BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Rafael Devers hit a game-ending single with one out in the 10th inning and the host Red Sox outlasted the Baltimore Orioles for a 6-5 victory on Saturday afternoon in the first game of a doubleheader.
Devers gave the Red Sox their fifth win in seven games when he made the Orioles pay for pitching to him with automatic runner Ceddanne Rafaela on second.
After Gregory Soto (0-2) retired Jarren Duran, the Orioles pitched to the slugger with first base open and the designated hitter improved to 6-for-11 off the left-hander when he chopped a fastball to center field to easily score Rafaela.
It was Devers’ second game-winning hit in Boston’s 10-game home stand, blasting a game-ending homer last week to beat the Atlanta Braves.
The Red Sox used six relievers, including Greg Weissert (2-1), who pitched a 1-2-3 top of the 10th after Aroldis Chapman did the same in the ninth.
Boston followed up its 19-5 rout on Friday by rallying from an early two-run deficit and a 5-2 hole in the fifth.
Duran and Wilyer Abreu homered in the first off Zach Eflin after the Orioles took a 2-0 lead on a double by Ramon Urias. Abreu’s home run followed a brief delay to clean up the field during some rainy conditions.
The Orioles scored three in the fifth off Hunter Dobbins and Sean Newcomb. Heston Kjerstad scored on a groundout by Jackson Holiday before Gunnar Henderson blasted a double off the bottom of the Green Monster. Adley Rutschman then scored on a wild pitch.
Boston answered quickly again as Abraham Toro homered into the right field seats to make it 5-3 in the home half of the fifth.
An inning later, Devers doubled and scored on an error by Henderson when the shortstop’s throw on the forceout attempt went by Holiday’s glove and into center field. Boston evened the score on the next batter as Nick Sogard drove in Abreu on a fielder’s choice.
Dobbins allowed four runs on five hits in four-plus innings. The right-hander struck out seven, walked one and exited after allowing hits to the first two hitters in the fifth.
Eflin allowed five runs (four earned) on five hits in five-plus innings. The right-hander struck out one and gave up three home runs, upping his total to seven homers allowed in his past two starts.
Baltimore and Boston will play again Saturday with an expected first pitch at 6:35 p.m. local time.
–Field Level Media