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Boston Red Sox score late, spoil Baltimore Orioles’ home opener

Apr 8, 2021; Baltimore, Maryland, USA;  Boston Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers (11) celebrates with Boston Red Sox center fielder Alex Verdugo (99) at home plate after hitting a two run home run during the first inning as Baltimore Orioles catcher Pedro Severino (28) looks on at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports
Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Red Sox scored five runs from the fifth inning on to beat the host Baltimore Orioles 7-3 and spoil opening day at Camden Yards on Thursday.

The Orioles led 3-2 going into the sixth but Boston took the lead back in the top of the inning and did not look back.

Baltimore starter Matt Harvey (0-1) threw 25 pitches in a rough first inning which could have been worse than the two runs he surrendered. Harvey moved on from that and gave the Orioles a strong start, charged with four earned runs on seven hits in 5-plus innings. Harvey struck out five.

Boston lefty Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0) got off to a similar start as he gave up a two-run homer in the first inning as well.

As was the case with Harvey, he settled in and gave the Red Sox five innings, allowing three earned runs off four hits with seven strikeouts.

The Red Sox got this game going in a hurry.

After Harvey got the first out of the game, Alex Verdugo doubled. With two outs, Rafael Devers (2-for-3) hit a 1-1 offering about a dozen rows into the left-centerfield seats.

The Red Sox put the following two batters into scoring position, but Harvey struck Christian Arroyo out looking to end the threat.

Baltimore answered in the bottom of the inning with Cedric Mullins leading off with a single and coming home on a two-out homer to right from Ryan Mountcastle.

Rodriguez stranded a pair of runners when he struck out Freddy Galvis to get out of the jam.

The game remained tied at 2 before Baltimore’s Pedro Severino homered to right with one down in the fourth.

Harvey was pulled in the sixth after Devers and Christian Vazquez (3-for-5, run) led off with singles.

Boston ended up scoring twice in the inning — one off a groundout by Arroyo and another off a Franchy Cordero single — to take the lead.

The Red Sox added two runs in the seventh and another in the eighth off a home run from Kike Hernandez.

Baltimore was without manager Brandon Hyde after he was ejected by home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak for arguing that Rio Ruiz was struck in the arm by a pitch from Rodriguez. Bench coach Fredi Gonzalez took over for Hyde.

Before the game, Boston reinstated Rodriguez from the 10-day injured list as he had been dealing with left elbow inflammation dating to the end of spring training.

–Field Level Media

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