The Boston Red Sox grabbed a win in the series opener Friday night as Matt Strahm came in and shut the door while Rich Hill was strong, and Christian Arroyo homered in the team’s 3-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles.
All of Boston’s production came in the second inning, as Kiké Hernandez led off the inning with a single, which was later followed by Arroyo’s one-out, 408-foot homer that put the Sox out in front, 2-0. Boston then added on as Jackie Bradley Jr. had a base knock before Christian Vazquez roped one into right that Trey Mancini jumped on too early and misplayed, letting it go by him and letting Bradley Jr. score from first to make it a three-run lead.
Though Rich Hill was pulled after 4+ innings, he was perfect in the first four that he tossed before he began the fifth by letting up a leadoff single to Austin Hays. In his one-hit performance, the lefty had four punchouts.
Hill was relieved by Tanner Houck, who ran into some trouble in the fifth as he let up a no-out single to Ramon Urias, though was saved by a double play. After his two-out walk that came right after the double play, he finished the inning and hurled a 1-2-3 sixth, though worked himself into a jam yet again in the seventh. Ryan Mountcastle and Hays led off the frame with a single and a walk, and the bases were later loaded with a two-out walk of Anthony Santander. But, Houck set Rougned Odor down on strikes to retire the side and hold the O’s scoreless through seven.
Jake Diekman pitched a 1-2-3 eighth, though Hansel Robles gave up a leadoff homer to Mountcastle in the ninth. And after a single that followed Mountcastle’s long ball, Robles put two on after he served up a two-out walk. In came Matt Strahm who was able to save the day as he set the former Red Sox Chris Owings down on strikes to capture the victory.
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