BALTIMORE — J.D. Martinez hit two home runs, including a tiebreaking, two-run drive in the eighth inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 on Saturday night for a doubleheader sweep.

In the opener, David Price struck out 10 over six sparkling innings, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a pair of solo homers and the Red Sox cruised to a 5-0 victory.

The Red Sox have won nine of 10 to improve their big league-best record to 84-35. The split doubleheader was caused by a rainout on July 25; before the bad weather came that night, Boston led 5-0 in the second inning.

Martinez hit a solo shot in the fourth inning before delivering his 37th home run in the eighth off Mike Wright (3-1) to make it 5-3. It was his third multihomer game of the season, all against Baltimore.

Martinez leads the major leagues in homers, RBI (104) and hits (143).

Boston Manager Alex Cora used a collection of relievers to handle the pitching in the second game, beginning with Hector Velazquez, including Joe Kelly (4-0) and concluding with Craig Kimbrel, who worked the ninth for his 34th save.

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Joey Rickard and Trey Mancini homered for the Orioles, who will try to avoid a four-game sweep Sunday.

Baltimore is 2-13 against the Red Sox this season.

In the first game, Price (12-6) scattered five hits and walked none to win his sixth straight start against Baltimore. The left-hander had at least one strikeout in every inning and didn’t allow a runner past second base.

“He was outstanding,” Cora said. “He’s in a good place right now, physically and mentally.”

Three relievers followed Price with three hitless innings. With a dozen shutouts, the Red Sox are tied with the Cubs, Indians and Pirates for the major league lead.

“(Price) understands how important he is for us,” Cora said. “With the tough conditions out there, for him to go six today, that was great.”

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“A good win for us after a very long game last night,” Price said.

After the Red Sox won 19-12 on Friday night, both teams were quiet offensively until Boston broke through with a flourish against rookie Jimmy Yacabonis (0-1) in the fifth inning.

“He’s a work in progress,” Orioles Manager Buck Showalter said. “Like a lot of our young pitchers, he’s growing a little bit from the experience he’s getting.”

Yacabonis allowed only one hit until it all came apart in the fifth.

Xander Bogaerts led off with a single and Eduardo Nunez hit a 3-0 pitch inside the left-field foul pole for a home run. One out later, Bradley lined an opposite-field drive to right.

“Just a couple of pitches,” he said. “If I execute them a little bit better, then I probably put a zero up that inning. At least I got it to the fifth. The first four were good.”

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That was all the offense the Red Sox required with Price in peak form.

Adam Jones had two hits for the Orioles (35-83), who were officially eliminated from contention in the AL East on Friday night and on Saturday clinched a second straight losing season.

NOTES

Red Sox catcher Blake Swihart (hamstring strain) will begin his rehabilitative assignment Sunday with Class A Lowell, Cora said. Orioles outfielder Craig Gentry (ribs) went 1 for 3 and scored a run in a rehab assignment with Class A Frederick. … Former second baseman Brian Roberts and longtime play-by-play announcer Fred Manfra were inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame in a ceremony before the second game. … Cora said Chris Sale could throw 100 pitches Sunday if he’s not too rusty.


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