BOSTON -- David Lough took the injured Andrew Jones' place in center field for the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night.

Little did anyone know he would also take Jones' place in the power department.

While Jones and his 10 homers and 36 RBIs again sat out with a shoulder injury, Lough drilled a three-run homer in a four-run second inning that sent the June-hot Orioles to a 6-4 win over the Boston Red Sox.

"I don't get many of them, not as many as he gets, but it was good to get that on the board tonight and get those three runs for us," Lough said after the Birds won their third straight and 14th in their last 18 since starting June with three straight losses.

Lough, who made his fourth start and sixth appearance of the season in center, a position he played a lot of in the minors, was hitting ninth and followed a bases loaded sacrifice fly by second baseman Ryan Flaherty with his hefty shot off loser Joe Kelly (2-5).

It was Lough's fourth homer of the season, but third in his last 10 games after hitting one in his first 41.

"Let's face it, David's abilities allows us to be a little cautious with Adam," said manager Buck Showalter, who probably won't have Jones throughout the three-game set. "We're fortunate to have ... we try to be a sum of the parts team."

While Baltimore, 8-3 against Boston this season, improved to 38-33, the last-place Red Sox, who went 2-1 in a weekend series at Kansas City in a brief sign of optimism, dropped to 31-41 overall -- 10-22 against the rest of the AL East. The game marked the first of 10 straight against division foes.

Right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez (6-3) came in with a 1-3 record and an 8.42 ERA lifetime against the Red Sox. He was also 0-1 with a 7.41 ERA at Fenway Park in the regular season and also lost Game 2 of the 2007 World Series, walking five in 4 2/3 innings.

Tuesday night, he toiled through five innings (three runs, eight strikeouts) and earned his third straight win, his first three-game winning streak as an Oriole. He hasn't lost since May 16. He said he was sorry for not going deeper into the game, but 101 pitches in five innings and he was done.

Four relievers worked an inning apiece of two-hit ball, with left-hander Zach Britton earning his 20th save, his 16th straight since May 3. He allowed a walk and a two-out RBI double to second baseman Dustin Pedroia, and then DH David Ortiz, the tying run at the plate, lined out to end it.

The Orioles, who got a triple and double from right fielder Chris Parmelee, are 31-0 this season when leading after seven innings.

Red Sox manager John Farrell was ejected by home plate umpire Tim Timmons after the sixth inning after right fielder Brock Holt was called out on strikes with two out and two on.

"He gets called out on a pitch probably a couple of baseballs away and (I) disagreed with it.

Asked if he got a quick hook, Farrell said, "I said a thing probably one too many times."

Third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who missed Sunday's game with an ankle injury, continued his hot month with three straight singles and an RBI, while left fielder Hanley Ramirez had two hits and an RBI for Boston.

Kelly (2-5) lasted just 3 2/3 innings and has one win since his first start of the season. He has failed to go more than five innings in six of his 14 starts and continues to be in danger of losing his spot in the rotation.

"There's no questioning the stuff," said Farrell. "It's just the ability to stay with a consistent game plan because of the mislocated pitches."

NOTES: Baltimore CF Adam Jones was out for the fifth time in seven games due to a right shoulder injury. He is unlikely to play in the series but hopes to avoid the disabled list. ... The Red Sox made a series of roster moves, adding C Erik Kratz (picked up on waivers) and RHP Justin Masterson (back from the DL to join the bullpen), while OF Rusney Castillo and RHP Steven Wright were optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket. ... RF Shane Victorino and C Ryan Hanigan were set to begin rehab stints at Pawtucket. ... Baltimore RHP Bud Norris, who has one of his two 2015 wins over Boston, faces RHP Clay Buchholz on Wednesday. ... RHP Miguel Gonzalez (groin) rejoined the Orioles and will be activated to start Thursday. ... Notre Dame football coach Brian Kelly, whose team faces Boston College at Fenway Park in November, threw out the first pitch.