BALTIMORE -- Theres still more than half a season left to play, so theres no reason for the Baltimore Orioles to become overly excited about their current situation. Then again, what harm is there in enjoying the moment? Chris Tillman took a two-hitter into the seventh inning, Chris Davis hit his major league-leading 22nd home run and the Orioles blanked the Boston Red Sox 2-0 Friday night in a duel between the top two teams in the AL East. Manny Machado had three hits for the Orioles, who have won five of six -- including the first two in this four-game series. Baltimore moved within 1 1/2 games of the division-leading Red Sox, the closest the Orioles have been to first place since May 13. "Obviously you want to continue to play as well as you can, no matter if youre at home or on the road, if its early or late in the season," Davis said. "But we know were close. And any time a division rival comes in, you want to try to take as many games as you possibly can. I think were pleased with the way things have gone so far, and hopefully we can continue it." Tillman (7-2) allowed three hits and four walks in six-plus innings. The right-hander permitted only one runner to get past second base in winning his third straight start. After bouncing between the majors and minor leagues last year, Tillman has emerged as Baltimores most steady starter. "I said it in the spring," manager Buck Showalter said. "Chris came in full aware that he was out of options. But he pitched like a guy who had three and didnt want to go to (Triple-A) Norfolk. And that shows a lot of maturity, because he wanted to be a guy for us this year -- and he has been so far." After Jose Iglesias chased Tillman with a leadoff double in the seventh, Darren ODay got three successive outs. Tommy Hunter worked a perfect eighth and Jim Johnson completed the three-hitter to earn his 24th save. Making his first career appearance at Camden Yards, 36-year-old Ryan Dempster (4-7) gave up two runs and five hits in 7 2-3 innings. He was victimized by a lack of offensive support -- the Red Sox have gone 15 straight innings without scoring a run, and in this one they got only one hit after the fourth. "The guy just pitched his tail off over there," Dempster said. "Sometimes you just get outpitched. There is really nothing you can do about. We dont get shut out very often. Its kind of a rarity. ... I felt good about my outing, for sure. I felt like I pitched well. The other guy just pitched better than me." Boston has lost two in a row for the first time since May 28-29 against Philadelphia, and its streak of winning four consecutive series is over. The Red Sox are 1-4 against the Orioles this season and have won only four of the last 17 games between the clubs. Davis led off the second inning with an opposite-field drive into the left-field seats, his sixth homer in the last eight games against the Red Sox. "I think Chris knows he doesnt have to get into pull mode to be effective," Showalter said. "Thats been good for him." Baltimore made it 2-0 in the third. Nate McLouth walked, took second on a single, advanced on a fly ball and scored when Adam Jones reached on a two-out dribbler down the third base line. Tillman issued a walk in each of the first four innings but kept the Red Sox at bay. After Boston got runners on the corners with one out in the fourth, Will Middlebrooks hit a short fly to right and David Ross struck out. "We did get a couple of guys on base over the course of the game, but it was a night where we couldnt bunch anything together," Red Sox manager John Farrell said. "He did issue the four walks to give us a couple of opportunities. Still, when you take (Iglesias) out of the mix, where he got two out of three hits in that ballgame, Tillman did a good job of keeping us in check." NOTES: Machado hit two doubles to increase his majors-leading total to 30. He also extended his hitting streak to 12 games, a new career high. ... The Red Sox recalled RHP Rubby De La Rosa from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Alex Wilson to the same club. ... The Orioles recalled RHP Jake Arrieta to fill out their weary bullpen. ... After being designated for assignment Monday, Boston INF Pedro Ciriaco was traded to San Diego for a player to be named or cash. ... John Lackey will start for Boston on Saturday against Baltimore and Freddy Garcia. Lackey is 11-4 lifetime against the Orioles and Garcia is 10-4 vs. Boston. ... J.J. Hardy went hitless against Dempster and is 2 for 30 lifetime against the right-hander. ... Iglesias has hit in 15 straight games in which he has a plate appearance. ... The Orioles reinstated LHP Tsuyoshi Wada (elbow) from the 60-day disabled list and optioned him to Norfolk. ... McLouth stole his 23rd base, tying a career high. Irv Smith Jr. Youth Jersey . The Vikings announced Thursday that Priefer will be one of seven holdovers from the previous staff, along with offensive line coach Jeff Davidson, wide receivers coach George Stewart and others. Norv Turner will mark his 30th year of coaching in the NFL as the offensive co-ordinator, as widely reported for weeks, and George Edwards will be the defensive co-ordinator. Cris Carter Jersey . