BALTIMORE — Instant reactions from the Red Sox 3-2 comeback win over Baltimore at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on Wednesday:
1) Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela redeemed himself with a go-ahead two-run homer in the ninth inning, giving the Red Sox a 3-2 lead. This came after a miscommunication mistake he made in the seventh inning that had put Baltimore ahead 2-1.
It marked Rafaela’s third go-ahead or game-winning homer this season in the ninth inning or later, tying him with Athletics’ Nick Kurtz, Dodgers’ Shohei Ohtani, and Brewers’ William Contreras for the most such homers this year.
2) A miscommunication between Rafaela and left fielder Jarren Duran occurred on the warning track. This resulted in Dylan Carlson’s 366-foot fly ball dropping between the two outfielders. Consequently, Dylan Beavers scored from first base, giving Baltimore a 2-1 lead with two outs in the bottom of the seventh.
Rafaela’s catch probability was 85% while Duran’s was 95%.
Duran also atoned for his mistake, leading off the ninth with a single.
3) The Red Sox improved to 74-60 while the Orioles dropped to 60-73. Boston won the four-game series 3-0 with the finale set for 1:05 p.m. Thursday.
4) Brayan Bello pitched well, tossing 6 ⅔ innings and allowing two runs (one earned), five hits and one walk while striking out six. His ERA dropped to 2.99. But his one walk to Dylan Beavers with two outs and nobody on base in the seventh inning was costly. Beavers ended up scoring the go-ahead run.
5) David Hamilton lined a single to right field in the eighth inning to put runners on the corners with no outs. He is 8-for-18 with a homer, double, triple and two walks on the road trip.
6) Rookie Roman Anthony became the youngest Red Sox player ever to lead off a game with a home run when he did it here Monday. The 21-year-old hit another leadoff homer Wednesday off Orioles opener Dietrich Enns, a lefty. The left-handed hitter connected on a 95.2 mph fastball and sent it 416 feet to center field.
7) Manager Alex Cora said something interesting about Anthony’s personality before the game: “The one thing lately, he’s opened it up a little bit more as a person. He’s a cool kid. Sarcasm comes into play with him, which is awesome. We like it. It’s been fun. We were joking that we unlocked the real Roman after he signed the big contract.”
8) Aroldis Chapman has converted his 26th save. He has not allowed a hit in his last 41 batters faced.
9) The Red Sox had a perfect opportunity to tie or take the lead in the eighth inning with runners at the corners and no outs. However, Baltimore’s lefty reliever Keegan Akin entered and shut down the threat, striking out both Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman before getting Trevor Story to ground into a force-out.
10) The Red Sox and Orioles will play the final game of their four-game series Thursday at 1:05 p.m. Ace Garrett Crochet (14-5, 2.38 ERA) will start for Boston opposite Baltimore lefty Cade Povich (2-7, 5.13 ERA).
11) Both outfielder Rob Refsnyder (left oblique strain) and setup man Justin Slaten (shoulder) are expected to be activated from the IL for the series finale Thursday.
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