Final: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6 -- Sox survive late scare

Corey Kluber snapped a four-game losing streak with six strong innings and the Red Sox exploded for three runs in the second and four more in the third, then held off a late rally for an 8-6 win over the Baltimore Orioles.

Kluber allowed just one run over six innings on five hits. He didn't issue a walk and struck out three after giving up 17 runs in his first four outings.

Jarren Duran hit his first career grand slam on a wicked line drive to straightaway center in the fourth. An inning earlier, the Sox had five straight hitters reach base to jump out to a 3-0 lead.

Kaleb Ort faced six hitters in the ninth and retired only one, allowing two homers, including a grand slam to Cedric Mullins. That forced the Sox to use Kenley Jansen for the final two outs in a game they led by seven runs heading into the last of the ninth.

WHO: Red Sox (12-12) vs. Baltimore Orioles (15-7)
WHEN: 6:35 p.m.
WHERE: Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore MD
SERIES TO DATE: BAL 1-0
SEASON SERIES TO DATE: 2-2
STARTING PITCHERS: RHP Corey Kluber (0-4, 8.50) vs. RHP Kyle Bradish (1-0, 0.00)
TV/RADIO: NESN; WEEI-FM 93.7

LINEUPS

RED SOX

Verdugo RF
Devers 3B
Turner DH
Yoshida LF
Hernandez SS
Casas 1B
Duran CF
Arroyo 2B
McGuire C

ORIOLES

Mullins CF
Rutschman C
Santander DH
Mountcastle 1B
Henderson 3B
Urias 2B
Frazier RF
Hays LF
Mateo SS

WHAT'S UP: The Red Sox are 7-4 in their last 11 games, after beginning the season 5-8. The Sox rank 13th in MLB in run differential (+10). The Sox have played more games than any other AL team (24)...They are in a stretch of 19 days without an off day from 4/8-26 (9-8 so far), their longest stretch of the season...They will not play on more than 10 consecutive days again until 8/15-30 (16 G).... The Red Sox are 5-2-0 in series... Last season, they went 1-5-1 in their first 7 series and did not earn their 5th series win until 5/26 (began 4-7-2). The Sox have won each of their last 3 series, each against a team that entered Game 1 with at least a share of 1st place (3-1 vs. LAA, 2-1 vs. MIN, 2-1 at MIL). The Sox have won 3 consecutive series for the 1st time since winning 7 straight from 6/3-26/22. ...The Red Sox have come from behind in 9 of their 12 wins...They trailed by multiple runs in 5 of those 9 wins, including by 4 runs on 4/15 vs. LAA and by 6 runs on 4/1 vs. BAL. The Sox have won 4 games in which they trailed after 7 innings, already matching their 2023 total (4-64). ...The Red Sox rank 3rd in MLB in runs scored (136)...In their last 11 games (beginning 4/14), they have averaged 5.9 runs per game with a .797 OPS. This is only the 7th time the Sox have hit at least 32 HR in their first 24 games (1st time since 2002). The Sox have homered in each of their last 6 games (11 HR total), their longest streak since July 2022 (7 straight from 7/14-24)...They have hit multiple HR in each of their last 3 games....Four different players have recorded a go-ahead RBI in the 8th inning or later for the Red Sox: Adam Duvall (4/1 vs. BAL), Yu Chang (4/15 vs. LAA), Alex Verdugo (4/18 vs. MIN), and Masataka Yoshida (4/23 at MIL). .. The Red Sox have scored in the 1st inning in 6 of their last 12 games (beginning 4/13 at TB)... They have not allowed a 1st-inning run in their last 5 games. The Sox have been out-scored in the 1st inning, 26-15... Their 9.38 ERA in the frame ranks 29th in the majors. ...The Red Sox are 7-3 in their last 10 games against the Orioles, having won each of the last 3 series. Following this series, the Sox and Orioles will not face each other again until September...7 of the Sox’ final 22 games are scheduled to be against the O’s: 3 at Fenway Park (9/8-10) and 4 at Camden Yards (9/28-10/1). ...The Red Sox rank 9th in MLB with a 3.25 bullpen ERA, after ranking 26th in 2022 (4.59). In their last 11 games, Sox relievers have posted a 2.30 ERA (11 ER/43.0 IP) with 41 SO and 12 BB....The Red Sox have a 1.50 ERA in the 8th and 9th innings (7 ER/42.0 IP), 2nd lowest in the majors behind only the Rays (7 ER/43.0 IP)...The Sox have outscored opponents in those innings, 31-8. The Sox are 8-0 when leading after 6 innings. The Red Sox are 1 of 2 teams in MLB without a blown save this season (6-for-6; also MIA-5-for-5).  Alex Verdugo ranks in the AL’s top 10 in AVG (6th, .319), hits (T-2nd, 30), and runs (T-2nd, 19)...He leads qualified AL right fielders in outs above average (2). Verdugo ranks in MLB’s 90th percentile or better in expected AVG (97th), strikeout % (94th), whiff percentage (98th), outs above average (91st), and arm strength (96th).  Rafael Devers leads the majors in total bases (58) and is tied for the lead in XBH (16)... He also leads the AL in HR (9) and ranks 4th in RBI (23). The only other Red Sox with 9+ HR and 23+ RBI through the team’s first 24 games are Manny Ramirez (2002), Mo Vaughn (1995), George Scott (1966), and Jimmie Foxx (1940). ...In 50 games with the Red Sox since being acquired from the White Sox on 8/1/22, Reese McGuire has hit .343 with an .870 OPS (46-for-134, 3 HR). In the last 40 years (1984-2023), the only players with a higher AVG in their first 50 games as a member of the Red Sox are Ramirez (.375), Bill Mueller (.362), and Sean Casey (.354) (min. 100 PA). ...The Red Sox had been 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts prior to getting thrown out in their lone attempt last night...It was their longest streak of successful attempts to begin a season since 2015 (12-for-12). The Orioles were 10-for-10 in stolen base attempts against the Sox in the first 2 games of 2023...Since then, opponents are 10-for-16 in 22 games vs. BOS (62.5%). Connor Wong has thrown out 5 of 9 runners attempting to steal (55.6%)...He leads AL catchers in pop time (1.87). ...The Red Sox have had 28 pinch-hit plate appearances, most in MLB (9-for-25, 1 BB, 2 CI)...They lead the majors in pinch hits (9) and rank 2nd in AVG (.360). ...Last night marked the Red Sox’ 9th 1-run game of the season (3-6), tied with the Orioles and Reds for 3rd most in the majors (CLE-13, LAA-10). The only other teams with as many as 6 losses by 1 run are CLE (7), CIN (7), and LAA (6).

NOTES: 

* The Red Sox Tuesday placed INF Yu Chang on the IL with a broken left hamate bone. Chang injured the hand with a swing Monday night. He's been told to expect that he'll missed six weeks and plans to undergo surgery Thursday.

* To take Chang's spot on the roster, the Red Sox recalled INF/OF Enmanuel Valdez from Worcester. He was up for one game during the last homestand while Chang had a brief paternity leave.

* Orioles manager Brandon Hyde took exception to some of the comments Alex Cora made postgame Monday after the O's jumped on Chris Sale for five runs in five innings. Hyde thought Cora was implying the O's were stealing signs and knew what was coming from Sale while Cora had intended to convey that Sale was tipping pitches. Cora said he planned to meet with Hyde to further explain himself and noted that, given his involvement with the 2017 Astros, Cora would be the last person to make accusations like that.