Rookie third baseman Manny Machado hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Orioles a 4-3 win against the Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The victory gave the Orioles a share of the American League East lead, because the Yankees lost to the Blue Jays earlier during the day.

The Orioles (91-67) will play the Red Sox during their final home game of the regular season Sept. 30 before heading to Tampa Bay to play the surging Rays.

Orioles right-hander Tommy Hunter got the win Sept. 29, and closer Jim Johnson recorded his 49th save of the season.

An error by Chris Davis allowed the Red Sox to tie the Orioles at 3 in the sixth.

During the sixth inning, Davis, playing right field, dropped a Cody Ross pop fly, allowing Jacoby Ellsbury to score. But earlier during the game, Davis was a hero. During the second inning, he hit a two-run homer, which, coupled with a Machado RBI single, gave the Orioles a 3-2 lead.

Machado drove in Davis, who was hit by a pitch, to get on base. Davis stole second and moved to third on a Mark Reynolds single.

Davis' fourth-inning homer was his 30th this season; he is the second Oriole to reach the mark this season. Adam Jones currently has 32 home runs. It is the sixth time in club history two players on the team had 30 or more homers during a season.

Boston was able to cut the Orioles' advantage to 3-2, thanks to a fifth-inning, two-run homer from Jarrod Saltalamacchia.

Reynolds made two outstanding defensive plays during the fifth, including a diving stop along the baseline and snagging a ball in the first row of the stands while falling over the tarp.

Orioles starter Steve Johnson threw five innings, giving up four hits and three walks. During the sixth, he allowed the first two Boston hitters to reach base, including an Ellsbury single and a walk to Scott Posednik. After the walk, manager Buck Showalter pulled Johnson in favor of Tommy Hunter.

Posted Sept. 29, 2012