David Ortiz started with a home run off Zach Britton in Boston's eight-run first inning, then ended by getting into a bench-clearing brawl with Baltimore reliever Kevin Gregg. Ortiz and Gregg exchanged a flurry of punches in the eighth, but neither connected before they were separated as both benches and bullpens emptied for the second time in the inning before the Red Sox went on to beat the Orioles, 10-3, at Fenway Park. Moments before the fight, Ortiz started toward the mound after taking a second straight inside pitch from Gregg. The benches and bullpens emptied, but nothing developed and Ortiz stepped back into the batter's box. Gregg got him to pop out, then shouted something as Ortiz started down the first-base line. The plate umpire Mike Estabrook immediately ejected Gregg but Ortiz quickly changed course, charging the mound. Gregg and Ortiz each threw a few punches, but the heavyweight bout was swallowed up by the mass of players rushing onto the field. It took more than 15 minutes to restore order and sort out the ejections. Gregg and Ortiz were tossed, as well as Red Sox catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Baltimore reliever Jim Johnson. The Orioles, who allowed 10 or more runs for the fourth time in five games, were flustered after the Red Sox sent 13 batters to the plate in the first inning and scored seven earned runs off of Britton on six hits and two walks. Ortiz hit a three-run shot. It was Boston's fourth straight win, and it extended Baltimore's losing streak to five games. Britton (6-7) did not make it through the inning, getting pulled with two outs after Jacoby Ellsbury hit a run-scoring single in his second at-bat. The outburst of runs was plenty for Josh Beckett (8-3), who allowed three runs and seven hits in five innings. Beckett was having problems with the wet dirt on the mound after a steady rain fell early in the game, and he did not return for the sixth. Rangers 8, Athletics 5: Mike Napoli hit a first-inning grand slam off Gio Gonzalez and Texas stretched its winning streak to five games a night after a fan died as a result of a fall while catching a foul ball. Josh Hamilton, who tossed the ball to the fan Thursday night, hit a fan with a foul ball off his bat in Friday's game. The teenage male fan had blood on his face and was attended to by stadium personnel before he walked away, smiling while he held a compress to his head. In other games it was: Phillies 3, Braves 2; Pirates 7, Cubs 4; Diamondbacks 7, Cardinals 6. Brewers 8, Reds 7; Marlins 6, Astros 3; Rockies 3, Nationals 2; Blue Jays 11, Indians 7; Tigers 6, Royals 4; Twins 8, White Sox 5.
