All you need to know about the Red Sox' win over the Orioles, complete with BSJ analysis and insight:
HEADLINES
Eovaldi does it himself: A night after the Red Sox bullpen blew its 11th save of the season, starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi made sure that the bullpen wasn't a factor in the first game of a doubleheader with the Orioles. Making his 211st career start, Eovaldi went the distance for the first time, limiting the Orioles to three runs. It was, in fact, the first time that Eovaldi had ever pitched into the ninth inning before and he finished with 108 pitches. Arguably the best-conditioned player on the team, Eovaldi was undeterred by the humid conditions and got better as the game went along. After allowing a two-run homer in the fifth, Eovaldi retired 13 of the final 15 batters he faced to record the second complete game for a Sox starter in the last 10 days, following the lead set by Nick Pivetta. In addition to the pride he took in the personal accomplishment, Eovaldi was happy to give the club's relievers the afternoon off, allowing manager Alex Cora to re-set his relievers for the night game. "With how much we've been using the bullpen lately,'' he said, "and how much they've been throwing, to be able to come in today, especially with the doubleheader and AC trusting me to go out and finish, it meant a lot to me.''
Dalbec supplies big blow: After the Orioles rallied to tie the game at 3-3 in the fifth, the Sox got some offense off the bench from an unlikely source. Franchy Cordero has gotten the start at first base, but when the Orioles went to a lefty in the sixth, the Sox sent up Bobby Dalbec to lead off the inning. Dalbec hadn't homered in the previous 32 games -- his only other homer this season came in the team's very first series of the year. Dalbec has been working to correct a timing problem at the plate, and Saturday's homer -- along with a sharp single to right Thursday night in his final at-bat in Chicago -- gives him some hope that he's making progress. It also stood as the first pinch-hit homer of the season for the Red Sox as a team. "He saw the ball well, took some borderline pitches and was on time with that one and hit it in the air,'' Cora said. "He's making adjustments and trying to get on time.''
TURNING POINT
In the fifth inning, Eovaldi seemed to be teetering on the brink of disaster. He allowed a two-run homer to Robinson Chirinos to tie the game, then walked the No. 9 hitter, Chris Owings. But with the potential go-ahead run on base, Eovaldi bore down as the Orioles flipped the lineup over, retiring the first three hitters in the Baltimore order, stranding the runner on base. That seemed to sap the energy from the Orioles, who had only two baserunners the rest of the way.
TWO UP
Rafael Devers: The third baseman posted his first four-hit game of the season with three singles and a double and has taken over the American League lead in hits (69).
Christian Arroyo: Getting a rare start at second base, Arroyo doubled and scored a run in the second inning and later drove in an insurance run in the seventh with a dribbler down the third base line.
ONE DOWN
Franchy Cordero: Cordero was 1-for-2 at the plate, but had a brain freeze in the field that could have proved costly. Without calling time out, Cordero turned to the dugout and urged a video replay challenge as an Orioles baserunner went from second to home. Fortunately for Cordero, the replay reversed the call and the O's lost the run.
QUOTE OF NOTE
"It definitely means a lot to me, especially with how the game's changing and the injuries I've had in the past. Every starter wants to be able to go out there and finish the games they start. For that to be my first, it means a lot to me.'' -- Nathan Eovaldi on the first complete game of his career.
STATISTICALLY SPEAKING
* The Red Sox have had 10 hits in three straight games and in 10 of their last 15.
* The Sox have won seven of the last eight games with the Orioles at Fenway.
* Nathan Eovaldi has allowed three runs or fewer in nine of his 10 starts this season.
* Kike Hernandez extended his hitting streak to eight games.
* Jackie Bradley Jr. is batting .313 at Fenway this season.
* Xander Bogaerts has reached base safely in 26 straight games.
UP NEXT
The Red Sox play the second half of their doubleheader at 6:10 p.m. with RHP Josh Winckowski (0-0, 0.00) vs. RHP Denyi Reyes (0-0, 0.00).