BOSTON -- Clay Buchholz turned in his third straight strong start and the Red Sox scored two runs in each of the first three innings, snapping a three-game losing streak and averting a sweep by the Baltimore Orioles, blanking the visitors, 7-0.
Buchholz pitched eight shutout innings, allowing just four hits while improving to 6-2. He walked two and hit a batter while fanning six. He allowed just one hit after the third inning -- a harmless leadoff single to Wilson Betemit to open the eighth.
It was Buchholz's first complete game in more than two years. The last, on June 4, 2010, was also against the Orioles, and like Thursday night, was a shutout.
Adrian Gonzalez snapped out of his funk at the plate with a three-hit night including a two-run, bases-loaded double in the first that would provide Buchholz with all the support he needed.
Gonzalez, hitting sixth for the second straight game, also added singles in the third and the seventh. Daniel Nava had two hits and walked twice, reaching base four straight times, while Kevin Youkilis contributed a single and a run-scoring double.
Brian Matusz, who stifled the Sox last month at Camden Yards when he allowed just two hits over 6 13 innings, couldn't get an out in the third inning after issuing five walks and allowing four hits.
The Orioles helped the Red Sox when an error by Robert Andino in the second inning led two two runs, one of them unearned.
A second error -- by right field Endy Chavez -- factored into the two-run third when Daniel Nava's single was misplayed.
The win also snapped Baltimore's five-game winning streak at Fenway Park.
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