Lester, Sox offense overpower Orioles

With a late two-run homer from the Sox’ newest bat, Adam LaRoche, the Sox managed their greatest offensive output since the break.

With Jon Lester adding 7 1/3 innings of two-run, nine-strikeout ball, the Sox took the second game of the series, 7-2, last night.

And With the Yankees ending their eight-game winning streak earlier in the day, the win brought the Sox to within 1 1/2 games of their rivals.

“Our pitching’s been doing good, so we need to do some damage,’’ said David Ortiz, whose three-run, first-inning homer took the pressure to be perfect away from Lester. “That’s the only way, producing. We need to produce for our pitching. That’s the only way you’re going to win games. We’re dealing with New York playing good now. So we’ve got to bring it.’’

Lester (9-7) was welcomed back to the dugout with one down in the eighth after Nolan Reimold’s double, the eighth hit he allowed. The standing ovation was so loud, so immediate, that Lester tipped his cap to the 38,063 at Fenway after he passed the first base line and made his way toward his teammates.

But it took the offense to get him there. On a night in which Lester could have been the victim of its futility, as he had in his prior start, he came through for them. And, finally, they came through for him.

As Francona said of Lester, “I thought everything was good.’’

That could also have gone for the offense.

Over the course of their recent six-game road trip, the Sox were stymied again and again, their futility notable in their lack of big hits, two-out hits, hits of any sort. That might just be changing.

“I think it’s one of the difference-makers,’’ Jason Bay said of two-out runs. “I mean every team in the big leagues is going to score runs. But the two outs - there’s a reason why the box score has two-out RBIs. That’s one of those things that - like I said, any team’s going to score - but those are the ones usually that can either break a team’s back or put you in a better spot.

“It’s nothing groundbreaking, but I think if you watch over the course of the game, the two-out RBIs are the ones that either really help you or really kill you.’’