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Koji Uehara gives up big hit to Adam Jones; Red Sox lose to Orioles 3-2

BOSTON - Koji Uehara had been perfect for the Red Sox. That all ended on his first pitch to Adam Jones.
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Boston Red Sox relief pitcher Koji Uehara, of Japan, reacts after giving up an RBI-double to Baltimore Orioles' Adam Jones during the seventh inning of a baseball game at Fenway Park in Boston, Thursday, April 11, 2013. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

BOSTON - Koji Uehara had been perfect for the Red Sox. That all ended on his first pitch to Adam Jones.

Chris Davis hit his sixth homer and Jones drove in two runs, including a tiebreaking double off Uehara, to lead the Baltimore Orioles over Boston 3-2 on Thursday night.

The Orioles broke a 2-all tie on Jones' RBI double in the seventh inning. Manny Machado had a two-out single off reliever Clayton Mortensen (0-1) before Andrew Miller walked Nick Markakis. Jones then lined Uehara's first pitch into the left-field corner.

Red Sox manager John Farrell thought the inning started to fall apart with Miller's walk.

"That's the life of a situational left-hander. He's pressed into action right away," Farrell said. "As effective and consistent as Koji's been, we made a move there and unfortunately it didn't work out."

Before the hit, Uehara hadn't allowed a baserunner in three innings of relief this season.

Davis and Jones extended their torrid starts for the Orioles, who took two of three in Boston. The pair has combined for 30 of Baltimore's 85 hits.

"He had a big night for us, had some big hits when we needed them," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said about Jones, who is 18 for 39 this season (.462).

Boston fill-in starter Alfredo Aceves pitched five innings, allowing two runs and six hits while walking three and striking out four. He took the spot of John Lackey, placed on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday after straining his right biceps in his previous start.

"Right now he's on the line to make the next start," Farrell said.

Dustin Pedroia and Mike Napoli had consecutive RBI singles for the Red Sox, who dropped a series for the first time after taking two of three on the road from both the New York Yankees and Toronto.

Baltimore improved to 1-3 in one-run games after going 29-9 last season.

The teams played on a chilly evening with a game-time temperature of 45 degrees and Fenway Park only about two-thirds full a night after a record sellout streak ended. The paid attendance was 27,704, the smallest crowd at Fenway since April 16, 2003.

Brian Matusz (1-0) struck out the only two batters he faced and got the win. Jim Johnson pitched the ninth in a light rain for his fourth save.

Baltimore starter Chris Tillman lasted 5 1-3 innings, giving up two runs and six hits. He walked two and struck out five.

It was an unusual start to the work day for Tillman. Showalter said the right-hander and fellow pitcher Miguel Gonzalez were in a very minor accident when the taxi they were riding in was tapped from behind en route to the ballpark.

Davis homered on a 3-0 pitch into the bleachers behind Boston's bullpen to push Baltimore ahead 1-0 in the second.

Boston jumped in front 2-1 in the third on the run-scoring singles by Pedroia and Napoli.

But the Orioles tied it against Aceves in the fifth when Jones had a two-out RBI single after Machado reached on a bunt single and advanced to second when he was running on the pitch on Markakis' bouncer to third.

Red Sox right-hander Alex Wilson made his major league debut, working a scoreless ninth with a walk.

NOTES: Farrell said he talked a bit with closer Joel Hanrahan "about going forward." The right-hander gave up five runs and only got two outs in the ninth inning of Wednesday's 8-5 loss. "He's our closer," Farrell said. ... Showalter is one who thinks Fenway's dugouts are a bit small. He said before the game that he let the four other starting pitchers go into the clubhouse to watch the later part of Wednesday's game to open some room for others to sit. ... Red Sox DH David Ortiz, who missed all of spring training with a sore right Achilles, went 2 for 3 with two singles, an RBI and scored a run in first rehab start for Triple-A Pawtucket on Thursday. "We feel 20 or so (at-bats) are needed and then we'll reassess," Farrell said. ... There was an unusual 3-5-3 play when the left-handed batting Davis hit into a shift and the ball caromed off 1B Napoli over to 3B Will Middlebrooks, who was shifted to the right side. He then threw back to Napoli. ... Boston's Felix Doubront (0-0) is slated to face Alex Cobb (1-0) in the opener of a four-game series against Tampa Bay on Friday at Fenway.