BOSTON – One of their best hitters limped to his locker this afternoon and back to the trainers’ room, leaving behind a walking boot for his injured right ankle. The two-time All-Star catcher was scratched from the lineup with discomfort in his right side.
The interim manager had two healthy players on his bench, both rookies with a combined 16 games of major league experience, and no idea who would close in a save situation - if the Orioles were able to create it.
“I feel like we’ve got a chance to go play a good game,” said Tony Mansolino, armed with a healthy supply of optimism.
What’s lacking is experienced and reliable late-inning relief, but Mansolino worked around it in a 4-3 11-inning victory over the Red Sox before an announced crowd of 37,435 at Fenway Park.
Samuel Basallo registered his fifth RBI in three games with a swinging bunt against Garrett Whitlock in the top of the 11th that scored automatic runner Jeremiah Jackson. Corbin Martin was summoned, Connor Wong laid down a sacrifice bunt, but automatic runner Abraham Toro held on a medium-range fly ball to Colton Cowser in left-center. The throw home was way off the mark.
Alex Bregman ran the count full and popped up, and the Orioles had their sweep.
The Orioles didn't push across a run against Aroldis Chapman in the top of the 10th, striking out three times. Yennier Cano, working back-to-back nights, hit Ceddanne Rafaela, walked Nathaniel Lowe with one out to load the bases and got a 4-6-3 double play from Toro, with Jackson Holliday making a nice stop and flip.
The Orioles kept threatening early and finally broke through with a three-run fifth inning, and Rico Garcia escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth. Yarmil Hiraldo wanted to ball in the ninth, got it and couldn't record his first major league save in his ninth appearance.
Two batters in, the score was tied.
Romy González drew a leadoff walk and Lowe hit a first-pitch fastball 424 feet to right field, over the home bullpen, for a 3-3 tie.
Hiraldo struck out the next two batters, walked Roman Anthony, Bregman and Jarren Duran, and got Trevor Story to ground into a force. He threw 34 pitches, only 12 strikes.
Tomoyuki Sugano allowed an unearned run over five innings to lower his ERA to 3.97. Part-time closer Keegan Akin retired all six batters he faced, but the Red Sox began the eighth with back-to-back singles off Kade Strowd, who complicated matters with a wild pitch.
Bregman walked to load the bases, leaving a huge mess for Garcia. Duran struck out on three changeups, Story on a 1-2 slider and Masataka Yoshida on a 96.6 mph fastball. Garcia pounded his fist into his glove twice and shouted as he stormed off the mound.
The Orioles (59-67) are eight games below .500 for the first time since July 29. They’ve won six of their last seven and are 43-33 since May 24.
Tonight’s rally gave them three consecutive series wins for the first time this season.
Ryan Mountcastle followed his three-hit night Monday with a game-tying single in the fifth against reliever Justin Wilson, and Cowser lined a fastball at 105.3 mph high off the Green Monster to score Luis Vázquez with the go-ahead run.
Cowser was 4-for-31 with one RBI this month and playing in his third game since leaving the concussion injured list when he gave the Orioles a 2-1 lead. Greg Weissert’s wild pitch brought home Mountcastle.
The Red Sox kept pressuring Sugano, putting five runners on base in the first three innings. Alex Jackson threw out González trying to steal after a leadoff single in the second inning, but Connor Wong’s leadoff single in the third and Holliday’s fielding error led to a run.
Sugano retired the next two batters but allowed Wong to score on a balk. Sugano was charged with a disengagement violation after Wong broke for home plate.
Mansolino removed Sugano at 85 pitches, with five hits, no walks and three strikeouts.
The slump is over for Sugano, who’s allowed six earned runs in his last five starts over 28 1/3 innings, and two in his last three starts over 17 1/3.
Walker Buehler also fell into numerous jams and didn’t record an out in the fifth inning before his removal.
The Orioles stranded six runners in the first four innings. Their best scoring chance came in the fourth when Coby Mayo singled with one out and held at third base on Dylan Carlson’s two-out double to left. Jackson was called out on strikes.
Holliday led off the fifth with a double off the Green Monster and Vázquez drew a four-pitch walk. Gunnar Henderson lined out against Wilson, but Mountcastle and Cowser delivered.
The game was delayed several minutes with one out in the top of the eighth inning as fire alarms sounded and lights flashed. The scoreboard instructed fans to remain calm.
The baseball gods keep trying to rattle the Orioles.