The Orioles’ Ryan McKenna gave the Red Sox new life Saturday when he dropped a routine fly ball with two outs in the ninth inning.
And once Baltimore’s left fielder botched a chance to record the game’s final out, Red Sox reliever Chris Martin knew what was going to happen next at Fenway Park.
Adam Duvall’s two-run, walk-off home run lifted the Red Sox to their first win of the 2023 season. It was the second round-tripper of the game for Duvall, who went 4-for-5 with a triple, double and five RBIs in his second game with Boston.
Martin, an Atlanta Braves teammate of Duvall’s in 2021, knows how impactful the veteran outfielder can be at the plate when he’s on. So when a red-hot Duvall stepped into the batter’s box in the ninth, Martin was confident the center fielder would deliver.
“I called his first homer down in the bullpen,” Martin, who pitched a scoreless eighth inning, told reporters, per The Boston Globe. “When that guy dropped that fly ball I saw (Duvall) come to the plate and I was like, ‘This guy’s locked in right now.’ I’ve seen him when he gets hot, he gets hot.”
Duvall and the Red Sox will try to keep it rolling Sunday when they wrap up their three-game set with the Orioles. NESN’s complete coverage of the series finale begins at 12:30 p.m. ET.
