Monday night’s game at Fenway Park featured a seven-game winning streak facing off with a thirteen-game winning streak. In the end the longer streak prevailed as the Boston Red Sox (51-48) defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-5. The Orioles did themselves no favors by committing four errors in the game. Those errors led to two unearned runs for the Red Sox.
The game was a back and forth affair that the Orioles could have won. As late as the ninth inning, the Orioles had runners on second and third with two outs; a nice catch on a line drive to shortstop ended the game in Boston’s favor.
Back to back doubles in the first inning by Gunnar Henderson (3 for 5, 3 2B, R) and Tyler O’Neill (2 for 5, R, 2 RBI) put the Birds on the scoreboard. Boston answered that run with one of their own in the second inning. Back to back errors by Jeremiah Jackson (fielding) and Henderson (throwing) led to two runs in the third.
Christian Encarnacion-Strand (2 for 3, R, 2 RBI) led off the fifth inning with his first homerun as an Oriole. Back to back RBI singles by Jackson and Encarnacion-Strand gave the Birds a 4-3 lead. In their half of the sixth Boston saw Wilyer Abreu single and take second on a throwing error by Shane Baz. Willson Contreras then doubled Abreau home. That marked the end of Baz’s night as he allowed 4 runs, 2 earned, on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work It may not have looked like it but Baz did give the O’s a quality start.
The two teams each scored a run in the seventh inning, with Boston’s run coming on a Taylor Ward throwing error, before a homerun to the Monster seats in left center field by Caleb Durbin in the eighth inning proved to be the game winning run. Tyler Wells (2-2) gave up the homerun and in the end took the loss.
Henderson’s many wide and wild throws to home plate are certainly a cause for concern. He has committed 12 errors this season.
How the Orioles respond to this self-inflicted loss will have a lot to say about this team. Are they on a roll and improving or was the seven-game winning streak the result of luck?
2026 Record: 49-52
Next Game: Tues. 7/21 @ 7:10 pm @ Boston Red Sox
