Brian Roberts

Here are the lineups: RED SOX (51-35) Ellsbury CF Pedroia 2B Gonzalez 1B Youkilis 3B Ortiz DH Reddick LF Saltalamacchia C Drew RF Scutaro SS Pitching: LHP Andrew Miller (2-0, 3.06). ORIOLES (36-48) Hardy SS Markakis RF Jones CF Guerrero DH Wieters C Lee 1B Reynolds 3B Reimold LF Andino 2B Pitching: RHP Jake Arrieta (9-5, 4.74). Game time: 7:10 p.m. TV/Radio: NESN, MLB Network / WEEI Notes: The Sox have won six of seven.

Warner Music Group Corp. said Thursday that Brian Roberts will become executive vice president and chief financial officer, replacing Steven Macri when he leaves the record label at the end of the year. Roberts has been a senior vice president and CFO of Warner Music Group's music publishing business, Warner/Chappell Music, since 2007. Macri has been the company's CFO since 2008. Warner Music Group is based in New York.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A miserable week for Lee Mazzilli began with Rafael Palmeiro's suspension and ended with the manager's dismissal. The Baltimore Orioles fired Mazzilli yesterday in the middle of a massive slide, just three days after Palmeiro became the biggest major league star to be caught using steroids. "It's not the kind of week that you want to have very often, that's for sure," Baltimore second baseman Brian Roberts said. Sam Perlozzo was appointed interim manager for the rest of the season -- and he won his first game.

Here are the lineups: RED SOX (51-35) Ellsbury CF Pedroia 2B Gonzalez 1B Youkilis 3B Ortiz DH Reddick LF Saltalamacchia C Drew RF Scutaro SS Pitching: LHP Andrew Miller (2-0, 3.06). ORIOLES (36-48) Hardy SS Markakis RF Jones CF Guerrero DH Wieters C Lee 1B Reynolds 3B Reimold LF Andino 2B Pitching: RHP Jake Arrieta (9-5, 4.74). Game time: 7:10 p.m. TV/Radio: NESN, MLB Network / WEEI Notes: The Sox have won six of seven.

BALTIMORE -- Johnny Damon had an outstanding day at the plate, scoring four runs and collecting three hits and two RBIs to help the New York Yankees end a three-game skid. Yet, it was a defensive gem by the left fielder in yesterday's 10-6 victory over the Baltimore Orioles that drew the most praise. Baltimore had cut a 4-0 lead in half and had runners at the corners with two outs in the fourth inning when Damon sprinted far to his left to snare a rising liner by Brian Roberts and end the threat.

Sidney Ponson put an offseason of trouble behind him and pitched effectively into the sixth inning, and Brian Roberts and the Baltimore Orioles' lineup awoke to beat the Yankees, 12-5, last night in New York. Roberts hit a two-run homer off Jaret Wright -- making his Yankees debut -- drove in four runs, and finished a double short of the cycle. Luis Matos scored three runs and finished a homer short of the feat. Miguel Tejada had three of Baltimore's 18 hits, after the Orioles had scored one run in its last two games.

David Wells walked back into the Red Sox clubhouse at 11:02 last night, his visit to Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center having lasted about as long as his appearance at Fenway Park. The 41-year-old lefthander walked with a rather unavoidable limp, exacerbated by the boot that concealed his right foot and lower half of his leg. Wells didn't say anything. When called twice by name by a media member, he didn't so much as turn. Instead, he walked into a back room, then went up to the team lounge to eat. Manager Terry Francona called Wells's injury a sprained foot, but that...

Alex Rodriguez hit his 350th career home run and Ruben Sierra delivered a three-run double during a six-run seventh inning that carried the Yankees to their seventh straight victory, a 10-8 verdict over the A's last night in Oakland, Calif. The win boosted New York into a first-place tie with the Red Sox in the AL East. The Yankees have made up 4 1/2 games since being swept at home by Boston. New York rallied from a 7-1 deficit and spoiled a strong offensive night by the A's, who got two home runs from Eric Chavez and one by Scott Hatteberg.

Bruce Chen pitched a four-hitter, and Miguel Tejada and Sammy Sosa hit successive homers to spark a seven-run sixth inning that carried the Orioles past New York, 8-1, last night at Baltimore. Tejada and Sosa each had two hits and three RBIs, and Brian Roberts went 3 for 5 to lift his average to .429. The Orioles are 3-1 against the Yankees this season. Chen (1-0) and Carl Pavano (0-2) were locked in a pitcher's duel before Tejada and Sosa connected to put the Orioles up 3-1. After an error by second baseman Rey Sanchez, Luis Matos and Roberts hit two-out RBI singles and Tejada drew a...

Marcus Giles and Andruw Jones hit first-inning home runs as the Braves took an early six-run lead to beat Baltimore, 7-5, last night in Atlanta, knocking the Orioles out of first place in the AL East. The Braves led, 7-1, after three innings before Baltimore closed the gap with homers by Larry Bigbie and Brian Roberts. The Orioles had been in sole possession of first place in the East for 62 consecutive days since April 23. But with the Red Sox' win over Philadelphia, Boston moved a half-game ahead of Baltimore.

