Pitching propelling Majors’ top hitting team

BALTIMORE — Here come the Red Sox, not only roaring down the stretch, but doing so with the type of pitching that looks poised to take them deep into October.

Remember those days in May and June when Boston seemed to routinely win by football scores, but there was concern that the pitching wouldn’t be deep enough or successful enough when it mattered most?

That has all changed here in the season’s final month, and it was never more evident than in the four-game sweep of the Orioles that was completed with Thursday’s 5-3 victory.

In each game, the offense scored five runs. The pitching staff held the dangerous Orioles to 2-2-1-3 in the four games.

For the month, Boston’s pitching staff has a 2.80 ERA, second in the Major Leagues to the Dodgers. The Red Sox are 15-5 in September, and have won eight in a row. The scorching run has led to a commanding 5 1/2-game lead in the American League East with just nine games left in the regular season.

“It begins and ends with starting pitching,” said Red Sox manager John Farrell. “As long as we’re able to keep a game under control, we like the way we’re able to build some innings offensively.”

David Price (17-8, 3.91 ERA) was the one who set the tone Thursday, firing seven innings while …

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