Wilyer Abreu’s three RBIs, Ceddanne Rafaela’s three hits, and Payton Tolle’s six shutout innings will mean only what they can make it mean in the weeks to come. Every member of the Red Sox starting lineup had a hit by the end of the fifth inning. In that frame, they scored five runs — more than they totaled in 20 of 30 home games this year. They matched their Fenway Park season-best in runs and hits (15).
Caleb Durbin finished 2 for 4 with two runs scored and another double. He has registered an extra-base hit in six consecutive games. In that big bottom of the fifth, they got a key assist from the Orioles (29-33) when center fielder Blaze Alexander completely lost Mickey Gasper’s routine fly ball. It turned into a two-run triple.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, Durbin, and Rafaela followed with run-scoring hits. The Red Sox found success against righthander Chris Bassitt (three innings, three runs) from the jump. Wilyer Abreu’s single to left brought in Jarren Duran (leadoff single). Caleb Durbin singled and stole second to spark a rally in the third.
With two outs, it was Abreu again, blasting a two-run home run an estimated 398 feet down the right-field line — a fair ball, in the eyes of first-base umpire Marvin Hudson. Abreu, knowing it was foul or gone, loitered near the plate as it flew, leaning and then pointing the ball toward his preferred side of the foul pole. The Sox loaded the bases again in the inning but did not add on.
Still, Bassitt threw 27 pitches with two outs in that frame, upping his total to 56 and bringing an early end to his outing. Powering through slightly diminished velocity, rookie lefthander Payton Tolle was plenty effective, lasting six shutout innings — his second scoreless outing in eight games this year. His ERA is down to 2.28. Tolle scattered seven hits and two walks and the Orioles were 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
Perhaps the most critical of those came in the first inning, after Baltimore had two on and one out and Adley Rutschman was caught trying to steal second for the second out. Tolle ended the inning by tying up Pete Alonso, who swung at and missed on a cutter way inside. Tolle bookended his night by wiggling out of another mini-jam, in the sixth, when Coby Mayo singled and Tyler O’Neill walked. After a mound visit by pitching coach Andrew Bailey, potentially indicating this would be Tolle’s final batter either way, he needed just one more pitch, a career-high 99th of his night.
Jackson Holliday flied out to center. Ceddanne Rafaela collided face-first with the center-field wall in the seventh inning. On Rutschman’s deep fly ball, Rafaela raced back in pursuit but did not catch it. Rutschman ended up with an RBI triple.
Rafaela was slow to get up — as Abreu rubbed his back — but remained in the game. Tim Healey can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him @timbhealey.