Betts 3 homers powers Red Sox past O's

 Mookie Betts celebrates with Chris Young after hitting a three run homer in the second inning. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)

Mookie Betts hit three home runs and the Boston Red Sox routed the Baltimore Orioles for the second day in a row, this time 6-2

Betts smashed his first home run over the centerfield wall on the second pitch of the game. Dustin Pedroia homered to left-center for back to back home runs for the Sox, going up early 2-0. Betts hit his second home run the following inning into the left field seats, a two run shot. Orioles starting pitcher Kevin Gausman allowed all of the runs as the home team was down 5-0.

The Orioles finally got on the board in the third with an RBI double by Nolan Reimold into centerfield. In the fifth Adam Jones singled home Paul Janish to cut the deficit to 5-2.

That was the closest Baltimore would get. Betts hit his third home run of the night into right field in the seventh to give the Red Sox a 6-2 win.

The Orioles look to get out of this slump tonight in game three at 7:05.

"I think it's pretty obvious that we're kind of struggling right now, but hopefully we can just kind of turn it around and even this series up. They are the best team in baseball right now, so you have to be on your game and if you're not, it's tough against this team, against this lineup, against their bullpen," said Gausman.

O's fall to Red Sox on Memorial Day

A sellout crowd enjoying a beautiful afternoon at Camden Yards. (Patrick Smith/Getty Images)

Memorial Day featured several great MLB matchups on the calendar. One of these included a battle between first and second place rivals from the American League East: the Baltimore Orioles against the Boston Red Sox from a packed Camden Yards in Baltimore. The Sox dominated and won 7-2.

Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead with RBIs by Xander Bogaerts. The first one came on a fielder's choice in the first inning. Then in the third Bogarets doubled to left field to score Mookie Betts.  

Baltimore struck back in the fifth. Nolan Reimold led off with a triple. Ryan Flaherty followed with a double on a sharp ground ball into left field. Caleb Joseph singled and moved Flaherty to third. Adam Jones sent Flaherty home with a sacrifice fly into right field to tie the game at 2.

That was as close as the Orioles would get. The Red Sox clubbed three home runs. Jackie Bradley hit a solo shot in the sixth. In the eighth David Ortiz hit a solo shot, then with two on Marco Hernandez hit his first home run of his career with a three run shot. 

The teams continue their four game series on Tuesday night with a 7:05 first pitch.

Harper, Espi Power Nats Win Over O's

Falling the previous night on a walk-off home run, the Nats were looking to rebound in the Beltway Series against their crosstown rival Orioles.  Entering the game, Washington had lost three straight and the bats have struggled.

Trailing 1-0, the Nats grabbed a 2-1 lead on RBI's by Ian Desmond and Michael Taylor in the top of the second.  The birds regained the lead with home runs from Caleb Joseph and Steve Pearce, 4-2.  The Nats would rally in the top of the sixth.  Bryce Harper had never hit a home run against the Orioles but that all changed when he led off the sixth with a home run into the right-center field seats.  Three batters later and two men on, Danny Espinosa smacked a three run homer over the right field wall.  The Nats added an insurance run in the ninth thanks to an RBI single by Taylor to win the game 7-4.

Jordan Zimmermann got the win and Drew Storen finished the game with a save.  With the curly W the Nats remain two games in front of the Mets in the NL East standings.  The first half of the season wraps up today with game three of the Battle of the Beltway.  First pitch is at 1:35 p.m.