BALTIMORE -- With 40-year-old David Ortiz leading the way, the Boston Red Sox are putting substantial distance between themselves and their pursuers in the AL East.Ortiz broke open a tight game with a three-run homer in the seventh inning, and Boston beat the Baltimore Orioles 5-2 Tuesday night for its sixth straight victory.Jackie Bradley Jr. also homered for the Red Sox, who stretched their lead over third-place Baltimore to five games with 11 remaining. Toronto is in second place, four games back after a 10-2 victory at Seattle.After sweeping four games from the Yankees, Boston has won the first two of this pivotal four-game series.This was really huge, Bradley said. To get two wins right away is very vital for us. I think it will help us keep building on our momentum and finish strong.Trey Mancini homered in his major league debut for the Orioles, who are 1 1/2 games ahead of Detroit for the second AL wild card.The Red Sox are 11-3 in their last 14 games and a major league-best 13-5 in September.I think there is growing confidence in our clubhouse daily, manager John Farrell said. Weve responded to a number of challenges, whether its on the road or coming from behind to win ballgames in the division. Those are key. When you succeed in those, thats a snowball effect that takes place.To balance that out, no one is taking any of that for granted.The Red Sox led 2-1 in the seventh when Marco Hernandez and Mookie Betts singled off Kevin Gausman (8-11). One out later, Ortiz hit a 1-2 pitch far over the center-field wall.I still cant figure out how he can swing so hard on balls up and in and then cover a pitch down and away, but thats why hes the hitter he is, Orioles catcher Matt Wieters said.Ortiz guessed correctly that Gausman would throw a fastball.I had to shoot for something. Experience played out in that at-bat, the slugger said. I told myself, `Ive got to either shoot for a fastball or a splitter. But I know hes throwing his best fastball right now. So Im going to go for a fastball. And then he threw the fastball.Playing in his final season, Ortiz has 36 home runs and 121 RBI. Big Papi has hit eight home runs against the Orioles this season -- including two in this series -- and 54 for his career.Betts also extended his run of success against Baltimore, going 3 for 5 and scoring twice. He is 16 for 31 at Camden Yards and has scored 16 runs in eight games.Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7) allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings for Boston, his first win in 11 starts since July 16.Craig Kimbrel worked the ninth for his 28th save.After giving up four hits in eight scoreless innings last week at Boston, Gausman yielded five runs and 10 hits in 6 1/3 innings.Boston went up 1-0 in the third when Betts singled and scored on a grounder by Hanley Ramirez. Bradley hit his 26th homer in the fourth.Rodriguez retired his first 11 batters and held Baltimore without a hit until Mancini connected with two outs in the fifth. The rookie sprinted around the bases, taking about half the time Ortiz did during his home run trot in the seventh.UNFORGETTTABLE MOMENTThe Orioles were quick to turn the page after the defeat, but Mancini will never forget this night. He became the third Orioles player to homer in his first game, following Larry Haney in 1966 and Jonathan Schoop in 2013.It was a really special moment, something that Ive definitely been waiting for my whole life, the rookie said.TRAINERS ROOMRed Sox: Farrell gave 2B Dustin Pedroia (knee) the night off but expected him back in the lineup Wednesday.Orioles: LHP Wade Miley is expected to leave the team after Sundays game against Arizona to join his wife, who is expecting. Manager Buck Showalter said the pitcher might miss the Toronto series that begins Tuesday.UP NEXTRed Sox: Clay Buchholz (7-10, 5.20 ERA) looks to extend a three-game winning streak Wednesday night. He is 0-2 with a 6.35 ERA against Baltimore this season.Orioles: Unbeaten in four starts since Aug. 25, Ubaldo Jimenez (7-11, 5.94) is 2-5 with a 7.39 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox. Eliaquim Mangala France Jersey . Ferrer, trying to win his fourth title on Mexican soil, will next play South Africas Kevin Anderson, who eliminated American Sam Querrey,7-6 (2), 6-4. Also Wednesday, Gilles Simon (6) of France beat Donald Young of the United States 6-4, 6-3, Ukraines Alexandr Dolgopolov downed Frenchman Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-4 and Croatias Ivo Karlovic defeated Dudi Sela of Israel 7-6 (4), 6-2. Laurent Koscielny Jersey .Y. - New Orleans forward Anthony Davis was chosen Friday to replace the injured Kobe Bryant in the NBA All-Star game that will be played in his home city. http://www.nationalfrancesoccer.com/hugo-lloris-france-jersey/ . Speaking to the Chicago Tribune at baseballs Winter Meetings in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, Boras called the former home of the Expos a "tremendous environment" for baseball. Lucas Digne Jersey . