The Baltimore Orioles had the win and the series secured against the Boston Red Sox, but a costly drop has created more questions for their outfield.
Ryan McKenna had a highlight web gem in the bottom of the fourth inning, but when Masataka Yoshida hit a fly out in the bottom of the ninth inning, the left fielder dropped what would have been the final out of the game.
Adam Duvall took advantage and hit a walk-off home run in the following at-bat to give the Red Sox a 9-8 win, and their first victory of the 2023 Major League Baseball season.
“It’s unfortunate timing,” McKenna told reporters on his error, per The Baltimore Sun’s Nathan Ruiz. “(Felix) Bautista was throwing a hell of an inning there and all of our guys were really working hard to put us in a chance to win that game. Just tough timing. … Obviously, it sucks, but we move forward.”
Everyone at Fenway Park could not believe McKenna dropped a routine fly ball, but the Orioles knew the 26-year-old wasn’t the sole reason they gave up a 7-1 lead they created after three innings.
“I have 100% faith and confidence that he’s going to catch every ball, and just because this one play happened, that doesn’t change,” Austin Hays, who called the loss “heartbreaking,” told reporters, per Ruiz.
Boston’s offense has rallied through deficits in the first two games of the season and have benefitted from miscues from the Baltimore outfield, even though it only has been credited with three errors in two games.
The Red Sox will look to win the series Sunday. First pitch is scheduled at 1:35 p.m. ET, and you can catch all the action, including an hour of pregame, on NESN.
