Rutschman Powers Orioles Past Red Sox 10‑3

BALTIMORE (Interstat) — The Baltimore Orioles pounded out 20 hits, including five home runs, and routed the Boston Red Sox 10-3 on Friday night at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

Adley Rutschman led the onslaught with a 3-for-5 performance that included two home runs and six runs batted in. The catcher homered in the first and fourth innings, both two-run shots, and added an RBI single in the seventh. Rutschman entered the game after going 2-for-4 with a homer and two RBIs in a 5-6 loss at Kansas City on Tuesday.

The Orioles jumped on Boston starter Brayan Bello from the outset. Gunnar Henderson opened the bottom of the first with his eighth home run of the season, a solo shot to right. After Taylor Ward singled, Rutschman deposited a 2-2 pitch over the right-center wall for a 3-1 lead. Two batters later, Dylan Beavers made it 4-1 with his second homer of the year, also to right-center. Baltimore batted around in the inning, sending nine men to the plate.

Boston got one run back in the second when Wilyer Abreu led off with his fourth home run, a solo shot to right-center off Orioles starter Brandon Young. But Baltimore answered with a run in the bottom of the inning. Henderson singled, moved to third on a Ward single and scored on Rutschman’s fielder’s choice groundout to make it 5-2.

The Orioles extended their lead in the third. Samuel Basallo launched a solo home run to right-center, his fourth of the season, pushing the margin to 6-2. Basallo finished 4-for-5 with a double, a homer and an RBI. The inning ended when Leody Taveras walked and Coby Mayo singled, but Jeremiah Jackson grounded into a forceout.

Rutschman struck again in the fourth. After Bello walked Ward, the Orioles catcher crushed a 1-1 pitch to right field for his second homer of the night and third of the season, scoring Ward and making it 8-2. Pete Alonso and Beavers followed with singles before Basallo popped out on the infield fly rule. Bello exited after four innings, charged with eight runs on 12 hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He fell to 1-3.

Boston attempted to rally in the fifth. Caleb Durbin singled and Carlos Narváez singled, putting runners at first and second with no outs. Jarren Duran flew out to left, and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a forceout that scored Durbin but wiped out Narváez at second. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to end the inning with Boston trailing 8-3.

Baltimore answered immediately in the bottom of the fifth. Mayo led off with his third homer of the year, a solo shot to left-center off reliever Greg Weissert, restoring a six-run lead at 9-3. The Orioles added another run in the seventh off reliever Jovani Morán. With two outs, Henderson singled and Ward singled, putting runners at first and second. Rutschman lined a single to left that scored Henderson, making it 10-3.

Morán, who gave up one run on three hits over 2⅔ innings, struck out one. Boston’s offense managed only three more hits after the fifth inning, all in the final four frames. Abreu doubled in the sixth and scored on Marcelo Mayer’s double. Masataka Yoshida singled in the eighth, and Trevor Story and Mayer singled in the ninth, but the Red Sox stranded runners in scoring position in the last two innings.

Young earned the win, improving to 2-0. The right-hander allowed three runs on seven hits over 5⅔ innings, striking out five and walking one. Cameron Foster pitched two scoreless innings of relief, allowing three hits and striking out one. Yennier Cano retired the only batter he faced, and Andrew Kittredge pitched a perfect eighth inning.

Boston dropped to 9-17 with the loss, its fourth straight defeat after being swept at home by the New York Yankees earlier in the week. The Red Sox managed 10 hits but left seven runners on base. Abreu, Story and Mayer each had two hits. Boston’s other hits came from Duran, Durbin, Narváez and Yoshida.

Baltimore improved to 13-13, splitting its last four games. Henderson finished 3-for-5 with a homer and two runs scored. Beavers went 3-for-5 with a homer and two runs. Ward had three singles in five at-bats. Basallo’s four hits matched his season high. The Orioles had four players with three or more hits.

The game lasted 2 hours, 49 minutes in front of an announced crowd of 26,776.

The Orioles and Red Sox will meet again Saturday at Camden Yards. Boston then travels to Toronto for a three-game series Monday through Wednesday before returning home to face Houston. Baltimore hosts Houston for a three-game set starting Tuesday, then visits New York for four games beginning Friday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Baltimore 5, Boston 4. Interstat’s ELO system gave Boston a 51.60 percent probability to win. Baltimore was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total score of 13 went under the over-under line of 8.5.