BALTIMORE — Brennan Bernardino escaped a no-out, bases-loaded jam in the sixth inning to keep the Red Sox ahead 4-3 after he inherited two base runners left by starter Brayan Bello.
Bernardino pitched 2 scoreless innings, striking out four batters. Rafael Devers went 4-for-5 and ripped a hustle triple in the eighth inning that led to Boston’s fifth run.
The Red Sox won 8-3 over the Orioles here at Camden Yards on Tuesday to improve to 28-27.
Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth, then the Red Sox scored three insurance runs in the ninth. Rob Refsnyder’s 419-foot two-run homer broke it open.
Bernardino bears down
Bernardino inherited two runners with no outs when he replaced Bello in the sixth inning. With Boston ahead 4-3, the lefty walked Ryan Mountcastle to load the bases.
He then got to work.
He struck out Austin Hays on a foul tip for the first out. Bernardino fielded Jorge Mateo’s weak grounder in front of the plate and got the force-out at home for the second out.
He completed his Houdini act by striking out 2023 AL Rookie of the Year Gunnar Henderson on three pitches. Henderson watched two called strikes (both sinkers), then swung and missed at a 92.4 mph sinker in the zone.
Bernardino’s perfect seventh inning included him striking out Adley Rutschman swinging (91.9 mph sinker) and Colton Cowser looking (79.6 mph curveball).
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Devers’ hustle triple leads to run
Devers connected on Cionel Pérez’s 95.8 mph sinker and ripped it down the left field line with a 107.6 mph exit velocity. It should have been a double but the ball slowed after ricocheting off the wall.
Devers noticed and turned it into a hustle triple.
Connor Wong’s single to right field scored Devers to increase Boston’s lead to 5-3.
Bello goes 5-plus innings
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello threw 29 pitches in the first inning. He allowed two singles, one double, a walk (after getting ahead 0-2 in the count to Adley Rutschman) and hit by pitch.
But the 25-year-old righty allowed just two base runners (walk and single) while keeping the O’s scoreless over the next three innings. He struck out the side in the second inning and the first two batters of the third inning..
Bello allowed the first two batters to reach in the sixth inning on a single and a hit by pitch before
Bello went 5-plus innings and allowed three runs, five hits and two walks while striking out seven. He hit two batters.
Abreu homers in first inning
Wilyer Abreu’s 371-foot home run to right field put the Red Sox ahead 1-0 in the first inning. It was his sixth of the season.
Refsnyder followed with a double. Devers knocked home Refsnyder with an RBI single to make it 2-0.
Orioles respond immediately
The Orioles scored three runs in the bottom of the first inning against Bello who gave up one double, two singles, one walk and a hit by pitch.
Red Sox regain lead in second inning
The Red Sox quickly regained the lead, scoring twice in the top of the second inning. Jarren Duran’s RBI double tied it. Devers’ RBI single made it 4-3.
Rafaela makes another game-changing catch
With one out and a runner at first in the fourth inning, Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins smoked a 98.2 mph, 367-foot liner into the gap in left-center field. Center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela caught it in a full sprint to his right. He leaped at the last second to bring it in.
