The American League Cy Young race is one of the two-man variety, coming down to the wire between Detroit’s Tarik Skubal and Boston’s Garrett Crochet.
The latter has been dominant in a Red Sox uniform, posting a 2.38 ERA and over 11 strikeouts per nine innings entering this afternoon’s contest against the Orioles.
The O’s were lucky to avoid Crochet for a two-game series up in Fenway. They didn’t get so lucky in this afternoon’s series finale in OPACY.
In a game that Crochet starts, you’re fortunate to not be trailing when he leaves. That’s where the Orioles found themselves entering the seventh inning, all knotted at two.
But it was the Red Sox bullpen that got the best of the Orioles, blanking the birds' bats in the final three innings. The Sox were able to push one run across in the eighth, and that was all they needed. The O's fell 3-2 and were swept in this four-game series.
Boston’s offense came out with a clear strategy in the first inning: swing early and swing often. Roman Anthony jumped on the first pitch of the game, driving a single into center field at 101.8 mph. One pitch later, Alex Bregman grounded into a double play.
And on Povich’s fourth pitch of the game, Trevor Story drove a changeup nearly 110 mph off the bat into left field for a solo home run. It was Story’s 22nd of the season, one that has been more stellar by the month. That home run improved his OPS to .874 since July 1.
Povich was out of the inning on his fifth pitch, a groundout from Romy González, but the Red Sox had an early advantage.
In the third, the Orioles got on the board, thanks to extra-base machine Alex Jackson.
Jackson drove a well-placed fastball into the bullpen in left-center for his fourth home run of the season and 15th hit. Among those 15 hits, 11 have gone for extra bases.
His batterymate, Povich, found a bit of a rhythm after a first inning filled with hard contact. But in the fourth, he fell victim to the long ball once again. This time, lefty-killer Rob Refsnyder got the best of him.
The impending free agent found the center-field seats for his seventh home run of the season, and improved his OPS against left-handers to over .900.
The Orioles, though, had a lefty-killer of their own. Or maybe just a pitcher killer.
Jeremiah Jackson, professional hitter, stepped into the box with runners on first and second. The former second-round pick lined a double down the third-base line for his second 100-plus mph hit of the day, and this one scored a run and tied the game at two.
The super-utility man improved his batting average to .338 and OPS to .835 with the knock. Decent day against a Cy Young favorite, and another gold star to add to an ever-improving résumé.
It also put runners on second and third with nobody out and the heart of the order coming to the plate. But Baltimore couldn’t capitalize.
Kade Strowd took the place of Povich in the sixth, as the O’s were staring down the barrel of five consecutive right-handed hitters. It wasn’t the young lefty’s most efficient day, completing five innings with 81 pitches. But on a day that featured two home runs and seven hits, surrendering just two is a solid enough day at the office.
Gunnar Henderson struck out, and Ryan Mountcastle lined into a double play, an outstanding diving effort from shortstop Story. Those are the kinds of jams that elite pitchers just seem to find a way to work out of.
After cruising through one more frame, Crochet’s afternoon concluded after six innings. It wasn’t his sharpest day, but he danced out of trouble and punched out seven.
Strowd delivered two strong innings, and it was Rico Garcia’s turn in the eighth.
There are a few old adages in baseball that always seem to ring true. One was applicable in the top of the second-to-last frame: never walk the leadoff man. Garcia walked Anthony in a full count, and Boston capitalized.
With two outs and Anthony on second, González hit a sharp grounder to left, and when Anthony touched home, the Red Sox were back out in front.
Dylan Beavers entered the game in a big spot in the bottom of the inning. With two runners on, he was the pinch-hit choice for Coby Mayo. The rookie battled, fouling five consecutive pitches away, against Garrett Whitlock, but fell on the ninth pitch of the at-bat.
In the bottom of the ninth, after Dylan Carlson doubled, he ran in the face of Story, and was thrown out at third. Baltimore couldn't get anything else going, and into the afternoon they went.
After having some previous success against Houston and Boston, the O's dropped seven of eight against the two at home.
Next up, the O's head out West.