The Red Sox didn’t just beat the Orioles on Saturday - they kept building the kind of series that can change the mood around a club in a hurry.
Boston followed Thursday’s 6-5 win and Friday’s 1-0 result with a clean 5-0 shutout at Baltimore, turning a rough stretch into a much-needed run of momentum. The Red Sox had dropped three of four to the Yankees and then two of three to the Mariners before arriving in this series, so they were looking for a reset. They found it quickly.
All five Boston runs came from the middle of the lineup and the bottom half doing damage at the right times. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Eli White each drove in two runs, while Connor Wong added the other RBI.
Kiner-Falefa finished 1-for-3 with two RBIs and also mocked Blaze Alexander’s celebration on the basepaths after his two-RBI double. White went 1-for-4 with two RBIs of his own and delivered Boston’s first two runs.
Wong followed right behind him.
The bigger story, though, was on the mound. Sonny Gray got the extra rest after being skipped the last time through the rotation, and the break clearly did the trick.
Boston’s ace was in full command, throwing seven shutout innings and allowing just three hits while striking out seven. He also walked three, but Baltimore never found a way to cash in against him.
Gray gave the Red Sox exactly what they needed: a starter who could take over the game and keep the bullpen out of the spotlight. With the regular season winding down, Boston is trying to make up ground in the race for the top Wild Card spot, and outings like this are how that happens.
Trevor Story is giving the lineup another lift, too. Since coming back from the Injured List, he has looked locked in, and he added three more hits in Saturday’s win. He has been on a tear and appears far healthier than he did earlier in the year.
Boston still has one game left against Baltimore, with Payton Tolle set to start Sunday afternoon against Kyle Bradish. After that, the Red Sox head home to open a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels on Monday.
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Red Sox Suddenly Face A Rafaela Problem At The Worst Time
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To help cover the vacancy, the Red Sox recalled Nate Eaton from Triple-A Worcester, adding a player with some infield-outfield flexibility while Rafaela works his way back. He is expected to be eligible to return on Sept. 13, though the exact timetable still depends on how the injury responds, which makes the next stretch worth watching closely for a team trying to keep its momentum intact. [Read more 🡒]