Mitch Moreland homered, Andrew Benintendi hit a two-run double, and Rick Porcello threw six shutout innings as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 5-3 Monday night at Oriole Park.
The teams made it through two rain delays early -- 41 minutes in the first inning and 19 minutes in the third -- and rain could be bugging the clubs through the series that continues Tuesday and Wednesday.
Porcello (12-4) scattered six hits and a walk while striking out six. Craig Kimbrel closed it in the ninth and earned his 32nd save despite giving up a run.
The Red Sox now have a 10-1 record against the Orioles this season.
Baltimore dropped its fourth consecutive game. The Orioles have not won since the second half of the season began and they traded Manny Machado to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman (4-8) allowed five runs on just three hits in 4 2/3 innings. Boston broke the game open against him with a four-run fifth inning.
Moreland gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead in the second with his home run. The Orioles nearly tied it in the third on a Jonathan Schoop double, but Jace Peterson was thrown out at the plate, left fielder Benintendi to shortstop Xander Bogaerts to catcher Sandy Leon.
The Red Sox knocked Gausman out of the game in the fifth when the right-hander suddenly developed control issues.
Bogaerts led off with a double, and one-out walks by Rafael Devers and Leon loaded the bases. Gausman then walked Jackie Bradley Jr. to force in a run before Benintendi lined a ground-rule double to left one out later, scoring two for a 4-0 lead.
Miguel Castro then came on for Gausman, and J.D. Martinez greeted him with an RBI single that put Boston up 5-0.
The Orioles got on the board in the eighth when Schoop hit a two-run homer to left off Brandon Workman. Caleb Joseph lined an RBI single in the ninth for the last Baltimore run.
--Field Level Media
Boston | Baltimore | |
Rick Porcello | Player | Kevin Gausman |
Win | W/L | Loss |
6.0 | IP | 4.2 |
6 | Strikeouts | 2 |
6 | Hits | 3 |
0.00 | ERA | 9.64 |
Boston | Baltimore | |
Andrew Benintendi | Player | Jonathan Schoop |
2 | Hits | 2 |
2 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
3 | TB | 6 |
.500 | Avg | .500 |