Oh man, what a game it was! The Boston Red Sox got their first win of the season, thanks to a dramatic final play that left the Fenway Park crowd screaming in excitement.
It all came down to the routine fly ball from Masataka Yoshida that sailed to medium-deep left field. Baltimore’s Ryan McKenna moved slowly to his right before settling under it, preparing to make the final out. But then, the ball kicked off the palm of his glove and fell to the ground. The Fenway Park crowd erupted in cheers and screams!
Two pitches later, the Red Sox were celebrating at home plate, having won the game 9-8 over the Orioles on Saturday behind Adam Duvall’s second two-run homer. Duvall had four hits and five RBI, and his winning hit hit just above the Green Monster and caromed off a tabletop back onto the field.
“I turned my back and started to go to the clubhouse and I hear the fans screaming,” winning pitcher Kenley Jansen said. What a crazy moment!
Baltimore had stolen five bases in the game and became the first team to steal 10 in its first two games since at least 1901. Jorge Mateo swiped two, and Cedric Mullins, McKenna, and Austin Hays each stole one base.
Mullins hit a three-run homer, Ryan Mountcastle had a two-run shot, and the Orioles tagged Chris Sale for seven runs over three innings in his first Fenway start since 2021. Sale gave up three homers, but he did have six strikeouts, getting Ramón Urías three of his five times.
“I was out there throwing batting practice,” Sale said. “About as embarrassed as I’ve even been on a baseball field.”
Baltimore went ahead 7-1 on Mullins’ homer before Boston rallied behind Duvall, who fell a single shy of the cycle. Rafael Devers had three hits and Alex Verdugo a two-homer homer for the Red Sox, who cut it to 8-7 in the seventh on Duvall’s RBI double.
The game was full of exciting moments, including a charging barehand grab by third baseman Devers and a diving catch by McKenna on Kiké Hernández’s liner.
Orioles’ Mateo injured his right hand on a headfirst slide but stayed in the game, while Red Sox’s RHP Garrett Whitlock pitched four innings for Triple-A Worcester in a rehab start on Friday.
All eyes will be on the series finale on Sunday afternoon when LHP Cole Irvin makes his Orioles debut and starts against RHP Tanner Houck for the Red Sox. What a thrilling game this was, and we can’t wait for more action on the field!
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