Red Sox simply superior

The Red Sox turned a taut, tied game into an 11-5 thumping of the Orioles before 39,285 at Camden Yards. If and when the Red Sox clinch the American League wild card, they may want to consider sending Thank You notes to the brick warehouse on Eutaw Street. The Sox are 15-2 against the Orioles this year, having thumped them by an aggregate score of 121-65.

The Sox surged to their latest laugher with three runs in the seventh and five in the eighth, overcoming a start in which Lester swapped his typical dominance for survival and gritted through six-plus innings. J.D. Drew went 3 for 5 with his 21st home run and four RBIs, David Ortiz went 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles, and Mike Lowell went 3 for 4 with two RBIs.

The Sox reduced their magic number to 9 and, as the Rangers also won, maintained a seven-game lead in the wild-card race. The Sox have won eight of nine, a stretch in which they’ve all but secured a spot in the postseason.

“More than anything, we’re starting to play good baseball,’’ Lester said. “We’re starting to get results. I guess you could say we’ve had a lot of ups and downs. We’ve had a ton of injuries. But it seems like now, balls that need to fall are falling and guys are driving the ball out of the ballpark when we need it. Hopefully we can keep going in this direction.’’

The Red Sox mounted the winning rally in the seventh inning, immediately after starter David Hernandez yielded to Albers. Pedroia led off with a sharp single to left. After timing Albers’s delivery for two pitches, Pedroia swiped second. He moved to third when Victor Martinez - who in the first inning extended his career-high hitting streak to 18 games - grounded to second.

And then the Red Sox asserted their superiority. Kevin Youkilis singled, Ortiz doubled off Alberto Castillo, J.D. Drew dumped a single into center, and Mike Lowell roped a single. After Cla Meredith entered and closed out the inning for Baltimore, the damage could be surveyed: three pitchers, five hits, three runs, almost certainly another victory for the Red Sox.