Red Sox

In case you missed it, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz and O's closer Kevin Gregg got into it this weekend and fists started flying.  Here's how O's beat reporter Jeff Zrebiec described the scene:  Ortiz charged Gregg in the bottom of the eighth inning after the Orioles pitcher yelled at him as he jogged to first base. Ortiz took umbrage to Gregg throwing three straight pitches inside, while Gregg didn't appreciate the fact that Ortiz had walked toward the mound a pitch earlier, and then swung at a 3-0 pitch in a seven-run game.

The Orioles had a hand in the collapse of the Red Sox, taking five games from the playoff pretenders last month. But fried chicken, beer and video games played a bigger role, according to an interesting Boston Globe report. Bob Hohler of The Globe reported that Boston's top starters, Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and John Lackey, have a habit of pigging out and chillaxing in the clubhouse during home games, even critical ones in September. “The indifference of Beckett, Lester, and Lackey in a time of crisis can be seen in what team sources say became their habit of drinking beer, eating fast-food fried chicken, and playing video games in the clubhouse during games while their teammates tried to salvage a once-promising season,” Hohler wrote in a Wednesday report.

In what was sure to be the most exciting night of baseball we see this fall, the Orioles and the Red Sox went down to the wire in Baltimore on Wednesday while the Rays and the Yankees played extra-innings in Florida. With the two wild-card races being decided in Game 162 -- St. Louis edged Atlanta in the National League -- it had already been a fun night for baseball fans. But things really started to get crazy when Dan Johnson, a .119 hitter in 2011, capped off a seven-run Rays comeback with a two-out home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Right-hander Tommy Hunter had his shortest outing of the season today in the Orioles' series finale against the Red Sox at Fenway Park. Hunter lasted just 4 1/3 innings, allowing five runs -- all earned -- on eight hits. He allowed four of those runs in the sixth inning, which included a game-tying grand slam by Will Middlebrooks, the third baseman's first big league homer. Hunter's outing was just the third time in 13 games in which an Orioles starter has not thrown a quality start (six or more innings, three or fewer earned runs)

Each morning, Monday through Friday, I'll hook you up with reading material to skim through as you slug down coffee and slack off at the start of your workday -- that way I'll have an excuse to do the same at the start of mine.   Running it back: Robert Andino hit a walk-off single in the bottom of the ninth inning to beat the Red Sox on Wednesday night. Fewer than five minutes later, down in St. Petersburg, Evan Longoria hit a walk-off home run to officially knock Boston out of the playoffs.

BOSTON - Tired of getting beat up in recent days and getting treated like mere doormats over the years at Fenway Park, the Orioles' frustration finally boiled over Friday night, and the result was a benches-clearing brawl that featured Kevin Gregg and David Ortiz exchanging punches. Another lopsided loss - this one a 10-3 defeat to the Red Sox in front of an announced 37,729 at Fenway Park that was all but sealed when rookie left-hander Zach Britton allowed eight first-inning runs - turned ugly when Ortiz charged the Orioles pitcher, who was yelling at the Boston All-Star designated hitter as he jogged to first base.

The Orioles and Red Sox are playing a pair of simutaneous split-squad contests today -- one here at Ed Smith Stadium and another down south at JetBlue Park in Fort Myers. We'll have double-barrel coverage. Follow me on Twitter at @EddieInTheYard for updates from Sarasota, and Dan Connolly (@DanConnollySun) will be reporting from JetBlue Park.  A couple of notes from today's clubhouse time in Sarasota: -- RHP Tommy Hunter, who hasn't thrown in a Grapefruit League game yet, threw four innings in a Single-A minor league game on Friday.

BOSTON - The clock crept on midnight at Fenway Park - and most of the announced sellout crowd of 37,223 - was likely dozing off. But it was the Orioles bullpen that put the Red Sox bats to sleep Friday night, throwing eight shutout innings - running its scoreless-inning streak to 19 innings - propelling the Orioles to a 6-4 13-inning win over the Red Sox. It was the Orioles' fourth win in their last five games here at...

How it happened: The Orioles appeared to be in trouble when the Red Sox took a 4-1 lead in the top of the fourth. The offense came alive in the bottom of the fifth, however, exploding for six runs, the most the Orioles have scored in an inning this season. Ty Wigginton started the fireworks with a one-out solo homer. Rhyne Hughes singled and Nolan Reimold walked before Cesar Izturis hit into a fielder's choice, advancing Hughes to third. Adam Jones drove in Hughes with a lightly hit infield single, and Nick Markakis knocked in Izturis with a single to center field.

Justin Upton is attracting a ton of attention as the winter meetings approach, but it's still not clear if the Diamondbacks will trade him. The Red Sox have been all in from the minute it became known the right fielder could be traded. … Tuesday is the deadline for the 35 players, including the White Sox's Paul Konerko and J.J. Putz, offered arbitration to accept those offers. Only a few are likely to do so. Among those believed to be considering the offers are Juan Uribe (Giants)