BOSTON -- Baltimore manager Buck Showalter was a 21-year-old minor leaguer in the Yankees system in 1979, with a locker made of "two nails and a piece of tape." None of the players in his current clubhouse was even alive the last time the Orioles held a double-digit lead in the AL East. "Its just a step," he said on Monday night after the Orioles beat Boston 4-0 to open a 10-game lead in the division over the second-place Yankees. "Every night you get to take a step toward your goal." Nelson Cruz had a pair of hits and Miguel Gonzalez took a shutout into the seventh inning as Baltimore won for the ninth time in 12 games. The Orioles have their first double-digit lead in 35 years -- and the second-place New York Yankees have 21 games to play. "Its been incredible," said Gonzalez, who has allowed just four earned runs in his last 34 2-3 innings. "I think our defence and offence have been there the whole year. Were in a good spot." Gonzalez (9-7) allowed six hits and three walks while striking out four in 6 1-3 innings. Steve Pearce also had two hits for Baltimore. The last-place Red Sox had only one runner reach second base in the first six innings. They did not put a runner on third until the seventh, when they loaded the bases with three straight singles against Gonzalez. But Tommy Hunter struck out Will Middlebrooks and David Ross to end the inning. Joe Kelly (1-2) allowed three earned runs, six hits and three walks in 6 1-3 innings. He also hit two batters and struck out six. "We didnt play good defence behind him," Ross said. "We didnt come up with any big hits, especially late. We had the guy on the ropes and couldnt come up with any." Baltimore went ahead on singles by Cruz, Chris Davis and Pearce in the second. The Orioles added two runs in the sixth thanks to a walk, a hit batter and an error on shortstop Xander Bogaerts when he couldnt convert a double play. Another failed double play helped Baltimore score a run in the seventh. TRAINERS ROOM Orioles: SS J.J. Hardy missed the game -- his third in a row -- and was sent back to Baltimore to have an MRI on his ailing back. Hardy said he took some groundballs and swings but wasnt healthy enough to play. He was scheduled to fly to Baltimore for tests and a possible cortisone shot. Red Sox: DH David Ortiz (right foot) and 1B Mike Napoli (illness) returned after missing Sundays game. UP NEXT The teams play the second game of the three-game series on Tuesday, with Chris Tillman (11-5) scheduled to face Boston rookie Anthony Ranaudo (3-1). The Orioles magic number to clinch the AL East is 11. SINGLE PLAY The Red Sox hit into three double plays. But they couldnt turn one in the infield despite five chances, with Orioles batters repeatedly beating the relay to first. With the bases loaded in the sixth inning, the Red Sox botched a potential 3-6-1 double play when shortstop Bogaerts throw bounced past Kelly, who was covering first, allowing another run to score. Boston did manage a strike out-throw out double play in the ninth. KICKING IT AROUND Boston had three errors in the game. In addition to Bogaerts error, Ross threw the ball into centre field when attempting to catch Alejandro De Aza stealing second in the seventh. With De Aza on third, left fielder Yoenis Cespedes was rushing in to field Adam Jones fly ball but muffed it, allowing the run to score. Air Max 270 Femme Solde . The 27-year-old forward has informed the Leafs that he will be unable to play in Monday nights home game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Air Max 90 Homme Pas Cher .ca contributor Grant McCagg provides a look at some risers and fallers on the prospect watch. http://www.maxnikepascher.fr/destockage-air-max-97.html.ca. Hello Kerry, After watching Nino Niederreiter clobber Alex Burrows with an open-ice hit on Wednesday, do you think he should have gotten more than the two minutes for interference. Air Max 95 Homme Pas Cher .ca Fantasy Editor Scott Cullen, NFL Editor Ben Fisher, and Isaac Owusu discuss three hot fantasy football topics. Air Max 720 Obj Pas Cher . Join World Soccer Pickem 2014 for your chance to win $5,500 in cash prizes by picking the winner of each game all the way through to the tournament final. Will you ride a favourite such as Spain or Germany, or cast your lot with an underdog like Ivory Coast or Mexico? Perhaps key victories from Netherlands or the United States will be your key to victory. MIAMI -- The only thing that keeps LeBron James up worrying at night is basketball, which simultaneously makes perfect sense and no sense. On one hand, hes the games best player. On the other, hes rarely impressed with himself. Even after a year like 2013 -- when a spectacular wedding, a second NBA championship and a fourth MVP award were among the many highlights enjoyed by the Miami Heat star -- he still is, as he puts it, striving for greatness. Or, technically, more greatness, since his enormous list of accomplishments just keeps growing. James was announced Thursday as The Associated Press 2013 Male Athlete of the Year, becoming the third basketball player to capture the award that has been annually awarded since 1931. James received 31 of 96 votes cast in a poll of news organizations, beating Peyton Manning (20) and Jimmie Johnson (7). "Im chasing something and its bigger than me as a basketball player," James told the AP. "I believe my calling is much higher than being a basketball player. I can inspire people. Youth is huge to me. If I can get kids to look at me as a role model, as a leader, a superhero ... those things mean so much, and thats what I think I was built for. I was put here for this lovely game of basketball, but I dont think this is the biggest role that Im going to have." Past winners include Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, Muhammad Ali, Carl Lewis, Joe Montana, Tiger Woods and Michael Phelps. Serena Williams was the AP Female Athlete of the Year, announced Wednesday. James joins Michael Jordan and Larry Bird as NBA players to win the award. "I dont think Ive changed much this year," James said. "Ive just improved and continued to improve on being more than just as a basketball player. Ive matured as a leader, as a father, as a husband, as a friend." So far in 2013, with a maximum of three games left to play, James has appeared in 98. The Heat have won 78 of them. None of those was bigger than the four Miami got in the NBA Finals against San Antonio. In Game 7, James was at his best,, scoring 37 points, including the jump shot with 27.dddddddddddd.9 seconds left that essentially was the clincher. "He always rises to the occasion when it matters the most," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. Business-wise, James is booming. Some estimate his annual income around $60 million, less than one-third of that being made on the court. His wife has opened a juice bar in Miami, and David Beckham wants James to be part of the Major League Soccer team he plans on bringing to South Florida in the next couple years. Countless people want to align with James. Few make him listen. Beckham did. "You want to be a part of it, but it has to feel real to you," James said. "You dont want to do something that doesnt feel much to you, that youre just doing for the money. We all have money. For me, my time is more than money at this point in my life." James has another "decision" to make in 2014. He can become a free agent again this summer, though still smarting from the circus atmosphere that followed him during his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers four years ago, James is staying largely silent on what might happen. He insists he has no idea. "Im so zoned in on what my task is here this year that its hard to think about anything else," James said. "A guy the other day asked me what Im going to do for New Years, and I havent even thought about that." When asked if theres anything he doesnt like about Miami, James offered few complaints, other than the often-clogged street -- Biscayne Boulevard, or U.S. 1 -- that leads to the arena the Heat call home. "What is there not to like about Miami?" James said. "It is a home. My family is very happy; Im very comfortable. But U.S. 1? I wish that was a highway." Bear in mind, hes not always unhappy when that street is gridlocked. The last two years, hes been largely responsible for hundreds of thousands of people lining that road for Heat championship parades. And if he gets his way, theyll be back next June. ' ' '