BOSTON — Justin Masterson had a lot going for him Monday, including the weather.
A 1-hour, 42-minute rain delay certainly came in handy for the right-hander as he made quick work of Baltimore in his five innings in Boston’s rain-shortened 7-1 win in 6 1/2 innings in the annual Patriots’ Day game on a drizzly morning at Fenway Park.
“The rain was working good,” Masterson said.
Masterson (2-0) bounced back nicely from a seven-run debacle in last Tuesday’s wild 8-7 win over the Washington Nationals, striking out six while holding the Orioles to one earned run on three hits and three walks to help the Red Sox (8-5) snap a two-game skid.
“Last time, the velocity was roughly the same,” said Masterson, who threw 93 pitches — 53 for strikes. “We were tied up in our mechanics in the last (start) and it never really was able to be free and easy. Today was much more free and easy and able to get back in the zone.”
Boston earned a split in its four-game series with the Orioles (7-6).
“Sure it is,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell, asked if Monday’s win was an important one. “They’re a good team. I would imagine we’re going to be neck-in-neck with most everybody in this division throughout.”
Second baseman Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup after a planned day off and went 2-for-3 with an RBI, and he was the lone Boston batter to have a multihit day.
Center fielder Mookie Betts played a big role in sparking the offense, scoring a pair of runs.
Wei-Yin Chen (0-1) was a hard-luck loser, as none of the left-hander’s five runs were earned. Chen allowed three hits, struck out three and walked five in 4 1/3 innings.
“I didn’t really allow a lot of hard hits balls out there,” Chen said through an interpreter. “Maybe I was trying to be (too fine). I didn’t have a large strike zone which leads to a lot of walks. I feel bad for my teammates.”
Center fielder Adam Jones cooled off after a hot start this season for the Orioles, going 0-for-2 with a walk. Second baseman Ryan Flaherty was 2-for-3 and drove in Baltimore’s only run.
The Orioles had their first multi-error game of the season, committing three.
“It was the same for both teams,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said of the conditions. “We knew getting up this morning that it was going to be the typical nasty day here. We needed to pitch a little bit better.”
Betts hit a leadoff single to right in the first and stole second on the next pitch — his fourth swipe of the season — before taking third on a throwing error by Baltimore catcher Ryan Lavarnway.
A sacrifice fly to right from designated hitter David Ortiz drove in Betts to give Boston a 1-0 lead.
Orioles right fielder Travis Snider’s second-inning triple to right-center slipped past Betts and rolled into the triangle, and Flaherty tied the game with a double off the wall in left.
The Red Sox opened things up in the third. With runners on the corners, Betts sent a dribbler to the mound, but Chen mishandled it and couldn’t make a play as shortstop Xander Bogaerts scored.
First baseman Mike Napoli later walked with the bases loaded for his first RBI of the season, and Betts and left fielder Allen Craig scored on Orioles third baseman Manny Machado’s error, making it 5-1.
Pedroia lined to left for a double that scored catcher Ryan Hanigan and Craig brought him home with a hit to center in the sixth, capping the scoring.
Left fielder Hanley Ramirez departed with an undisclosed illness at the start of the third inning and was replaced by Craig, but Farrell assured that he didn’t expect him to miss any time.
“It came on as the game began,” Farrell said of Ramirez, who grounded out in his only at-bat of the game. “That dizziness and lightheadedness continued to persist and got him off his feet.”
NOTES: Boston hosted Baltimore for the seventh time and the second season in a row on Patriots’ Day in Monday’s series finale. The Red Sox are 69-51 all-time on Patriots’ Day. The Orioles won last year’s meeting 7-6. … C Ryan Lavarnway returned to Fenway Park for the first time with Baltimore. Lavarnway spent parts of four seasons in Boston, batting .201 with five homers and 34 RBI. … Orioles CF Adam Jones led the American League and ranked third in MLB with a .457 batting average entering play. … Red Sox 3B Pablo Sandoval had the day off with a left-hander on the mound. He is 0-for-13 against lefties this year. … Baltimore opens a three-game set with the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday to conclude a seven-game road trip. Boston starts a six-game trip of its own against the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday.