Red Sox

BOSTON - Anyone taking a glimpse of Fenway Park's iconic Green Monster can't miss the posting of the American League East standings, which after Tuesday's off day will show the Orioles with a losing record for the first time since the end of the 2011 season. The Orioles' 3-1 loss to the Red Sox in Boston's home opener Monday, marked the Orioles (3-4) first three-game losing streak since last July 23-25. However, the loss comes just seven games into this young season, prompting the Orioles to scoff at the notion that these consecutive losses give any reason to worry heading into Tuesday's first off day of the season.

-- Orioles first baseman Chris Davis was named American League Player of the Week on Monday following his history-making start to the season. It is the second consecutive player of the week honor for Davis, who ended the regular season last year sharing the honor with Tigers right-hander Justin Verlander on Oct.1. The last Oriole to win the award in back-to-back weeks was Eddie Murray on Sept. 13 and Sept. 20, 1981. Davis entered Monday's game in Boston leading the major leagues in OPS (1.636)

FORT MYERS, Fla -- Danny Valencia launched a solo homer in the ninth inning off Red Sox reliever Terry Doyle to give the Orioles an 8-7 win over Boston at JetBlue Park on Tuesday afternoon. The Orioles survived a furious Red Sox rally - Boston scored five runs in the bottom of the eighth inning off relievers Daniel Schereth and Adam Russell - to tie the game at 7. Valencia, who was acquired from the Red Sox for cash this offseason, then took a full-count pitch from Doyle and hit it over the ballpark's high Green Monster wall in leftfield.

In what could be his final outing before he is sent to minor league camp, Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman threw two scoreless innings in relief Tuesday against the Red Sox, striking out the first two batters he faced - Mike Napoli and Jarrod Saltalamacchia. The organization's No. 2 prospect allowed just one hit - a double to Will Middlebrooks. He struck out three and walked none. “I'm impressed with the little things, his time to the plate from the stretch,” Showalter said.

Once Orioles pitching prospect Kevin Gausman left his last Grapefruit League outing Thursday, he believed it would be his final chance to pitch in his first big league camp. But despite optioning top prospect Dylan Bundy to Double-A Bowie on Saturday, the Orioles want to see Gausman, the team's No. 2 prospect, at least one more time before assigning him to minor league camp, especially since this is the former LSU standout's first big league camp since being drafted fourth overall last season.

SARASOTA, Fla. - The Boston Red Sox, because they have another game at night in Fort Myers, brought no regulars here for Friday's contest against the Orioles. The Orioles sent starter Miguel Gonzalez to pitch against minor leaguers so he wouldn't face an American League East team. It's typical stuff for mid-March, but the gamesmanship handed lefty Zach Britton a start. And he took advantage of the opportunity in the Orioles' 3-3 tie against the Red Sox. Britton, who is fighting for the fifth starter spot, lasted 3 2/3 scoreless innings, giving up one hit and walking two, with both walks coming in his final frame.

The Orioles traded minor league infielder Mike Flacco, the younger brother of Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe, to the Boston Red Sox on Friday for cash considerations or a player to be named later. Flacco, 26, played mainly at Single-A Frederick last year, hitting .218 in 103 games. He also played four games at Double-A Bowie and was expected to compete there for the starting first base job along with Aaron Baker and Tyler Townsend. Flacco was drafted in the 31 st round of the 2009 amateur draft out of CCBC-Catonsville.

FORT MYERS, Fla. - Orioles manager Buck Showalter joked earlier this week that he wasn't sure which one of his top pitching prospects he wanted to start Saturday night against the Boston Red Sox - for fear the other one would hurt himself trying to outdo his buddy. Ultimately, the decision was made to put 2011 first-round pick Dylan Bundy ahead of 2012 first-round pick Kevin Gausman. Bundy got the start, but Gausman had the smoother and more eye-popping outing as the duo combined to allow just one unearned run through five innings in the Orioles' 5-2 win at JetBlue Park.

SARASOTA, Fla. -- Nobody gets too excited about spring training batting practice - especially when the wind is blowing straight out from home to center field - but it was hard not to be impressed with the way Nolan Reimold was driving the ball before Wednesday night's game. Reimold hit one over the 30-foot batters eye in center field (400 feet away) and hit a number of others balls well out of the ballpark. This would not be unusual if Reimold weren't still rehabbing from neck surgery and still trying to regain full strength in his left shoulder and forearm.

SARASOTA, Fla. - First baseman Chris Davis launched a two-run, opposite-field home run off right-hander Junichi Tazawa in the sixth inning Wednesday night, propelling the Orioles to a 5-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox in the second half of a split-squad doubleheader. The win improves the Orioles to 5-0 in the Grapefruit League. The Orioles had defeated the New York Yankees, 10-7, in an afternoon game Wednesday in Tampa. It was the first home run of the spring for Davis, who led the Orioles with 33 homers and 85 RBIs, and it brought the Orioles from behind.