BALTIMORE -- Red Sox shortstop Julio Lugo leads the majors with 12 errors this season, including five in the last 16 games. He almost cost the Red Sox again Friday night with his defense, but thanks to quick reflexes – and an extremely slow Kevin Millar – Lugo was saved.

In the bottom of the 12th inning with two runners on for Baltimore, Millar hit a routine grounder to Lugo. It appeared to be an easy double play, but the shortstop bobbled the ball and was forced to hurry the throw to first to at least get one out, which he did.

The runners now stood at second and third, so with first base open the Sox decided to intentionally walk the Orioles’ Luke Scott. That proved crucial because reliever Mike Timlin got Ramon Hernandez to fly out to left field to end the inning and threat.

"Sticking with that ball, I don’t want to say it had disaster written all over it, but he stayed with it enough and got the out. That was a huge play," said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

Lugo, who did not start the game, felt pretty confident after the victory.

"I just want to get one out," he said. "I was trying to get two, but then I bobbled it. I went to first and got the out."