Wilyer Abreu had Boston’s first three RBIs before the Red Sox rattled off a five-run fifth inning en route to an 8-1 win over the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night.
Abreu (2-for-5) hit a run-scoring single in the first and a two-run home run in the third, providing all of the offense that the Red Sox needed to support starter Payton Tolle (3-2). The left-hander pitched six scoreless innings, working around seven hits and two walks while striking out five.
Ceddanne Rafaela and Willson Contreras both had three-hit games for the Red Sox, who pounded out 15 hits and have won three of their last four games.
Adley Rutschman drove in Baltimore’s run with a seventh-inning triple. Taylor Ward was 3-for-4 with a run as the Orioles’ three-game winning streak ended.
Chris Bassitt (4-4) lasted just three innings in his start, allowing six hits and three runs. He walked two and struck out one.
Jarren Duran provided the Red Sox with a first-inning offensive spark for the second straight night, knocking a leadoff single through the right side, advancing on a groundout and scoring on Abreu’s line-drive RBI single to left.
A Contreras double into the deep left field corner nearly doubled the Boston lead in the next at-bat, but Abreu was tagged out on a relay to the plate after third base coach Chad Epperson crossed inside the foul line to wave him home.
After Tolle worked out of a one-out, two-on jam in the third, Abreu made it a 2-for-2 start to the game and a 3-0 score, sneaking a two-out, two-run homer inside the right field foul pole.
The Red Sox broke the game open while sending all nine men to the plate in a five-run, five-hit fifth against reliever Albert Suarez.
After Contreras stung a leadoff sliding double into center and Masataka Yoshida walked, Gasper drove both home on Mickey Gasper’s fly-ball triple that center fielder Blaze Alexander lost in the sky. Isiah Kiner-Falefa kept the line moving with an RBI double off the Green Monster.
After Suarez recorded the first out, Caleb Durbin’s double inside the third base line made it 7-0 and Rafaela’s infield single two batters later brought home another run.
Boston’s shutout bid was broken in the seventh, as Ward hit a one-out single and scored on Rutschman’s triple to deep center on which Rafaela collided with the wall while trying to catch the drive.
Rafaela remained in the game, making a running catch on Rutschman to end the game. Ryan Watson recorded a three-inning save, his first in the majors.
