BOSTON — The last time Adleyrutschman remembers feeling this level of emotion on a baseball field, she was playing to an intimate 5,000-seat crowd at Oregon State College.
He trumped that experience Thursday at Fenway Park in his first start on the opening day of his career.
“That’s blowing that out of the water,”rutschman said.
rutschman became the first catcher in major league history with five hits in an opening game, and the Baltimore Orioles survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-9.
“Having that close game in the ninth inning and the crowd getting so loud. They kind of sit there and say, ‘That’s pretty cool,'” saidrutschman, the top overall pick in the 2019 draft.
rutschman — who made his debut for the Orioles last May and quickly became indispensable to the fledgling, resurgent club — hit a homer in his first at-bat and finished 5-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs and a walk on a chilly day in Fenway Park, with a temperature of 38 degrees in the first incline.
Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, who ended with 15 hits, nine walks and five stolen bases.
Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over more than five innings to earn his first Opening Day win since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas. Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Red Sox hitters.
The Orioles almost lost the game in the ninth game.
While Baltimore led 10-7, Félix Bautista got closer to pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia. Alex Verdugo followed with a single, moving into second place after a mistake from midfielder Cedric Mullins.
Rafael Devers struck. Justin Turner then reached third place with an infield single when Urias’ throw was wide and Tapia scored. Masataka Yoshida met shortstop Jorge Mateo, who stepped into second for the squad but threw wildly at first, allowing Verdugo to score.
Bautista beat Adam Duvall on three pitches to finish and earn the save.
The Orioles scored four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take an 8-2 lead. Baltimore led 10-4 before Bryan Baker conceded three runs in game eight to give the Red Sox some hope.
Eighth place for the Red Sox could have been even better if Devers, who led the inning, hadn’t become the first player in major league history to strike at a pitch clock violation. Devers looked down, kicking debris off his cleats as referee Lance Barksdale signaled an injury that led to strike three.
“There’s no excuse,” said Alex Cora, who fell 5-0 as Boston manager in opening-day games. “You know the rules.”
Boston’s offseason signing and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-1) struggled on his fenway debut, giving up five runs on six hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.
“Less than ideal,” said Kluber. “Didn’t work out the way I had hoped.”
TRAINING ROOM
Red Sox: Christian Arroyo stayed in the game after hitting the side of his head with a cleat in the second inning. Arroyo put Chuteman on second base with a tag when he tried to extend a single. rutschman’s leg knocked over as he awkwardly slid. … LHP James Paxton was placed on the 15-day care list (backdated to March 27) with a tight right hamstring.
GOOD COMPANY
Chuteman, one of six Baltimore players to make his first Opening Day appearance, became the youngest Oriole to homer on his first Opening Day since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1984.
BIG BAGS
The Orioles utilized MLB’s larger bases — from 15- to 18-inch squares — being used for the first time this season. Baltimore has not stolen five bases in a game since last June 24 against the White Sox. Mullins and Jorge Mateo each stole two bags, and Adam Frazier got a big jump in his steal from reliever Ryan Brasier. There was nothing Boston catcher Reese McGuire could do to stop them, and most of Baltimore’s steals didn’t bother to throw.
LAST PLACES
Right-handers Kaleb Ort and Tapia secured Boston’s last two season-opening squad spots. Tapia got the nod over Jarren Duran being sent to Triple-A Worcester. Ort threw up a scoreless sixth-place finish with a strikeout on Thursday.
NEXT
Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer makes a career start against Boston for the sixth time when the three-game streak resumes on Saturday. In 11 road starts last season, he finished 5-3 with a 3.63 ERA.
Source : www.washingtontimes.com