Boston belts six homers in series-opening blowout win

Orioles pitchers have allowed 22 runs over the last three nights. In the fifth and sixth innings. That is about all you need to know about the pitching since Wednesday night.

Boston hammered three homers tonight in the fifth inning and six over the first five frames in crushing the Orioles 13-2 to start a three-game series at Oriole Park.

The Orioles fall to 21-48 overall and to 9-26 at home. They've allowed 33 runs these past three games after giving up just 17 the previous six games. The pitching took a brief turn for the better and then crashed big time into a brick wall.

Luis Ortiz had an ERA of 7.01 at Triple-A, but the Orioles had to scratch Andrew Cashner from this start and needed someone with innings, preferably someone on the 40-man. So Ortiz got the call - and so did lefty Josh Rogers.

Ortiz pitched a scoreless first, allowed a two-run homer to Brock Holt in the second and then escaped a bases-loaded jam in the third as the O's were down just 2-1.

However, there was no escaping the onslaught that was to come. Boston scored 11 runs over the fourth through the sixth innings to open a 13-1 lead.

The Red Sox hit two homers in a four-run fourth, three in a five-run fifth and none when scoring twice in the sixth. Boston hit 1,276 feet of homers in the fifth inning and reached 2,539 feet with its first six. J.D. Martinez homered twice.

Orioles pitchers have allowed 138 home runs this year.

We could say, at least no one got hurt, but Hanser Alberto did leave the game early. He was not hurt, but did leave due to illness before the top of the fifth.

Trey Mancini hit a solo homer in the first off winning pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez for the first Baltimore run. It was No. 15 for Mancini, his fifth in the last 13 games and his seventh on the season in the first inning. Keon Broxton had an RBI infield single in the ninth and went 2-for-3.

Ortiz allowed five walks, four runs and two homers in 3 1/3 innings in his second career major league start. Dan Straily followed and gave up four homers and seven runs in 1 1/3 innings. In 33 innings at home in 2019, Straily has allowed 18 homers and 41 runs for an ERA of 11.18.

All the Orioles can do is come back and try again tomorrow afternoon at 4:05 p.m. when right-hander Dylan Bundy (3-7, 4.50 ERA) faces lefty Chris Sale (2-7, 3.52 ERA).

The "Extra Innings" show is still to come tonight on 105.7 The Fan.