BOSTON — Wilyer Abreu went 5-for-5 with a walk, double, two runs and three RBIs and the Red Sox recorded 23 hits. But Boston still lost 13-12 to the Orioles on Saturday after Chris Sale put them in an early hole.
It is the first time in franchise history that the Red Sox have had as many as 21 hits but lost as The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier noted on X.
Trevor Story’s two-run double and Abreu’s RBI single in the ninth cut the deficit to one run. But Enmanuel Valdez flied out to end the game.
Sale pitched only 4 innings. He gave up seven runs (six earned runs), six hits and two walks while striking out five.
The lefty has allowed 18 earned runs in 12 innings (13.50 ERA) over three starts vs. Baltimore this year. The O’s have recorded 22 hits, including five homers against him. Two of those homers came Saturday.
The Red Sox are now seven games behind Toronto for the final Wild Card spot. The Blue Jays won 5-1 over KC.
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Sale topped out at 95.3 mph but his 29 four-seam fastball averaged just 92.3 mph compared his 94.2 mph average for the season, per Baseball Savant. He threw one fastball that registered at 88.3 mph.
With two outs in the third inning, Sale gave up a 381-foot homer to Aaron Hicks that hit the Plymouth Rock sign above the Green Monster. Hicks connected on a 78.7 mph slider.
He allowed a 406-foot two-run homer to James McCann in the fourth inning that put the O’s ahead 7-2. McCann connected on a 84 mph changeup and sent it to left-center field.
The Red Sox cut it to 7-6 with a four-run fourth inning. Wilyer Abreu walked and Enmanuel Valdez doubled to begin the inning. Connor Wong followed with an RBI single.
Alex Verdugo hit an RBI sac fly and Triston Casas added an RBI groundout. Boston also scored on Gunnar Henderson’s fielding error.
Righty Zack Weiss, who the Red Sox recalled from Triple-A Worcester before the game, allowed two solo homers to center field in the sixth that put Baltimore ahead 9-6. Jordan Westburg blasted a 406-foot shot. McCann’s homer, his second of the game, traveled 409 feet.
Henderson blasted a 386-foot three-run homer to right field against Mauricio Llovera in the seventh to make it 12-6 Orioles.
Abreu’s two-run double and Rafael Devers’ RBI single in the seventh cut it to 12-9
