The Red Sox reversed the scoreboard after yesterday's loss, winning 8-1 over the Orioles after losing by that score to the Rays the night before. It marked a resurgent night for Nick Pivetta and Garrett Richards on the mound, who went six and three innings respectively, as Richards' first relief outing of the season resulted in a rare three-inning save. Alex Speier noted only three pitchers record that kind of save all season to date in the league, and only three Red Sox pitchers had done so in the last nine seasons combined.
A bases loaded single from Jarren Duran and double from Bobby Dalbec put the Red Sox ahead 3-0 and Boston led 4-0 by the end of the second inning. Meanwhile, Pivetta racked up eight strikeouts with a lone sore spot coming to open the third when Richie Martin snuck a 320-foot home run out to shallow right.
Xander Bogaerts and Bobby Dalbec hit solo shots later in the game to respond, and solidify a 7-1 lead when Richards relieved Pivetta to begin the seventh. Richards pitched in full control, mixing four pitches for a 70.8% strike rate and escaping two runners in scoring position in the ninth by striking out his third batter of the frame with a fastball over the plate.
Kyle Schwarber, making his Red Sox debut, walked in his first two at bats and scored after both, then lined out to right and struck out on a low changeup later in the game batting sixth as Boston's DH.
WHO: Red Sox (66-51) vs. Baltimore Orioles (38-75)
WHEN: 7:10 p.m
WHERE: Fenway Park
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 6-4
SERIES TO DATE: 0-0
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Nick Pivetta (8-5, 4.34) vs. RHP Spenser Watkins (2-3, 4.22)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7
LINEUPS
RED SOX
Hernandez 2B
Verdugo LF
Bogaerts SS
Devers 3B
Renfroe RF
Schwarber DH
Plawecki C
Duran CF
Dalbec 1B
Orioles
Mullins CF
Santander LF
Mancini 1B
Stewart DH
Hays RF
Severino C
Franco 3B
Mateo 2B
Martin SS
Top 1
Nick Pivetta escaped some early trouble after Cedric Mullins reached third on a single and pick off error by Pivetta and groundout by Trey Mancini. After a strikeout and walk, Pivetta forced Austin Hays to fly out to shortstop and strand a pair.
Bottom 1
Spenser Watkins retired Alex Verdugo, Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers in order after a leadoff single by Kiké Hernandez. Bogaerts' tailed away from Mullins in the triangle toward the bullpen and he spared only inches before bumping into the bullpen to make the catch.
Top 2
Pivetta struck out Pedro Severino on a called strike over the middle and Jorge Mateo on a low knuckle curve as part of a 1-2-3 inning.
Bottom 2
Hunter Renfroe singled and Kyle Schwarber walked in his first Sox at-bat, then Kevin Plewecki singled and loaded the bases. That set up Jarren Duran for an RBI single. Bobby Dalbec hit a double to center that scored two more and put Boston ahead 3-0, then Hernandez flew out to left and scored Duran from third on a sacrifice fly.
Top 3
Richie Martin took Pivetta's second pitch deep to right field. Then he drew three straight groundouts to first base to end the inning in 11 pitches, touching 96 miles per hour on his final fastball.
Bottom 3
The Sox added another run after Schwarber and Plawecki walked on 10 pitches, Duran sending Schwarber home on a RBI double to right.
Top 4
Pivetta added two more strike outs with seven pitches, again leaning on his knuckle curve and 96 MPH fastball, retiring his sixth straight batter.
Bottom 4
Bogaerts hung a high fly ball onto the edge of the green monster for his 18th home run on a 2-0 fastball to put Boston up 6-1.
Top 5
Devers grabbed a screaming ground ball off Martin's bat to get Maikel Franco out at second after he snuck a ground ball past Hernandez at second base to begin the inning. Then Pivetta picked up his sixth strikeout on a full count dipping a 79 MPH pitch low and away from Mullins to get through five on 75 pitches.
Bottom 5
Dusten Knight replaced Watkins and retired Renfroe, Schwarber and Plawecki in order.
Top 6
Pivetta picked up two more strikeouts after walking Anthony Satander to open the inning. Both came on the knuckle curve, helping him reach eight strikeouts for the fifth time this season.
Bottom 6
Dalbec smacked a 3-1 fastball from Knight to dead center for a solo shot and a 7-1 lead after Knight had retired four straight Red Sox. It was Dalbec's 12th homer and third RBI of the game.
Top 7
Garrett Richards relieved Pivetta for his first relief outing since Boston transferred him to the bullpen ahead of Chris Sale's return. Richards allowed a single, then struck out Franco on an 0-2 changeup, got Mateo to fly out on the first pitch and downed Martin on a groundout three pitches later.
Bottom 7
Renfroe solidified Boston's advantage at 8-1 with a 423 foot blast to left center on Cesar Valdez' second pitch, a changeup. It was Renfroe's 20th home run and 68th RBI. Plawecki singled again and Dalbec added his second double before Hernandez stranded both in scoring position.
Top 8
Richards mixed a mid-90s MPH fastball with his off-speed curveball and changeup to work around a Satander single for another clean inning.
Bottom 8
Jonathan Arauz pinch hit for Bogaerts and struck out on four pitches as the Sox went down in order against Valdez.
Top 9
Richards struck out three around a Severino single and Mateo double to seal the win and earn the save.
NOTES
The Red Sox get reinforcements this weekend after a 4-12 swoon continued with a series loss against Tampa that set Boston back five games of the Rays in the AL East. Kyle Schwarber makes his Boston debut at DH tonight, batting sixth, while Chris Sale makes his first start in roughly two years tomorrow. The Sox acquired Schwarber on July 29, who was hitting .253/.340/.570 with 25 home runs and 53 RBI in 72 games with the Nationals to reach his first All Star Game. He's been out since July 2 with separate hamstring and groin injuries.
"We got a good hitter, we're going to get a great pitcher," Alex Cora said. "But at the end it's what we do on the field."
Alex Verdugo returned from the Paternity Leave List after missing four games following the birth of his first child, A.J. He hit .400 in seven games before leaving the team.
Boston designated Marwin Gonzalez for assignment to make room for Schwarber. Gonzalez hit .202 in 77 games with the Red Sox.
"He was outstanding in the clubhouse," Cora said. "Outstanding in the dugout. It was a grind for him, physically."
The Sox optioned Tanner Houck to AAA-Worcester after he allowed three earned runs on six hits with eight strikeouts in an 8-1 loss to Tampa yesterday.
Christian Vazquez will return from the bereavement list tomorrow.