The first pitch thrown tonight by Orioles starter Shane Baz resulted in a 393-foot fly ball that Luis Robert Jr. ran down on the warning track in center field.

Mickey Gasper pulled Baz’s second pitch, also a four-seam fastball, onto the flag court in right field.

The contact was loud, the aggression immediate.

Baz’s recovery was swift.

The right-hander didn’t surrendered another run and lasted 6 1/3 innings for a quality start, but the offense disappeared on him again in the Red Sox’s 1-0 victory before an announced crowd of 19,821 at Camden Yards.

The Orioles (69-73) were shut out for the fifth time, lost their fourth game in a row and returned to the clubhouse 2 ½ games behind for the last Wild Card. They waited for the result of Game 2 of the Guardians-Tigers doubleheader.

Baz allowed four hits, walked two, struck out six and lowered his ERA to 3.91. He retired six in a row after Gasper’s homer and stranded two in the third inning in a jam created by Eli White’s one-out single and Jackson Holliday’s fielding error. Baz worked around a leadoff walk in the fourth and more trouble in the sixth on Gasper’s leadoff single, Leody Taveras’ error on the play, and a one-out walk to Wilyer Abreu.

Manager Craig Albernaz called upon reliever Alex Hoppe after Trevor Story’s one-out single in the seventh. The Red Sox loaded the bases and Adley Rutschman got ahead 3-1 before flying out.

Left-hander Ranger Suárez tossed seven scoreless innings with five hits allowed. He retired seven of the last eight batters and was done after 91 pitches.

The day began with Baz’s 3.27 run support average ranking second-worst in the majors. The Orioles have scored 10 runs while he’s in the game in his last eight starts.

Josh Walker struck out three batters in the eighth and stranded two. Blaze Alexander led off the bottom of the eighth with his third single and was erased on Robert’s double play grounder.

Alexander slid hard into second base, Nick Sogard didn’t appreciate it, and the benches and bullpens emptied. Alexander had to be restrained, waved both arms above his head and motioned to the crowd to stand up. Both teams appeared to be chirping again after the top of the ninth.

Jahmai Jones slid aggressively into Alexander last night, resulting in a crucial throwing error.

Mayo’s soft sell

Coby Mayo is blistering baseballs against left-handed pitching this season, launching titanic home runs with extraordinary exit velos.

Mayo extended a rally in the third inning tonight with an infield single that moved Alexander from first to third base. Mayo poked a grounder to the vacated right side at a measly 47.7 mph with Nick Sogard ranging too far up the middle.

Robert, also capable of inflicting serious damage upon southpaws, lined out to center field at 112.4 mph.

The lineup was set up perfectly for the Orioles with Mayo, Robert and Pete Alonso in succession, but the Red Sox maintained their 1-0 lead.

Mayo extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine games, but he batted again with two on and two outs in the fifth and grounded out on the first pitch.

Changing his tune

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson made an adjustment for tonight’s game, but it didn’t involve hitting mechanics.

Henderson switched his walkup song from Gwen Stefani’s “The Sweet Escape” to “Sweet Home Alabama” by southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynyrd.

The Montgomery native and graduate of John T. Morgan Academy in Selma was 2-for-16 in four games since going 4-for-4 with two homers and five RBIs Sunday in Sacramento. He flied out in his first at-bat, singled on an 0-2 count in the fourth inning, bounced out in the sixth and struck out in the ninth.

Down on the farm

High-A Frederick pitcher Harrison Kreiling was placed on the injured list earlier today.

The Orioles acquired Kreiling in the Taylor Ward trade with the Mariners. He posted a 6.75 ERA in four starts with Class A Delmarva and allowed two runs in 2 1/3 innings in his only appearance with the Keys.

Michael Forret, reacquired by the Orioles in the Tyler Wells trade with the Rays, allowed two runs and three hits with three walks and four strikeouts in three innings.

Double-A Chesapeake’s JT Quinn tossed five scoreless innings and Frederick Bencosme hit his 12th home run.