Brian Roberts hit a three-run homer, Jake Arrieta allowed one run in six innings, and the unbeaten Baltimore Orioles thrilled a sellout crowd in their home opener by defeating the Detroit Tigers, 5-1, yesterday. On a gorgeous afternoon at Camden Yards, the Orioles extended a surprising winning streak that began with a three-game sweep at Tampa Bay. Off to its best start since 1997, Baltimore (4-0) has not yet trailed, hasn’t given up more than one run in a game, and has outscored the competition, 17-4.

The walks killed him, as they always do. Daisuke Matsuzaka issued five walks with two of the runners coming around to score, as the pitcher known for throwing too many pitches and allowing too many free passes continued that trend last night against the Orioles. Combined with his last two outings, Matsuzaka has 13 walks in his last 16 innings, exactly what a team does not want to see. Yet, that is who Matsuzaka has been over his four seasons in Boston, too willing to give up bases to opponents, too free with his walks.

Phil Hughes was selected yesterday as the Yankees’ fifth starter, beating out Joba Chamberlain and three others. “It was what I set out in the spring to do,’’ Hughes said after manager Joe Girardi announced the decision. “I grew up a starter in high school, minor leagues, even my first couple partial seasons in the big leagues. It was something that I really wanted and I feel like I’m ready for the challenge and ready for the season that lies ahead.’’ Girardi said Chamberlain will be given an opportunity to pitch out of the bullpen and is in...

NEW YORK - Puddles soaked the warning track and ponchos dotted the stands when Derek Jeter stepped to the plate in the third inning, hoping to give the soggy Yankee Stadium crowd a reason for showing up in all this rain. With one of his classic, inside-out swings, Jeter sent a sharp grounder skimming through the infield. And there it was, the hit that pushed him past Lou Gehrig. Jeter broke the New York Yankees’ hit record held by Gehrig for more than seven decades last night with an opposite-field single against Baltimore.

Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven innings of six-hit ball, and the Orioles beat the Texas Rangers, 7-0, yesterday in Baltimore to earn their second series win since the All-Star break. Brian Roberts, Jeff Fiorentino, and Chad Moeller each had two hits and two RBIs for the Orioles, who took two of three. Ian Kinsler and Nelson Cruz had two singles apiece for the Rangers, whose pursuit of a playoff berth took an unlikely hit against a last-place team that remains one defeat away from clinching a 12th straight losing season.

BALTIMORE - After the tumult of the previous two days, maybe the Red Sox deserved a measure of certainty. Timing was on their side last night. Baseball, by its nature, may offer no sure things, but Josh Beckett on a pitcher’s mound this season comes close. The chaotic end of the week - a bombshell one day, a blockbuster the next - ceded to Beckett’s reassuring dominance last night in a 4-0 Red Sox victory over the Baltimore Orioles. While Victor Martinez went 1 for 5 with an RBI single in his Red Sox debut at first base, Beckett reminded the 49,384 at Camden Yards that it might not...

TORONTO -- Jesse Litsch did a pretty good impression of Roy Halladay while filling in for the injured Blue Jays ace. Litsch worked into the ninth inning in his major league debut and Troy Glaus singled in the go-ahead run in the sixth to help Toronto beat the Orioles, 2-1, last night. "It's probably the best day of my life," Litsch said. "I never thought it would happen that way, but it's a great experience. " Litsch, 22, walked Miguel Tejada with two outs in the ninth and Blue Jays manager John Gibbons replaced him with Jeremy Accardo.

NEW YORK - Puddles soaked the warning track and ponchos dotted the stands when Derek Jeter stepped to the plate in the third inning, hoping to give the soggy Yankee Stadium crowd a reason for showing up in all this rain. With one of his classic, inside-out swings, Jeter sent a sharp grounder skimming through the infield. And there it was, the hit that pushed him past Lou Gehrig. Jeter broke the New York Yankees’ hit record held by Gehrig for more than seven decades last night with an opposite-field single against Baltimore.

BALTIMORE - When J.D. Drew stepped to the plate in the eighth inning, with Jason Varitek standing on second base and the day yielding to darkness, a feat lay before him, in the gaps and down the lines. Despite his best intentions - and you better believe he was trying to hit a double to complete his first career cycle - Drew bounced a changeup to Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts. Drew had already collected a triple, home run, and single. As he faced reliever Brian Bass, that double was on his mind.

The video surprised the Baltimore Orioles earlier this week while they prepared for yesterday's opponent. They watched Jon Lester's start April 13 in Oakland, Calif., and saw a different pitcher than they expected. His top velocity, they said, barely reached 90 miles per hour. "I said, 'Man, he lost something on his fastball or something,' " first baseman Aubrey Huff said. Yesterday afternoon, Lester strode to Fenway Park's sun-splashed mound and fired a 96-m.p.h. fastball past Brian Roberts with the game's first pitch.