Red Sox recap: Alex Bregman injured while Rafael Devers drives in 8 runs as Boston pounds Orioles 19-5

The Red Sox annihilated the Orioles 19-5 in Game 1 of the doubleheader at Fenway Park on Friday afternoon, before Game 2 was postponed by rain.

Rafael Devers drove in eight runs in the win, but the club lost third baseman Alex Bregman to right quad tightness.

Bregman suffered the injury rounding first base after singling into left field in the fifth inning. As he was returning to first base, he motioned to the dugout that he needed to come out of the game.

"I was rounding first base, thinking of going to go to second," said Bregman to reporters after the game. "And I kind of, I felt my quad grab. So I didn't continue running to second base for the double, I just kind of stopped and came back to the bag so I wouldn't make it any worse. And after I felt it, I knew I needed to come out and see the trainer."

“Just tight. We’ll see how he comes in tomorrow, so he won’t play in the second one,” Alex Cora said. “He’ll get treatment. We’ll know more tomorrow.”

Cora did not have a definitive answer as to the severity of Bregman’s injury and is unsure if an IL stint will be necessary. The slugger will sit out both the second game of the doubleheader and likely Saturday to receive treatment while the team determines the next steps.

"No idea yet. Obviously, it's just day to day," said Bregman. "I feel like, we'll know a lot more tomorrow after sleeping and seeing how it presents in the morning. But all my strength is still there right now, which is good so far. So, it's just kind of a day-to-day thing at this point and kind of see when I wake up tomorrow how it feels."

Bregman was replaced by pinch-runner Abraham Toro, who moved to first base. Utility man Nick Sogard, who began the game at first base, took over at third.

If the Sox lose Bregman for any period of time, it will be a brutal loss to the lineup. He leads the Red Sox in WAR, runs, hits, doubles, home runs, and OPS. Bregman was 1-for-2 with a walk at the time of his injury.

After the game Cora was asked who could fill in at third base if Bregman misses an extended period of time. 

"Ceddanne can play third. Sogie can play third. Toro can play third. ... We know Connor can do it. In case of an emergency, we can move KC (Kristian Campbell) to the outfield and Ceddanne to the infield and go from there."

DEVERS LOCKED IN

The Sox’ bats demolished the Orioles’ pitching with Devers leading the way, going 4-for-6 with two homers, three runs, and eight RBI.

“He’s having an outstanding season,” Cora said. “He keeps working at it. There was some flaws early on; spring training wasn’t perfect. We know that. And little by little, he’s been building the swing, and against lefties, he’s been amazing, doing damage against them.”

Devers belted a three-run homer as the Sox put up five runs in the sixth inning. He later added a run-scoring single in the eighth before adding a grand slam in the eighth, giving him a career-best eight RBI. The left-handed slugger has homered nine times in his last 25 games and four times in his last six games.

Devers was the first Red Sox player with eight RBI or more in a game since Mookie Betts, who drove in eight runs in 2017 against the Blue Jays.

The Sox entered the bottom of the sixth trailing 2-1 but tagged reliever Seranthony Domínguez for five runs after he came in relief of Cade Povich.

Sogard (3-for-6) had a big offensive day, collecting three hits and doubling to center field after Carlos Narváez (3-for-5) grounded to second. The Sox’ catcher doubled twice in the win. Cora dropped Kristian Campbell to eighth in the batting order, worked a walk in the inning advanced after Ceddanne Rafaela singled to center field, scoring Sogard and moving the rookie to third.

“Just give him some breathing room,” Cora said of Campbell dropping down in the lineup. “He’s shown some emotions lately, slamming the bat, throwing harder to first base, slamming the helmet . . . [It’s] just a kid learning.

“He shows up with the same energy every day, willing to work, understanding that he’s going through a lot and learning on the fly because he doesn’t have too much experience. I always say it’s not Four-A, it’s MLB. The letters are different. So we just have to keep working.”

The Orioles returned to their bullpen and brought in Gregory Soto, allowing Boston to continue their offensive assault. Jarren Duran singled on a line drive to center field, scoring Campbell and moving Rafaela to third. Devers homered to right-center field in the next at-bat to make the score 6-2.

Toro reached first base on an error, but right fielder Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging, and shortstop Trevor Story flied out to center field to end the inning.

BEATDOWN IN THE EIGHTH

Boston added 13 more runs in the eighth off reliever Cionel Perez.

Duran doubled off of the Monster in left and advanced to third on the throw, scoring Rafaela, who had walked to start the inning. Devers then drove in Duran from third on a single to left field. Rob Refsnyder (3-for-5) homered two at-bats later, driving in Toro. Refsnyder, batting cleanup, went 3-of-5 with the home run, driving in 4 RBI and two runs. He has homered in four of his last starts, dating back to April 21, and he's hitting .364 with a 1.196 OPS in his last 10 games.

Baltimore deployed position player Emmanuel Rivera to pitch, and things really went sideways for the Birds. Story grounded out before Narvaez doubled, Sogard singled, and Campbell walked to load the bases. Rafaela flied out before Duran walked to make the score 12-3. Devers followed that up with a grand slam to put the Red Sox ahead 16-3.

Boston added three more runs to push the score to 19-3.

Story went 0-for-4 with a walk, and he appears to be completely lost at the plate. He has just 13 hits in his last 104 at-bats and has managed just one extra base hit (a homer) since April 19.

BELLO GOES FOUR

In the third inning, Jackson Holliday drove Heston Kjerstad home with a single off of Brayan Bello, giving the Orioles the lead. Adley Rutschman grounded out on the next at-bat, driving in shortstop Jorge Mateo from third base.

Bello worked into deep counts but was able to strike out seven. He lasted just four innings before being removed from the game with 87 pitches. He walked one, allowed six hits, and let in two earned runs before being replaced by lefty Brennan Bernardino.

“It was the plan that we had, and I think it went well,” Bello said through a translator.

Garrett Whitlock worked two scoreless frames, allowing just one baserunner. He struck out three in the outing and is beginning to look more like the multi-inning reliever the Sox envisioned before the start of the season.

RAIN STRIKES AGAIN

The Sox and Orioles second game of their day/night doubleheader was postponed due to an extended period of rain this evening in the Fenway area. The game was rescheduled as another split doubleheader for tomorrow, Saturday, May 24, beginning at 1:05 p.m. Tomorrow’s game, which was regularly scheduled for 4:10 p.m., will move to 6:35 p.m.

The Red Sox recalled Cooper Criswell from Triple-A Worcester to be the 27th man for the doubleheader, Friday, the assumption is he will serve in that role on Saturday.