Roberts made it 4-0 in the fifth.

Ellsbury opened the game with a single and took third on a one-out double by Adrian Gonzalez. Guthrie then struck out Youkilis and retired David Ortiz on a popup.

Crawford bounced into a rare double play to end the second inning for Boston. It was the first time in 87 at-bats this year that he hit into a DP; last season he hit into two double plays in 600 official at-bats with Tampa Bay.

In the fourth, Ortiz tried to score from second on a two-out single to right by Jed Lowrie. Markakis unleashed a throw that hit catcher Matt Wieters on the fly, and Ortiz was tagged out at the end of an awkward slide.

NOTES: Jon Lester, who’s 13-0 lifetime against Baltimore, will pitch for Boston on Thursday in the series finale. … In the 20-year history of Camden Yards, Scott has hit five of the 53 home runs that have landed on Eutaw Street. This one traveled an estimated 426 feet. .. Boston has gone seven straight games without an error. … Roberts’ 12-game hitting streak ended.

 

Zach Britton doesn’t feel like a rookie when he’s on the mound, and he certainly doesn’t pitch like one.

Even though he’s only five starts into his big league career, the left-hander is already looking like an ace.

Britton allowed one run in six innings to earn his fourth win, Derrek Lee had two hits and scored twice, and the Baltimore Orioles beat the Red Sox 4-1 Tuesday night to end Boston’s five-game winning streak.

Britton (4-1) became the first rookie starter in franchise history to win four games in April. He has an impressive 2.84 ERA and owns nearly half of Baltimore’s nine victories this year.

“So far he’s been good. He’s handled it pretty well for a guy with limited experience,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “We like the things he’s doing right now.”

Britton gave up five hits, walked two and struck out two. It was the third time he permitted one run or fewer.

Not only that, but the 23-year-old has the poise of a veteran.

“I really don’t get that nervous out there,” Britton said. “I don’t know what it is. It’s not that I have a huge ego or anything. I have a lot of confidence that I can get out of the jams, and if I’m out there getting all worried I think the situations blow up. So I try to take my time and take a couple breaths and get after it.”

No rookie starter with the St. Louis Browns or Baltimore Orioles ever won more games in April, but Britton didn’t seem to care about his piece of history.

“I think I’ve gone out there and given this team an opportunity to win every time out, and that’s my goal,” he said. “It’s not about setting a record for wins in a month for a rookie or anything like that. It’s not about having a sub-3 ERA. It’s about keeping our team in the game every time out, and that’s what I am hoping to continue to do.”

Britton sure impressed the Red Sox. Left-handed hitter David Ortiz, who went 1 for 2 with a walk against the rookie, said, “He’s super-tough on righties. He’s a young kid who just come in the league. It seems like he has good stuff. He was hitting 95 (mph).”

Adam Jones drove in two runs for the Orioles, who won for only the third time in 14 games, and Vladimir Guerrero had his first three-hit game since coming to Baltimore as a free agent during the offseason.

After Britton left, Jim Johnson notched four strikeouts in two innings and Kevin Gregg worked a perfect ninth for his third save.

Boston starter Clay Buchholz (1-3) yielded four runs and 12 hits in 6 2-3 innings, his longest outing of the year.

“I thought I threw the ball better tonight than I did in the earlier game (against Oakland) when I got a win out of it,” Buchholz said. “I felt like I was throwing all my pitches for strikes. They sat back and hit a couple of good curve balls.”

Kevin Youkilis drove in the lone run for the Red Sox, who managed only six hits. Boston had won eight of nine and was vying to reach .500 for the first time this season.

“(Giving up) four runs with the way (Britton) was pitching was too much,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Baltimore ended Boston’s run of 19 straight scoreless innings while taking a 1-0 lead in the second. Luke Scott singled, took third on a one-out double by Mark Reynolds and scored when Matt Wieters’ bouncer hit first base for a single. Buchholz then struck out Robert Andino and Brian Roberts.

The Orioles used two singles, a walk and a sacrifice fly by Jones to go up 2-0 in the third.

Boston closed to 2-1 in the fourth when Dustin Pedroia singled, advanced on a groundout, stole third and scored on a fly ball by Youkilis.

The Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth before Adrian Gonzalez grounded into a fielder’s choice.

In the bottom half, Lee and Guerrero singled before Jones hit a run-scoring fly to center. Reynolds chased Buchholz with a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

NOTES: Wieters was 7 for 7 with 11 RBIs with runners in scoring position before grounding out with two on in the seventh. … Boston starters have a 1.33 ERA over the last 10 games. … Roberts extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a sixth-inning single. … Buchholz was 5-2 lifetime against Baltimore and 3-0 in his previous three starts at Camden Yards.