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Christophe Jallet Jersey . -- Linebacker Myles Jack ran for four touchdowns, defensive end Cassius Marsh caught a scoring pass, and No. CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- If the New Orleans Saints hope to make a run at the playoffs theyll first need to figure out how to kick the football through the uprights.Seems pretty simple, right?And yet for the second straight week, disaster struck when rookie kicker Wil Lutz walked on the field.With the Saints looking to cut Carolinas lead to seven in the second quarter, Vernon Butler blocked a 38-yard field goal attempt and Luke Kuechly returned it 73 yards to set up a Carolina touchdown before halftime. Kuechly actually scored on the return, but the Panthers were flagged for a block in the back. It didnt matter as Cam Newton found Ted Ginn Jr. for a 40-yard TD strike on the next play from scrimmage and the Panthers went on to a 23-20 win .It wasnt quite as dramatic as four days earlier when Lutzs potential game-winning extra point was blocked by Justin Simmons and returned for a defensive 2-point conversion in a 25-23 loss to the Denver Broncos, but the 10-point swing was just as costly.Its two weeks in a row that weve had a blocked kick thats resulted in pretty catastrophic results, Saints quarterback Drew Brees said. So I think were doing a lot of good things, but unfortunately theres a couple critical things that need to be fixed in order for us to win and be successful.Some other things to know from the Panthers win:SACKS ARE COMING IN BUNCHESThe Panthers defense is bringing the heat with 18 sacks in their last four games.Their fronts playing well, said Saints coach Sean Payton, whose team has lost four of its past five games at Carolina. It forces you to come underneath. ... You have to win inside or separate inside. We forced one on the one pick down the field, but it was obviously a more patient approach.Brees threw for 465 yards in a victory against Carolina earlier this season. On Thursday night, he threw for 285 in a loss.This is a defense that thrives on you getting impatient. We knew that coming in, Bress said. I tried to force one that I shouldnt have, and it was a bad result. Other than that I thought we were efficient.EMOTIONAL SPEECHPanthers defensive end Charles Johnson implored his team to not repeat last weeks collapse against Kansas City while on thee sideline.dddddddddddd. Carolinas defense snuffed out the Saints final push for a game-tying field goal attempt.There was a feeling of `lets stop it, Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. I think thats the most important thing. I think Charles Johnson said it best, about stopping people. That was good to see Charles step up and talk like that. I think it helped the guys.PLAYOFF HOPESDespite close losses and losing records, both the Panthers and Saints have optimism going into the seasons stretch run, in pursuit of first-place Atlanta. The Falcons lead the NFC South at 6-4, but all three teams behind them are two games or fewer behind.Of course we have our hopes high, said Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, who passed for 192 yards and a touchdown on Thursday. We still have our sights to everything that we want, but its still right in front of our eyes. Its going to be up to us to focus in, hone in, and were going to mend up for the next couple of days and get ready for Oakland.Brees, whose team plays at home against Los Angeles and Detroit next, sees a similar path for the Saints. New Orleans has two games against Tampa Bay and one against Atlanta to come.I know theres a lot of football left to be played, Brees said. Nothing has been determined at this point.PANTHERS RUN GAME STRUGGLESThe Panthers running game continues to struggle this season. They were held to 50 yards rushing on 27 carries against the Saints, a mere 1.9-yard average.Its part of a disturbing trend for Carolina, a team that ran for at least 100 yards in all 19 games last season. Carolina had just six first downs in the second half.INJURIES TO WATCHBoth teams will have injuries to watch moving forward,The Panthers lost linebacker Luke Kuechly (concussion), center Ryan Kalil (shoulder), pass rusher Mario Addison (foot) and cornerback Leonard Johnson (chest) to injuries.The Saints lost running back Mark Ingram to a possible concussion.---AP freelance writer Eli Pacheco contributed to this report.---For more NFL coverage: http://www.pro32.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '