Inclement weather in Boston Tuesday night necessitated a day-night doubleheader on Wednesday. The Boston Red Sox (52-48) defeated the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 in the opener and in doing so tied an eighty-year franchise record for consecutive games won at 15. The Red Sox set the tone early, scoring four runs in the first inning.
Baltimore starter Dean Kremer (1-3) was the victim of the first inning ambush when four of the first five Red Sox batters singled to establish a 2-0 lead. A two-out triple by Jarren Duran cleared the bases for a 4-0 lead. Duran struck again in the third with a sacrifice fly that allowed Caleb Durbin to score the fifth Boston run. Ceddanne Rafaela capped off the Red Sox scoring with his ninth homerun of the season in the fourth inning, a 377 ft. shot that just cleared the Green Monster in left center field.
Kremer did manage to give the O’s a six inning start and he was responsible for all six Boston runs. He threw 87 pitches, 62 for strikes, and allowed 8 hits while walking 1 and striking out 5. Fenway Park has not been good to Kremer as he now has a 6.75 ERA over 34.2 innings pitched there.
The Orioles’ first run was a gift from Rafaela. Pete Alonso (2 for 5) hit a one-out double in the third inning and with two outs Tyler O’Neill (1 for 4) hit a ball to center field that Rafaela lost in the sun and dropped about two feet to his right for a RBI-double.
In the fourth Christian Encarnacion-Strand (3 for 4, 2 RBI) hit his second homerun as an Oriole and his second in as many games, a 424 Ft. blast to deep center field. With his RBI single in the sixth inning, CES had a hand in all three Baltimore runs; Coby Mayo (1 for 3) had doubled to score on the CES single.
The Orioles put runners on base in every inning but the eighth and were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 8 runners on base.
Jackson Holliday had a 2 for 4 day while Taylor Ward went 1 for 4 with a walk and Gunnar Henderson went 1 for 4.
Baltimore’s injury woes continue to escalate with Samuel Basallo being placed on the 10 day IL and Adley Rutschman uncertain of his return from the IL.
Can the Orioles stop the Boston winning streak in the night cap or do the Red Sox set a new franchise record?
2026 Record: 49-53
Next Game: Wed. 7/22 @ 7:10 pm @ Boston Red Sox
