BOSTON – The Orioles led 2-0 yesterday and lost 19-5. They took a 2-0 lead today in the first inning in Game 1 of a doubleheader, it began to pour again, Jarren Duran homered on Zach Eflin’s second pitch, and play was paused so the grounds crew could spread a drying compound on the field, mound and around home plate.
Players walked to the dugout and waited about six minutes. Eflin returned, retired Rafael Devers on a ground ball and surrendered a game-tying home run to Wilyer Abreu.
Teams talk about the value in getting a reset. Can an entire series be eligible for one?
Eflin tried to demolish the built-in excuse for a poor outing by carrying a lead into the sixth inning. The Orioles lost it, and eventually the game when Rafael Devers singled up the middle off Gregory Soto in the 10th to give the Red Sox a 6-5 walk-off victory at Fenway Park.
A three-run fifth inning appeared to fuel the Orioles’ second win in 11 games and fourth in 19, but the Red Sox scored twice in the sixth to tie the game, with Gunnar Henderson’s throwing a big contributor. Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless 10th, with Jorge Mateo striking out to strand two after entering the game earlier as a pinch-runner.
The Orioles (16-34) are a season-high 18 games below .500 and will try to avoid being swept for a third time this season. They haven't been on the positive side of a sweep since June 25, 2016 against the Rays.
Ramón Urías, batting cleanup for the second time this season and 11th in his career, stroked a two-run double to left-center field in the first inning after Adley Ruschman walked and Henderson singled. Duran’s seventh career leadoff home run came on a cutter, the same pitch that Abreu pulled to right field for a 2-2 tie.
Eflin tied his career high with four home runs surrendered in his last start against the Nationals. He settled down to retire 10 of 11 today before Abraham Toro led off the fifth with a homer on another cutter. The Red Sox didn’t have a hit since Carlos Narváez’s double with one out in the first.
The sixth inning couldn’t have gone much worse. Devers led off with a double on a fly ball down the right field line, Abreu walked and Henderson charged Narváez’s bouncer, tried for the force at second and fired the ball into center field. The lead was down to 5-4 with two runners in scoring position and Bryan Baker entering.
Nick Sogard’s RBI grounder leveled the game, and Baker retired the next two batters on a strikeout and fly ball to leave a runner on third base.
Eflin allowed four earned runs and five total with five hits, two walks and one strikeout. His ERA increased to 5.40.
Keegan Akin struck out Abreu to strand two runners in the seventh and Yennier Cano retired the side in order and struck out two in the eighth. Félix Bautista retired the side in order in the ninth to end his streak of allowing runs in four consecutive appearances.
The Orioles broke the 2-2 tie in the top of the fifth on Heston Kjerstad’s leadoff double, Emmanuel Rivera’s single and a fielder’s choice grounder from Jackson Holliday. Sean Newcomb replaced starter Hunter Dobbins after Rivera reached, and Henderson followed Rutschman’s walk with an RBI double
Rutschman scored on a wild pitch for a 5-2 lead that wasn’t sustainable.
Kjerstad grounded into a 6-3 double play after the Orioles put two runners on base in the eighth.
Red Sox pitching held the Orioles to one hit over the last five innings.