BALTIMORE (AP) — Jorge Mateo scored the game-winning run in the 10th inning on a throwing error by pitcher Hirokazu Sawamura, capping a comeback that led the Baltimore Orioles to a 2-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.
Baltimore had runners on first and second with no outs in the 10th when Robinson Chirinos threw a bunt in front of the mound. Sawamura (0-1) picked up the ball and I throw it right in the head off third baseman Rafael Devers, allowing Mateo to score easily.
Held hitless until the sixth inning and trailing 1-0 in the eighth, the Orioles rallied to end a five-game losing streak.
Jorge López (2-1) pitched two hitless innings for Baltimore. In the 10th he retired Alex Verdugo with two outs and runners on the corners.
Lopez was the last of six relievers to shut out Boston with two hits after starter Spenser Watkins left in the fifth.
“We pitched extremely well. It started with Spenser,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “The rest of the guys, they all had great stuff. Just a brave performance from our pitching staff.”
Lopez, who dropped his ERA to 1.59, said of the 10th inning: “Really tough. You have one of the best hitters, the best lineups. Is not easy. Just concentrate, focus tone by tone. That helped me a lot throughout the season so far.”
Xander Bogaerts drove in the only run for the Red Sox, who went scoreless in the final nine innings.
Boston starter Nathan Eovaldi took a no-hitter offer and led 1-0 into the sixth inning. The right-hander retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced, the only runner to reach base on an error, before Cedric Mullins doubled down the left-field line with two outs in the sixth.
Eovaldi allowed three hits in seven shutout innings, striking out eight and walking none.
“I feel like I had all my shots going for me tonight,” Eovaldi said. “Tonight I had a really good feel for the divider, and when I have that pitch working for righties, it makes it a lot harder for those guys to react to him.”
In the seventh, the Orioles used two singles and a wild pitch to put two runners in scoring position with two out. Eovaldi then finished off his masterful performance by striking out Tyler Nevin.
“I just try to have a good mix of shots there,” Eovaldi said. “I wanted to try to throw that curve ball to the ground and he hit it and missed.”
But Baltimore tied it in the eighth against Matt Barnes. Mullins doubled with two outs and scored on a only in the middle by Antony Santander.
Boston jumped out on top in the first inning when Trevor Story hit the game’s first pitch for a double, advanced on a groundout and drove home Bogaerts’ single that went past an infield.
Watkins allowed one run on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
COACHES ROOM
Red Sox: JD Martinez missed a third straight game with a groin injury. He was in the original starting lineup before being dropped. “I just put him in the lineup until he tells me not to,” manager Alex Cora said. “He’s out, he still feels it, so we went with Plan B.” Christian Arroyo replaced Martinez at DH, who is expected to return on Sunday.
Orioles: DH/OF Trey Mancini was out of the game with bruised ribs. … Hyde did not have an update on injured pitchers Chris Ellis (right shoulder swelling) and Alexander Wells (left elbow swelling). “They are still being tested, still receiving treatment,” Hyde said.
IN CONTROL
Eovaldi has walked two or fewer in 24 straight games, a career best. In this one, 67 of his 95 pitches were in the strike zone.
HAVING A BLAST
Devers is hitting the ball well, playing his position effectively and clearly having fun in the big leagues. “It’s fun to be him,” Cora said. “He (he said) last year he plays baseball, makes a lot of money and hits home runs. We love it. Nor do we take it for granted. We know that he is 25 years old and continues to learn, but the product is still visible here. We are very proud of him”.
UNTIL NEXT TIME
Red Sox: Struggling RHP Nick Pivetta (0-3, 8.27 ERA) will try to get back on track in the series finale on Sunday. Pivetta is 6-1 in his career against Baltimore, a stat he hopes will surpass Boston’s 1-10 record in his last 11 starts.
Orioles: RHP Jordan Lyles (1-2, 5.40) is making his fifth start with Baltimore. In his last outing, Lyles gave up three home runs to the Yankees in a 12-8 loss on Tuesday.
___
More AP MLB: https://apnews.com/MLB and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Reference-apnews.com