BOSTON RED SOX (92-61) VS. BALTIMORE ORIOLES (81-70) Thursday, September 19, 2013 • 7:10 p.m. ET • Fenway Park, Boston, MA RHP John Lackey (9-12, 3.56) vs. RHP Chris Tillman (16-6, 3.70) Game #154 • Home Game #78 • TV: NESN/MLBN • Radio: WEEI 93.7 FM, WUFC 1510 AM (Spanish) MAJOR LEADERS: At 92-61 (.601) the Red Sox own the SOX AND O’S: The Red Sox and Orioles tonight conclude best record in the majors. a 3-game set, the 5th series between the 2 clubs in 2013, RED SOX RECORD BREAKDOWN Overall ........................................... 92-61 and their fi nal game at Fenway...The 2 teams close out the AL East Standing ....................1st, 8.0 GA BEST MLB RECORDS IN 2013 regular season with 3 games at Camden Yards, 9/27-29. TEAM W-L WPCT At Home ......................................... 50-27 Boston 92-61 .601 The Sox have outscored the O’s 58-54 in 2013 despite On Road ......................................... 42-34 Atlanta 90-62 .592 trailing the season series 6-9...The Sox have lost their In day games .................................. 27-14 In night games ............................... 65-47 Oakland 89-63 .586 last 3 games against Baltimore by a combined 4 runs. April ................................................. 18-8 St. Louis 89-63 .586 This year Boston is 6-9 (.400) against Baltimore and May ................................................ 15-15 Detroit 88-64 .579 34-20 (.630) against all other AL East teams, with a June ............................................... 17-11 The Sox’ 92 wins top MLB, 2 more than the next- winning record against the other 3 AL East clubs. July ................................................. 15-10 highest total (Atlanta, 90). August ........................................... 16-12 SKIRTING SWEEPS: The Sox need a win tonight to avoid September ........................................ 11-5 GREAT PACE: Since the schedule expanded to 162 games being swept for the 3rd time this year and just the 2nd time vs. AL East ...................................... 40-29 vs. AL Central ................................. 19-15 in 1961, this is just the 2nd time Boston has won 92 of its in a multi-game series...Their only series swept so far are vs. AL West ..................................... 20-12 1st 153 games in a season, also doing so in 1986 (92-61). 5/3-5 at TEX (0-3) and a 1-game make-up set, 7/29 vs. TB. vs. National League.......................... 13-5 With a win tonight the Sox would have 94 wins in Boston’s 2 times swept are the fewest in the AL this vs. RH starter .................................. 60-41 their 1st 154 decisions of a season for the 1st time year and tied for the lowest total in MLB this year vs. LH starter .................................. 32-20 since the 1950 club went 94-60. (also CIN and STL)...The Sox last went a full season Leading after 6 innings .................... 72-7 with 2 or fewer times swept in 2003 (swept twice). Tied after 6 innings .......................... 9-10 Trailing after 6 innings ................... 11-44 TURN IT AROUND: The Red Sox have won 23 more games Leading after 7 innings .................... 73-4 than last year (69-93), marking the club’s largest increase SERIES TALK: The Red Sox have tallied an MLB-best 32 Tied after 7 innings .......................... 11-9 in wins -- outside of strike-shortened seasons in 1981 and series wins this year, their most in a season since 2008 Trailing after 7 innings ..................... 7-48 1994 -- since the 1st post-World War II team in 1946 (104- (32)...Boston last won more than 32 series in 2007 (33)... Leading after 8 innings .................... 76-3 50) won 33 more games than 1945 (71-83). The Cardinals ranks 2nd in the majors with 29 series wins. Tied after 8 innings .......................... 10-8 Trailing after 8 innings ..................... 5-49 Outside of strike-shortened years, the Sox only other Boston dropped the 1st 2 games of its current set, Red Sox score 1st ........................... 63-18 season-to-season increase larger than 22 games was ending a streak of 8 straight series wins from 8/19- Opponents score fi rst ..................... 29-43 1911-12 (27 G: 78-75 in 1911 and 105-47 in 1912). 9/15...It was Boston’s longest series win streak since Shutouts ........................................... 8-11 they won 9 straight sets from 7/28-8/23/95. Scoring less than 3 runs ................... 5-32 .500 DAYS: The Sox are an MLB-high 31 games over .500... Scoring 3 or 4 runs ......................... 16-20 After Sunday’s win, Boston was as many as 33 games over SEPTEMBER SUCCESS: The Sox, who lead MLB with 796 Scoring 5 or more runs ..................... 