This one was a runaway.
The Red Sox claimed victory over the Orioles in Game 2 of their four-game series Saturday as Boston topped Baltimore 11-6 behind 14 hits and another decent performance from Garrett Richards, who collected the win.
Xander Bogaerts played a big role in the Red Sox's success, too. In addition to a stellar defensive performance, the shortstop went 3-for-4 (including his seventh home run of the season) at the plate.
Boston improved to 21-13 while Baltimore dipped to 15-18.
Here's how it all went down:
GAME IN A WORD
Satisfying.
Despite some hiccups, Boston's bats played a starring role in the win.
ON THE BUMP
-- Garrett Richards hit a couple of snags but generally was solid.
The righty gave up one run in each of the first two innings. The first came off a D.J. Stewart single that scored Cedric Mullins from third, while the second came on a Freddy Galvis leadoff solo shot. Richards was lights out through the next three innings, at one point retiring seven batters in a row, but ran into more trouble in the sixth.
Richards allowed back-to-back doubles to start the sixth, which allowed Baltimore to score its third run of the game. Ramon Urias drove in the O's fourth run on a single to right, but Boston's defense came in clutch and turned an incredible double play to end the inning.
In total, Richards pitched seven innings and allowed four earned runs off eight hits while striking out five and walking one.
-- Austin Brice took over in the eighth. Despite hitting Stewart with a pitch, he tossed an otherwise seamless inning.
The righty returned to the mound in the ninth, where his command began to lag. He loaded the bases (including two hit batters) before giving up a two-out single that plated two more Orioles runs to make it 11-6.
-- Josh Taylor came in and collected the final out of the game.
IN THE BATTER'S BOX
-- The Red Sox got to Zac Lowther for the first time in the second inning with Marwin Gonzalez and Hunter Renfroe collecting RBIs on back-to-back hits to make it 2-1 Boston.
Chavis, playing in his first game since being called up, collected his first home run of the season a few batters later. The two-run dinger just barely found its way over the left center field wall to extend the Sox's lead to three.
-- Christian Vazquez's single in the third drove in the Boston's fifth run of the game.
Boston chased Lowther from the game one batter later with runners in scoring position and one out. But the starter's replacement, Shawn Armstrong, immediately gave up two more runs on a Bobby Dalbec single to left.
And just like that, the Sox had a 7-2 lead.
-- The Sox loaded up the bases in the fourth with nobody out, and both Vazquez and Rafael Devers capitalized on the opportunity.
Devers was first, collecting his 25th RBI of the season on an error before Vazquez drove in run No. 9 of the evening on a single to left.
-- Bogaerts made it an 11-2 game with a two-run blast off Tyler Wells in the sixth.
TWEET OF THE GAME
Seconded.
UP NEXT
Boston and Baltimore will square off in Game 3 of their four-game set Sunday afternoon, with first pitch from Camden Yards slated for 1:05 p.m. ET.
