G73: Red Sox 8, Orioles 6 (10)

Red Sox - 000 200 001 5 - 8 14  2
Orioles - 001 000 020 3 - 6 12  2

Rafael Devers led off the top of the tenth inning with a home run off Mychal Givens (who also surrendered a game-tying homer from Marco Hernández in the ninth). The Red Sox batted around in the extra inning, with Mookie Betts and Christian Vázquez adding two-run singles off David Hess.

OTM's Matt Collins called Sunday's contest "weird and dumb ... but also a win", so it's all good. The Red Sox, with a three-game sweep, have won five straight games.

After the Orioles had taken a 1-0 lead, the Red Sox quickly countered with two runs, coming on run-scoring doubles by Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley.

Baltimore re-took the lead with two runs in the eighth off Marcus Walden (the tying run scored on a wild pitch), but Hernández picked a perfect time to hit his first homer of the year. It came with one out and Betts followed it with a triple, but Vázquez and J.D. Martinez both struck out.

In the tenth, Devers's 11th homer gave Boston a 4-3 lead. Bogaerts reached on a fielding error by third baseman Rio Ruiz and Michael Chavis singled. Hess relieved Givens. Bradley flied to center (first pitch), Brock Holt walked on four pitches to load the bases, and Hernández popped to second (first pitch). Betts's single scored two runs and, after Mookie stole second, Vázquez's hit (capping a nine-pitch at-bat) scored two more.

With Josh Smith on the mound in the bottom of the tenth, Chavis's error at first allowed Chris Davis to reach first. A Red Sox double play off Ruiz's bat was challenged and reviewed and eventually changed to only a force at second. Steve Wilkerson homered and it was 8-5. Hanser Alberto lined to center for the second out, but Trey Mancini homered. 8-6. But, saving his own ass, as well as the game, Smith (on his 36th pitch of the inning) retired Pedro Severino on a first-to-pitcher groundout. The time of game was 4:45.

The Red Sox will be in Minnesota tomorrow night, playing the first of three games against the Twins, owners of MLB's best record (47-22). The Twins have a 10-game lead in the AL Central and lead the AL in runs, doubles, home runs, total bases batting average, slugging percentage, and OPS.

AL East: The Yankees beat the White Sox 10-3 and the Rays held on to beat the Angels 6-5. ... MFY –, TBR 0.5, BOS 5.5.

Brian Johnson / John Means

Betts, RF
Benintendi, DH Vázquez, C
Martinez, LF
Devers, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Vázquez, C Chavis, 1B
Chavis, 1B Bradley, CF
Bradley, CF Núñez, DH
Núñez, 2B Hernández, 2B

Andrew Benintendi was pulled from the original lineup with a sore left quad muscle.

AL East: MFY –, TBR 0.5, BOS 5.5. ... Angels/Rays, 1 PM. MFY/White Sox, 2 PM.