-1745819772711.png){kind=logo}
Kyle Bradish remembered his move. The pinpoint control was evident before his first pitch.
Bradish led the Orioles onto the field tonight, turned sideways as he jumped over the first base line and pounded his fist into his glove after landing. He was starting a major league game for the first time in 438 days, and fans didn’t let the moment pass without an ovation.
The Red Sox deviated a little from their assigned parts in the feel-good story of the returning ace who made it through elbow surgery and an extensive rehab. Bradish struck out eight batters over the first four innings but also surrendered a pair of leadoff home runs.
The velocity was good. The arm was healthy. The rotation immediately got better, for this year and in 2026. Nothing else mattered as much.
Bradish completed six innings on 81 pitches and struck out 10 in the Orioles’ 5-0 loss before an announced crowd of 14,776 at Camden Yards. He allowed two runs and four hits and didn’t issue a walk.
Making a start wasn’t enough for Bradish. It had to be quality, too.
"It was a lot of fun," said catcher Alex Jackson. "He looked really good out there. Command was excellent. Attacking the zone. Obviously, unfortunately, a couple barrels found some baseballs. But overall, he threw the ball really well, and it was a lot of fun working with him tonight."
Red Sox starter Lucas Giolito retired the first eight batters and 14 of 15 before Dylan Beavers doubled to the right field fence in the fifth at 105.2 mph. The Orioles (60-72) lost for the fifth time in six games since the off-day, and they suffered their 14th shutout this season.
Giolito tossed eight scoreless innings with only four hits allowed and eight strikeouts. He was the "other" pitcher tonight despite the zeros.
Bradish went out to the dugout about 1 1/2 hours before the game, his usual routine to get a feel for the weather and brightness, but with much different thoughts rolling through his head.
"I was out there listening to music and just kind of taking it all in," he said. "It’s been a long journey to get back here, so very grateful to be able to throw today.”
A sense of normal hit Bradish after he warmed in the bullpen and began walking to the main mound.
"After that first inning the nerves kind of went away," he said, "and I just felt like I was back to doing what I was meant to be doing.”
Expectations met?
“I think he exceeded them,” said interim manager Tony Mansolino. “Six innings, 10 punchouts, under 85 pitches, I think. Super thrilled with him."
Mansolino knew right away that Bradish was back in form, and it's the kind that separates him from other starters. There's a skill set that's unique to him, the velocity and the strikeouts. He's a different type of weapon.
"We said in the warmup pitches in the first inning, just watching the warmup pitches, I told Frenchy (pitching coach Drew French), ‘That looks different,'" Mansolino said. "We haven’t seen stuff like that out of the rotation all year. Now, we’ve got guys with good stuff, but Bradish, we’ve talked about him, is the type of guy that, if he stays healthy, it’s ace-type stuff, it’s ace-type pitchability, it’s absolutely an ace mentality. He’s just got to do it for a while."
Trevor Story hit his 200th career home run, pulling a first-pitch slider in the second down the left field line and into the seats for a 1-0 lead. David Hamilton lined a sinker into the first row of fans standing on the flag court in the third inning. Bradish went back to the same pitch to strike out the next two batters.
“I think that’s the only way we were going to score runs against him," said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. "That was electric. Good for him. It’s so tough to come (back) from injuries. That stuff was really good. The fastball was explosive, the sinker was great. It was really tough to hit him. One of the best we’ve faced this year.”
Bradish’s first pitch was a 96.8 mph fastball. He got a popup, struck out Alex Bregman with a slider and struck out Jarren Duran looking at a 97.5 mph sinker with the count full. The inning lasted 13 pitches.
Bradish started to walk off the mound before plate umpire Nic Lentz called out Duran. He did it again on Bregman’s fly ball to end the second, but also shook his head as the ball carried near the track.
Boston’s hitters did some head shaking, too, as Bradish racked up the strikeouts – six with his sinker, two with his curveball and one each with his fastball and slider. Tonight marked his fifth career start with at least 10 strikeouts.
