BALTIMORE — The Baltimore Orioles circled the bases more often than ever before under Buck Showalter, twice scoring six runs in an inning and pounding out 20 hits without even batting in the ninth.
After the infield dirt had finally settled, however, Showalter was far more interested in talking about his starting pitcher.
Delmon Young drove in five runs, Chris Davis homered and the Orioles received a bounce-back pitching performance from Bud Norris in an 18-7 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday.
It was Baltimore’s most prolific offensive showing since an 18-9 win over Cleveland on April 19, 2006, and the most runs the Orioles ever scored against Boston.
So Buck, what was more important? All that those runs or Norris taking a shutout into the seventh inning?
“Bud, without a doubt,” Showalter replied.
Norris (1-2) didn’t need to be sharp. But he was, and that was important because he came into the game with a 17.42 ERA.
“That’s the Bud that pitched well for us last year,” Showalter said. “This guy won 15 games last year and he was in attack mode today.”
Norris didn’t allow a runner past second base until Pablo Sandoval hit a three-run drive in the seventh, his first home run with Boston since signing as a free agent in November.
Hanley Ramirez followed Sandoval’s long ball with a solo shot off Jason Garcia and added a three-run homer off Garcia in the ninth.
None of that mattered, because the Boston pitching staff had its worst outing since a 20-2 loss at Oakland in August 2012.
“I will say in general, we have to do better in all phases of the game,” manager John Farrell said, “and it starts with how the game is controlled from the mound.”
Baltimore went ahead 7-0 with a six-run third inning and led 12-0 in the sixth. Davis, Jimmy Paredes and Steve Pearce each contributed three RBIs to the Orioles’ second straight win following a five-game skid.
Young, Davis, Paredes and Rey Navarro each had three hits.
Boston starter Wade Miley (1-2) gave up six earned runs and five hits in 2 1-3 innings, the second time in four starts this season the left-hander failed to go three innings.
“It’s embarrassing. I know I’m better than this,” Miley said. “I’m not even giving us … a chance at all.”
After scoring an unearned run in the second inning, Baltimore sent 10 batters to the plate in the third.
Miley issued two straight four-pitch walks to force in a run, then gave up an RBI single to Young before Davis hit a liner that glanced off the glove of center fielder Mookie Betts for a two-run double. Pearce chased Miley with a run-scoring bloop single and Paredes capped the uprising with an RBI grounder.
Young singled in two runs in the fourth to make it 9-0. Navarro had an RBI single in the fifth and Davis hit a two-run drive in the sixth.
Boston closed to 12-4 in the seventh, but Baltimore answered with six runs in the bottom half, the key hit a two-run double by Young.
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