71-9 .500 for the 1st time since ending 2004 at 98-64. runs, have scored an MLB-best 105 runs in 16 games in Sep- Red Sox hit HR ............................... 58-29 tember...They lead MLB with 27 home runs in September. Red Sox hit 0 HR ............................ 34-32 The Red Sox are the only AL team and 1 of 2 ML clubs 1-run games ................................... 21-19 whose record has been above .500 all year (also The Sox have the 2nd-best September record in the AL 2-run games ................................... 14-14 ATL)...This season will mark the 6th time the Red Sox at 11-5 (.688), trailing only Oakland (.706, 12-5)...It Walk-offs .......................................... 11-7 will remain above .500 all season, also accomplishing marks Boston’s most in a September since 2010 (13). Extra innings (home) .......................... 4-2 the feat in 1912, 1917, 1918, 1940, and 1946. Extra innings (road)............................ 6-4 FINAL HOMESTAND: The Sox tonight continue their fi - Extra innings (total) ......................... 10-6 IT’S MAGIC: Boston’s magic number for a postseason Series openers ................................ 29-21 nal regular-season homestand of 2013 with the last of Series fi nales .................................. 29-20 berth is 1...The Sox would clinch a spot in the postseason 3 games vs. the Orioles...The Sox are 3-2 thus far on the Series W-L-T (home) ......................17-8-1 tonight if they defeat Baltimore Cleveland loses to Hous- homestand...They opened the stand with a 3-game sweep Series W-L-T (road) ........................ 15-8-1 ton...Boston’s magic number to clinch the AL East is 3. of the Yankees, and then dropped the 1st 2 contests against Series W-L-T (total) ......................32-16-2 Boston has been to the postseason 20 times in Baltimore...The fi nal home series of the regular season, a Series sweeps (home) ........................ 7-1 franchise history, last in 2009...That year ended 3-game set against Toronto, begins tomorrow night. Series sweeps (road) .......................... 2-1 a stretch of 6 postseason appearances in 7 years The Sox are an AL-best 50-27 (.649) at home, the 2nd- Series sweeps (total) .......................... 9-2 Come-from-behind wins ......35, last 9/15 beginning in 2003 (all but 2006). best home record in MLB behind Atlanta (.703, 52- Innings batting around........23, last 9/7 (4th) The Red Sox last won the division title in 2007, which 22)...The club has won 8 of its last 11, 10 of its last 14, Games decided in last AB............... 22-13 was the club’s 1st AL East Championship since 1995. 13 of its last 19, and 16 of its last 23 home games. STOLEN MOMENTS: The Red Sox lead MLB with an VS. THE ORIOLES SOX LATELY: The Red Sox lost a 5-3 decision to the Orioles All-Time vs. O’s (since 1954) .... 525-447 last night in 12 innings...Boston has dropped back-to-back 86.2% stolen base percentage (119-for-138)...That would In Boston .................................. 267-217 contests for the 1st time since a 3-game slide from 8/14-16. be the best mark by an AL team since caught stealing has In Baltimore ............................. 258-230 been tracked in the AL (1914-15, 1920+)...Boston’s 119 At Camden Yards ........................ 102-69 The Sox have won 5 of their last 8, 10 of their last 14, stolen bases are 7 shy of the team’s single-season record 13 of their last 18, 17 of their last 23, and 19 of their in the live ball era (since 1920), established in 2009 (126). 2013 vs. Orioles ............................... 6-9 last 27 contests...They own the AL’s 3rd-best record In Boston .......................................... 3-5 since the All-Star break at 34-22 (.607). The Red Sox have been successful in each of their last In Baltimore ..................................... 3-4 35 stolen base attempts beginning 8/9, the longest streak in club history and the longest for any MLB club DATE H/R SCORE WP LP SLIM MARGINS: Boston has gone 29 games since it last since the Blue Jays had 38 straight from 9/4-26/1993. 4/8 H W3-1 Buchholz Chen lost by more than 3 runs, on 8/16 vs. NYY (10-3 loss)...That’s 4/9 H L8-5 O’Day Hanrahan the club’s longest single-season streak without losing by 4/10 H L2-3 Matusz Mortensen more than 3 runs since a 36-game stretch, 6/20-7/30/93. GRAND STAND: The Red Sox’ 8 grand slams this season 6/13 R L4-5 (13) McFarland Wilson top MLB...The Sox have hit 4 slams in September, matching 6/14 R L0-2 Tillman Dempster The Sox are 10-4 since 9/3, with all 4 losses by 2 runs the club’s most ever in any month (also August 1950, June 6/15 R W5-4 Lackey Garcia or fewer and 3, 1-run defeats during that stretch.