Clay Buchholz And Red Sox Lose To Orioles 4-1

Forget opening day. Clay Buchholz can't seem to find his groove again.

Buchholz gave up 11 hits in six innings Saturday but limited the Orioles to just two runs in Boston's 4-1 loss to Baltimore.

Coming off a miserable start when he gave up nine runs over 3 1-3 innings in a loss at Yankee Stadium last Sunday, Buchholz loaded the bases in the fourth and fifth innings but kept the score close with the help of a double play and a pair of strikeouts.

"I think he pitched exceptionally well in those two innings," Boston manager John Farrell said. "He kept the game in check. Two innings, two runs allowed - he kept us in the game, for sure."

Buchholz (1-2) is winless since pitching seven shutout innings to beat Cole Hamels in Philadelphia on opening day. Buchholz labored through his innings Saturday, taking lengthy periods between pitches with runners on base.

"I went through a rough outing my last time out," he said. "I was more thinking pitch to pitch, get a ground ball, not give in - I wasn't going to give in to anybody, regardless of bases being loaded or not. They're going to have to hit a good pitch."

David Ortiz went 3 for 3 with a double and two singles for the Red Sox, who lost for the third time in their last nine games. Brock Holt had three singles.

Chris Tillman (2-1) rebounded from a rough outing and helped lead the Orioles.

In his first start of the season, at home last Sunday, Tillman allowed seven runs in 2 2-3 innings in a 10-7 loss to Toronto.

"I wanted to get back out there. It felt like an eternity between starts," he said after giving up one run in 5 1-3 innings against Boston.

"After starts like that, it's not fun," he said. "You just want to get back out there and help the team."

Chris Davis hit a two-run homer, and Adam Jones had three singles for the Orioles, who moved back over .500 at 6-5.

Tillman's start against Toronto was his shortest since August 2011.

Three Orioles pitchers combined for one-hit relief. Zach Britton threw a perfect ninth for his fourth save.

With the Orioles leading 2-1 in the ninth, Davis hit an opposite-field off Robbie Ross Jr. into the first row of Green Monster seats in left field.

Manny Machado's run-scoring groundout and Caleb Joseph's RBI single put Baltimore ahead in the fourth. With the bases loaded and one out, Buchholz struck out Alejandro De Aza and Steve Pearce.

Baltimore loaded the bases with no outs in the fifth, but Machado bounced into a 3-2-3 double play and Ryan Flaherty struck out.

Boston closed in the sixth when Ortiz doubled and scored on Pablo Sandoval's slow roller down the first-base line.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Orioles: Baltimore placed 2B Jonathan Schoop on the 15-day DL before the game and recalled infielder Jimmy Parcedes from Double-A Bowie.

Red Sox: OF Shane Victorino was a late scratch with bruised ribs. He crashed into a wall in Friday's game, attempting to catch Joseph's homer while leaping at the short wall near the Pesky Pole. ... C Ryan Hanigan took a foul ball of his right (throwing) hand but stayed in the game.

LOOKING BETTER

Farrell said he thought Buchholz showed more "conviction and assertiveness" when he got in trouble.

PICK UP THE PACE

Buchholz took what seemed like a very long time between pitches with runners on.

When told the time of game - 3 hours, 24 minutes - Baltimore manager Buck Showalter seemed perturbed.

"Why? Why? Tell me why. Why do you think it was?" he said.

UP NEXT:

Orioles: Miguel Gonzalez (1-1, 1.42 ERA) starts Sunday. He pitched seven innings in his last start Tuesday, allowing one run over seven innings to beat the New York Yankees.

Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (1-1, 3.86) is slated make his second Fenway Park start for the Red Sox on Sunday. He pitched eight innings in the home opener on Monday, getting his first win in a Boston uniform.