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. http://www.thevikingsshoponline.com/Youth-Alan-Page-Vikings-Jersey/ . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. John Randle Vikings Jersey . Most important, perhaps, it went off without a hitch. Organizers poked a little fun at the now-infamous opening ceremony gaffe that saw only four out of five snowflakes open up into rings, leaving the Olympics logo one ring short. Brian ONeill Vikings Jersey . The third-ranked Ivanovic, who won the event in 2008 and 10, served five aces and broke Wickmayer, also a former winner in 2009, five times. "The result looked easier than it really was," Ivanovic said. DETROIT -- The lineup Justin Verlander was facing barely resembled the Cleveland team that clinched the AL Central title the night before.The ace right-hander took full advantage.Verlander struck out a season-high 12, and the Detroit Tigers routed the Indians 12-0 on Tuesday night to pull within a game of the American Leagues second wild card. Miguel Cabrera homered and drove in five runs in the first two innings.The Indians clinched the division on Monday night in Detroit, and their lineup Tuesday was without Jason Kipnis, Francisco Lindor, Mike Napoli and Jose Ramirez.Its actually kind of tough that way -- a bunch of guys in there I dont know at all, Verlander said. Just trying to figure it out on the fly when Im out there and kind of read swings and stuff.Verlander (16-8) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and a walk. The Tigers are now a game behind Baltimore for a wild card.Mike Clevinger (2-3) lasted only two innings, allowing Cabreras two-run double in the first and his three-run homer in the second.I wasnt mentally ready for this game, and thats embarrassing, Clevinger said. Ive made so much progress in about my last ten outings, and then I gave a lot of it back tonight. Some of that is baseball, but I felt like I could have controlled some of it.Justin Upton added a three-run homer in the seventh, and Andrew Romine hit a two-run shot in the eighth.Cleveland is 14-3 against Detroit this season, but the Tigers did exactly what could be expected against this unique version of the Indians. Cabreras double made it 2-0 before the Tigers made a single out, and it was 5-0 after his drive over the wall in center an inning later.Cabrera now has 35 home runs and 102 RBI on the season.Ian Kinsler hit an RBI single in the fourth, and Uptons 29th homer made it 9-0.The Tigers began clearing their own bench late in the game. They used five pinch hitters in the eighth, and Romine -- the only batter in that frame who wasnt a pinch hitter -- had come on earlier as a defensive replacement.dddddddddddd His drive to right put the Tigers up 12-0.Detroit hit for the cycle that inning with consecutive batters on a double by Nick Castellanos, a triple by Tyler Collins, Romines homer and a single by Steven Moya. Kansas City accomplished the same feat against the Tigers to start the game Sunday.PLAYING IT SAFEVerlander looked eager to keep pitching in the eighth, but manager Brad Ausmus took him out after 110 pitches. Verlanders next scheduled start is Sunday in the regular-season finale at Atlanta.We have a potential game in five days that could mean a lot, and hes going to be the guy pitching, Ausmus said. So Im certainly not going to run his pitch count up today in a game when we have a commanding lead.TRAINERS ROOMTigers: Castellanos (left hand) was activated from the DL before the game, and he flew back to Michigan in time to enter in the eighth. He had been at the instructional league. He played this morning in an intrasquad game, had a number of at-bats, got a couple hits, Ausmus said. Followed that up by flying to Detroit and getting a double down the third-base line, so he looked good.UP NEXTIndians: Cleveland might have its regulars back in the lineup Wednesday night against the Tigers, but it could be another adventure on the mound. Zach McAllister (3-2) makes only his second start of the season. He has pitched 51 times in relief.Tigers: Rookie Michael Fulmer (11-7) makes his final scheduled start of the season. He needs 6 1/3 innings to qualify for the ERA title.---Follow Noah Trister at www.Twitter.com/noahtrister ' ' '