The Boston Red Sox surged to a 5-0 lead over the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night. Despite Jarren Duran’s swift baserunning, a well-executed single by Connor Wong, and a towering Green Monster home run by Triston Casas, Boston couldn’t secure the win.
Following Casas’ impressive fifth-inning homer, Baltimore clawed their way back into contention, capitalizing on opportunities created by the Red Sox.
In the sixth inning, relief pitcher Isaiah Campbell replaced Kutter Crawford, who had effectively kept the Orioles at bay throughout the game. However, Campbell struggled, allowing three consecutive singles, the third of which came from Colton Cowser, resulting in runs scored by Ryan Mountcastle and Cedric Mullins. Jordan Westburg then delivered a double.
In a noteworthy moment, Jackson Holliday, baseball’s top prospect, grounded out to score Cowser, marking his MLB debut.
The following inning saw Chris Martin take the mound for Boston, initiating a turbulent sequence of events. Martin quickly secured a fly out but then yielded a single to Ryan O’Hearn, initiating a series of frustrations for the Red Sox.
O’Hearn advanced to second base on a passed ball by Wong, and Martin issued an uncommon walk on a wild pitch. Mullins capitalized on a catcher’s interference call, earning a free base with just one out in the inning.
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During Cowser’s at-bat, O’Hearn capitalized on another wild pitch by Martin, allowing all runners to advance. Although Martin managed to strike out Cowser, he then surrendered a three-run homer to the following batter, Westburg. This marked the second consecutive time the Red Sox found themselves in a difficult position.
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Westburg showcased a stellar performance, highlighted by two remarkable catches against the Green Monster. He proved to be a formidable opponent both at the plate and in the field, ultimately propelling his team to a 7-5 victory over the Red Sox.
Despite the setback, the Red Sox had their own standout moments. Crawford delivered a strong performance, pitching five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and four walks while striking out six Orioles. Additionally, Brennan Bernardino made his 2024 Red Sox debut after Martin struggled. Although Gunnar Henderson managed to hit a triple against him, Bernardino retired the next six batters he faced over two innings.
On a damp night at Fenway Park, Boston’s bullpen showed its first signs of vulnerability. While their dominance in the first week of the season was impressive, it was clear that such a pace was unsustainable, and errors were inevitable. Despite a strong offensive showing, the Red Sox couldn’t maintain their lead over the Orioles once the bullpen lost its grip—both literally and figuratively.
The concerns raised about the team’s potential weaknesses after the first few weeks of play now seem justified, indicating that there may be some red flags to address moving forward.
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