BALTIMORE (Ticker) -- The Boston Red Sox averted disaster in dramatic fashion after a second meltdown by their bullpen in less than a week.
Deivi Cruz was thrown out at the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning as the Red Sox held on to defeat the Baltimore Orioles, 8-7, for their fourth straight victory.
Ramiro Mendoza started the ninth with an 8-3 lead but surrendered four runs and six hits.
"I think I was too strong out there," Mendoza said. "The ball wasn't sinking at all. I left it up. I just didn't have it."
With two outs, runners at the corners and the Orioles trailing, 8-6, Geronimo Gil ripped a double off the base of the left field fence.
Manny Ramirez retrieved the ball quickly in the corner and flipped to shortstop Nomar Garciaparra, who fired a perfect relay to catcher Jason Varitek. Cruz attempted a hook slide but was tagged out by Varitek just before reaching the plate.
"(Garciaparra's) relay was outstanding," Red Sox second baseman Todd Walker said. "He had a great throw. That was a great play to end the game."
"I got in, but the call was out," Cruz said. "My foot was on the plate."
Orioles third base coach Tom Trebelhorn was surprised Garciaparra threw to the plate, thinking the Red Sox would want to keep the winning run off second base.
"It was a bang-bang play," Trebelhorn said. "I thought we would give it a go. I might even question it if (Cruz) was out. That's the way it goes. I didn't think the throw would go to the plate."
Mendoza gave up a single to Gary Matthews Jr. and a double to B.J. Surhoff before Jeff Conine plated the first run of the inning with a sacrifice fly.
Mendoza got Jay Gibbons to line to third for the second out but gave up consecutive singles to Tony Batista, Melvin Mora and Cruz before he was bailed out by his defense.
"He's a sinker ball pitcher and it didn't sink," Red Sox manager Grady Little said. "Things didn't go perfectly, but we won the game, and that's what matters. We will just go to sleep with the win."
In Monday's season opener, the Red Sox gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth inning, blowing a 4-1 lead to the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
Boston appeared in control of this one as back-to-back homers by Varitek and Walker made it 8-1 in the sixth. The Orioles began their comeback with a pair of runs in the seventh.
"It was a different night," said Orioles manager Mike Hargrove, whose club came into the game with a .209 batting average. "We didn't quit. We made it interesting."
John Burkett (1-0) got the win, yielding one run and seven hits in five innings. The righthander walked three and struck out five.
"It was ugly," Burkett said. "I had to battle out there. I kept getting the ball up and couldn't find the strike zone. The only thing that was working was my curveball. I had that going, at least."
Sidney Ponson (0-1) took the loss after allowing five runs in just 2 1/3 innings.
"I just forget about this game and start over again, work hard and prepare for my next start," Ponson said. "I had a bad game. The ball was running away from me."
The Orioles took a 1-0 lead in the second on Jerry Hairston's RBI single, but the Red Sox erupted for five runs in the third, chasing Ponson.
Boston has scored 42 runs in its first five games.
