Another quality start from Bradish and pair of four-run innings highlight Orioles' 11-2 win (updated)

BOSTON – Kyle Bradish wouldn’t set the bullpen into motion tonight until two outs in the sixth inning. Ryan O’Hearn had to do it.

Orioles relievers raised their arms and jumped in the air as O’Hearn’s fly ball sailed into the right field seats leading off the top of the fourth. They couldn’t catch it. May as well celebrate it.

O’Hearn’s 12^th homer of the season, Gunnar Henderson's latest Rookie of the Year push and Bradish’s latest quality start propelled the Orioles past the Red Sox 11-2 before an announced crowd of 33,852 at Fenway Park.

The Rays defeated the Mariners 7-4 to leave the Orioles with a four-game division lead.

Adley Rutschman curled a fly ball around the right field foul pole in the eighth for his 18^th home run, and the Orioles won their sixth game in a row and improved to 89-51 overall, 47-25 on the road and 31-15 in series openers. They will go 85 series of multiple games in a row without being swept.

Bradish conquered his demons by holding the Red Sox to two runs with no walks and nine strikeouts in six innings. He was 0-4 with a 9.36 ERA and 1.840 WHIP in six career starts against them and allowed 13 runs in four innings in Boston.

"Definitely after my last outing in Phoenix, as soon as that one was over I was looking at the next one and I was like, 'Yeah, well, we've got to go back to Fenway,'" Bradish said. "This one felt really good."

This is a version of Bradish that might thrust him into a Game 1 start in the playoffs. He’s already entered the Cy Young discussion.

"I think it's just a steady mix of all my pitches, commanding it, minimizing damage, not really walking guys," Bradish said. "That one helps."

Bradish retired the first eight batters before Connor Wong singled in the third. Sixteen of 17 were turned away before Wong homered to left with one out in the sixth.

Alex Verdugo doubled and scored with two outs on Justin Turner’s double to trim the Orioles’ lead to 5-2. Jacob Webb began to warm, and he entered in the seventh with Bradish at 86 pitches.

"I was talking with Adley after, he said I looked really locked in out there," Bradish said. "Every shape was feeling good, throwing a lot of strikes, minimizing damage."

Of the nine strikeouts, four came on his curveball and four on his slider. He fanned Trevor Story on a sinker, the same pitch that Wong barreled for a home run.

"I saw probably as dominating of a five-inning stint as I've seen from him," said manager Brandon Hyde. "Every pitch working. Curveball and the slider, with great life to his 96 mph fastball. Good two-seamer, not a whole lot of hard contact. Just a couple bad pitches there in the sixth. But coming off a 100-plus pitch outing his last time, just an outstanding start."

Bradish has allowed 11 runs in his last seven outings over 41 2/3 innings. He’s surrendered two runs in six frames in each of his last three starts and four of five to maintain a 3.03 ERA. His streak of six or more innings in seven consecutive road starts is the longest by an Orioles pitcher since Jeremy Guthrie's 10 from Sept. 23, 2009-June 16, 2010.

"He's been a staple," O'Hearn said. "Every time he takes the ball he's giving us a quality start, it seems like. He's going deep in the game, obviously the stuff is electric, and just the way he attacks the zone and keeps the game moving. Lets the position players kind of lock into his rhythm and make plays behind him. He's special, obviously. I love when Kyle's pitching. We need him to keep being Kyle the rest of the way out."

"He is just getting better and better," Hyde said, "and that's fun to watch."

Tanner Houck stranded two runners in the first inning and another in the third following a double play grounder and Henderson double. O’Hearn drove a slider 424 feet to right, over the visiting bullpen, for a 1-0 lead.

"He just continues to get big hits for us," Hyde said. "What he brings to our team every day on a consistent basis, unbelievable teammate, wants to win so badly, will do anything. He's ready to hit at all times. When he starts, he's given us good at-bats every time up, and just getting massive hits for us. He's having a great year."

The home run was the 50^th of O’Hearn’s career, and his teammates in the ‘pen managed to retrieve the ball. A post-deadline trade that would have made Mike Elias proud.

"I want to hit more, obviously," O'Hearn said. "A nice round number like that, 50, is cool. I'm keeping the ball and kind of look back on that one. Hopefully, there's a lot more to come, but yeah, it means something to me."

Anthony Santander led off the sixth with a walk, O’Hearn singled to right field and Cedric Mullins doubled to right with one out. He raced to third base on Verdugo’s error and scored on Austin Hays’ single.

Reliever Joe Jacques walked pinch-hitter Jordan Westburg and hit Ramón Urías to load the bases with one out. Rutschman lined to Verdugo to increase the lead to 5-0.

The Orioles sent nine batters to the plate. They seemed to put the game out of reach with Bradish cruising.

Rutschman homered in the eighth and Henderson followed with his seventh triple of the season - the first two picks in the 2019 draft.

Henderson scored on Brennan Bernardino’s wild pitch. Aaron Hicks pinch-hit for O’Hearn and singled. Another night with contributions spread across the roster.

Rutschman’s third RBI, giving him 70 for the season, came on a fielder’s choice grounder in the ninth after the Orioles loaded the bases again. Henderson singled to score Urías and leave him a home run shy of the cycle.

Another four-run inning was assured after Hicks, batting with the bases full again, lined a single into center field to give the Orioles 14 hits and an 11-2 lead.

The Orioles have recorded 10 or more hits in six consecutive games, their longest streak since seven in September 2011.

"I just think our guys are, no matter what the score is, (taking) good at-bats," Hyde said. "Every at-bat matters. We're taking team at-bats for nine innings and that's how you win so many games that we've won."

Webb retired the side in order in the seventh and DL Hall stranded a runner in the eighth after a walk, with Ryan McKenna making a leaping catch in right to rob Rafael Devers.

The relievers went airborne again to celebrate. A fielder’s turn to launch them.

* Colton Cowser hit his 14^th home run for Triple-A Norfolk, a three-run shot in the third inning, and Josh Lester’s 21^st was a grand slam in the fifth. Jackson Holliday singled twice, drove in a run and scored twice.

Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann tossed three scoreless innings and was removed. T.J. McFarland followed with three shutout innings, allowing only one hit. Tyler Wells retired all three batters he faced in the ninth, striking out one in an 11-0 victory over Jacksonville.

Dylan Beavers hit his first home run with Double-A Bowie. Connor Gillispie allowed two runs with six strikeouts in six innings.

High-A Aberdeen’s Kyle Virbitsky allowed one run and struck out eight batters in six innings. Creed Willems hit his ninth home run.

Single-A Delmarva’s Tavian Josenberger, Angel Tejada and Randy Florentino each had three hits. Florentino drove in four runs.