Bite Sized Cuppa Sports Chowdah- O Really? Sox Take Rubber Game of Baltimore Series

RED SOX- After technically winning two games in two cities on the same day on Monday (thanks to an 8-run rally in in Baltimore to put away the second game of the day), Boston dropped Game 2 on Tuesday by a 6-2 final. This set up a deciding game 3 on Wednesday afternoon in a sweltering Camden Yards.

After getting into a 1-out bases-loaded jam in the bottom of the second, Red Sox starter Andrew Miller managed to escape by getting O's catcher Craig Tatum to ground into a double-play.

Miller would soon get some run support thanks to a Jacoby Ellsbury solo homer in the top of the 3rd. That was actually all the Red Sox would need, although Ellsbury had another solo homer to his credit in the 7th inning. A bases-loaded walk to Carl Crawford and Jason Varitek grounding into a fielder's choice with Josh Reddick at third rounded out scoring in Boston's 4-0 shutout of the Orioles.

Miller went 5 and two-thirds, allowing two hits, giving up 6 walks and striking out 3 batters. The bullpen came on and didn't allow a baserunner for Baltimore, with Papelbon closing out the game on a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th.

Boston has now won a second consecutive 3-game series with an AL East opponent since coming back from the All Star game. The Red Sox will be returning to Fenway on Friday night to take on the Seattle Mariners. Seattle ace Feliz Hernandez (8-8; 3.26 ERA) is scheduled to go up against John Lackey (7-8; 6.70 ERA) with a first pitch at 7:10.

OTHER MLB NEWS: With the non-waiver trade deadline coming up at the end of the month, the Philadelphia Phillies and Boston Red Sox are reportedly top among the likely destinations for Mets outfielder Carlos Beltran.

While the Red Sox have expressed an interest in Beltran to the struggling Mets, Boston's front office feels that the Mets may be asking too much in terms of prospects, especially after the offseason trade that brought Gonzalez over from San Diego. Beltran has been batting .293 this season with 15 homers and 61 RBI.

Reports from the west coast indicate that Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Andre Ethier has also publicly expressed an interest in playing for Boston. Ethier has been batting .299 with 9 home runs and 44 RBI.