Red Sox bury Orioles behind Payton Tolle's 12 strikeouts, complete four-game sweep

The Red Sox spent the final three days of their trip to Baltimore making life miserable for the Orioles’ lineup, and Sunday was no different.

Payton Tolle struck out 12 as Boston completed a four-game sweep with a 3-1 win at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, finishing a dominant stretch in which Red Sox pitching allowed just one run over the final three games of the series.

The Red Sox (79-65) also got a three-run homer from Eli White and the 400th save of Aroldis Chapman’s career while sending Baltimore tumbling from 69-71 to 69-75.

Tolle is quickly becoming appointment viewing whenever he takes the mound for the Red Sox. His stuff is electric, the strikeouts pile up in a hurry and, somehow, something entertaining seems to happen every time he pitches.

After hugging a Mariners hitter while recording an out in his previous start, Tolle provided another unusual moment Sunday. He slipped after delivering a pitch, then dropped to the ground and did a push-up before getting back to work.

Tolle struck out 12, his second-highest total in a major league start behind only the 14 he recorded against the Athletics on Aug. 7. He allowed one run on four hits without issuing a walk.

“It was an amazing performance by our pitching staff for four days, it was awesome,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters in Baltimore. “Tolle today was fantastic and the guys coming out of the pen were awesome, Chappy gets the 400th save, can’t say enough about the way we threw the ball this week.”

Boston’s pitchers combined for 17 strikeouts without a walk on Sunday.

Tolle’s four-seam fastball again drove the performance. He generated eight of his 17 swings-and-misses with the pitch, which averaged 96.9 mph and topped out at 99.1 mph.

“He’s having fun out there,” Tracy said. “Some guys are very intense, lock in when they start and he has to have fun, that’s what makes him go. He’s enjoying himself out there.”

Baltimore managed to strike first, but the lead didn’t last long. 

White, who has done an admirable job filling in for the injured Ceddanne Rafaela, turned the game around with one swing in the second inning. His three-run homer off Kyle Bradish put Boston ahead, 3-1, and provided all the offense Tolle and the bullpen would need.

It was White’s second significant hit in as many days. He delivered the go-ahead two-run single in the sixth inning of Saturday’s 5-0 victory and started all four games in center field during the series.

Boston placed Rafaela on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain Sunday, making White’s contributions increasingly important.

“Big swing today,” Tracy said. “I thought we did a great job early, we had some other opportunities, we could have scored more, but the three-run homer was huge.”

Adley Rutschman also made an impact against his former team without needing his bat.

Rece Hinds opened the fifth with a double, but Rutschman quickly erased him. The catcher fired behind Hinds at second base after he strayed too far from the bag. Hinds initially was ruled safe, but Boston challenged the call and it was overturned.

Rutschman ranks in the 96th percentile among major league catchers in caught stealing above average, and his arm showed why on the play.

Once Tolle’s day was finished, Boston’s bullpen gave Baltimore nothing and held the Orioles at bay. 

Erik Miller continued to look like one of the Red Sox’ most impactful trade deadline additions with a perfect seventh inning. The left-hander struck out Christian Encarnacion-Strand and Hinds before getting Gunnar Henderson to ground out.

Tracy then made an interesting choice in the eighth, turning to Jovani Morán with Boston protecting a two-run lead.

Morán entered with a 4.87 ERA and 1.52 WHIP in the second half, but with two left-handed hitters due up, the decision paid off. Morán retired the side in order.

That left the ninth for Chapman who etched his name in baseball history.

The 38-year-old closer finished off the sweep and recorded the 400th save of his career, becoming just the ninth reliever in major league history to reach the milestone.