“Looks pretty good to me," Mansolino said. "The two fastballs, and then the two breaking pitches and just a whole thing. Some of those sliders probably backed up a tick. I think he'll kind of figure that out as he gets used to throwing the major league ball at the major league level and just controlling his emotions and everything that kind of went into today. This was a big moment for him, so he was pretty hyped up. I looked out there in the first inning, and he looked like he was huffing and puffing a little bit in the first inning for me, which is abnormal, but that's just the emotions and the nerves and everything kind of coming out. But handled it, controlled it, threw the ball great.”
The ninth strikeout came against Carlos Narváez to conclude the fifth inning, a sinker that froze the Red Sox’s catcher. It was the first frame without Bradish fanning multiple batters.
Keegan Akin warmed as Bradish began the sixth by allowing a single to Roman Anthony. Bregman bounced into a 6-3 double play and Duran struck out for the third time to move Bradish within one of tying his career high. Fans stood to cheer Bradish, who pumped his fist and yelled.
“There were definitely a lot of emotions just throughout the whole day," he said. "A lot of nerves as the game got closer and just looking back at kind of the journey I’ve been on the past 14 months to get back to where I am here. So it was just a lot and just really tried to manage that. Obviously I was amped up the first inning, but felt like I was able to control them and settle in and get through whatever it was."
Bradish would have came back for the seventh if given the green light.
"I felt great even after the sixth inning," he said. "I felt like I responded every inning, arm felt really good throughout the outing. So yeah, definitely wanted that sixth inning and felt really good after it.”
Jackson singled for the second time leading off the sixth and Jeremiah Jackson singled with one out. Gunnar Henderson struck out for the third time, the last pitch actually missing inside and drawing a brief but stern objection, and Colton Cowser grounded out.
Giolito retired the side in order on four pitches in the seventh. He had regained control.
Jackson Holliday drew a four-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth and Jackson struck out on 11 pitches.
Yaramil Hiraldo allowed a run in the eighth on Ceddanne Rafaela’s double, a sacrifice bunt and fielder’s choice roller in front of the mound. Yennier Cano inherited two runners in the ninth and they scored on a wild pitch and Hamilton’s fly ball to left that Beavers misplayed but didn’t touch, creating a gift double and moans from the same crowd that cheered earlier.
A late mishap in loss No. 72 didn't ruin the moment for Bradish or the Orioles. The importance of tonight wasn't going to be reflected in the standings.
Not these standings.
"I definitely enjoyed being on this side rather than having to face him in the box, because he’s one of the best pitchers in the game for a reason, and his stuff is absolutely electric," Jackson said. "This is his first outing out, it’s only going to be up from here."
"I think through this whole process I had a great support system with our training staff, our coaches here, my wife, my parents and then just putting in the work and being able to be at Camden Yards for the majority of the year through my rehab, I think it made it easier to take the next jump," Bradish said. "But throughout the whole process, I really felt confident that I would get back to where I was last year and the year before, and I think that I kind of proved that today. Obviously, there’s a lot more ball to be played, but I think it was a step in the right direction.”
What transpired tonight will make Bradish feel even better about where he's headed. The journey continues. A Tuesday night in late August wasn't the finish.
"I think as he kind of grabs a ball tomorrow and throws a ball around a little bit the next couple days, I think the confidence will build," Mansolino said. "He’ll see that he feels good and the surgery worked and he’s healthy and he’s back to being himself. That’s a really nice platform to kind of start off with here first start. Just really excited about what the next five, six, seven’s going to look like here down the stretch."
* Left-hander Dietrich Enns will be the opener tomorrow.
* Right-hander Levi Wells moved up from Double-A Chesapeake to Triple-A Norfolk after posting a 3.12 ERA in 20 games with the Baysox. He surrendered only four home runs in 75 innings.
Trey Gibson started for the Tides and allowed six runs and 10 hits in three innings. Albert Suárez tossed a scoreless inning. TT Bowens hit his 14th home run.
Reed Trimble hit his eighth home run for Chesapeake. Blake Money allowed two runs and struck out eight in five innings.
High-A Aberdeen's Wellington Aracena tossed four scoreless innings with one hit, four walks and six strikeouts.
Class A Delmarva’s Twine Palmer allowed two runs and two hits and struck out eight over 4 2/3 innings.
