It hasn’t been a good trip to Baltimore so far for the Boston Red Sox.
The Sox entered their four-game series with the Orioles fresh off a series win in Chicago against the White Sox, but they’ve lost the first two games at Camden Yards, including Friday night’s 3-2 defeat.
Red Sox right-hander Rick Porcello only allowed three earned runs, but it was a struggle all night for the ace.
With the win, the Orioles improve to 29-24, while the Red Sox drop to 29-25.
Here’s how it all went down.
GAME IN A WORD
Close.
Despite the rough start for Porcello, the Sox remained within striking distance throughout the game. However, they never fully closed the deficit.
IT WAS OVER WHEN…
Orioles closer Brad Brach recorded his 11th save of the season.
ON THE BUMP
— Porcello got off to a rough start, to say the least. The defending American League Cy Young Award winner surrendered two home runs to Seth Davis and Manny Machado in the top of the first inning, which gave the O’s an early 2-0 advantage. And it appeared as though he’d let up another when Chris Davis belted a shot to right field, but the ballpark just held it in.
The Orioles got to him again in the fourth inning thanks to a Hyun Soo Kim double, which knocked in Jonathan Schoop to give the O’s a 3-1 lead.
Porcello went a total of six innings and allowed three earned runs on eight hits while striking out five and walking one. He left after 118 pitches, 78 of which were strikes.
— Heath Hembree allowed one hit and struck out one over 1 1/3 innings. He got some help from Mookie Betts, too.
— Robby Scott got Davis out via strikeout before being lifted for Joe Kelly.
— Kelly got Schoop to line out to center field to end the eighth.
IN THE BATTER’S BOX
— The Red Sox momentarily got back in the game in the bottom of the third inning when third baseman Pablo Sandoval hit an opposite-field solo home run, which cut the Orioles’ lead to 2-1 at the time. It was his fourth of the season.
— Boston didn’t get another hit until Sandy Leon’s single in the sixth. Xander Bogaerts followed in the seventh with a double, and he came around to score on a Jackie Bradley Jr. single. Bradley then tried to get into scoring position by stealing, but he was caught before he reached second base.
— The Sox finished with only those four hits.
TWEET OF THE NIGHT
Oops!
UP NEXT
David Price will make his second start of the season when he takes the mound Saturday for the Red Sox against the Orioles. He will be opposed by Baltimore’s Dylan Bundy. First pitch from Camden Yards is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
Thumbnail photo via Patrick McDermott/USA TODAY Sports Images
