BOSTON – Alex Verdugo took a few steps toward the historic left field wall, waited for the ball to slam against the base of the light tower and heaved his glove in the air, hoping to knock it down upon its return to the field. A signature move on the playground.
Catcher Robinson Chirinos’ two-run homer tied the game in the fifth inning, the eighth ball hit by the Orioles against Nathan Eovaldi with an exit velocity of 100 mph or more.
Would the Orioles rush past the Red Sox, as they did last night by scoring 10 runs in the final three innings? Today’s comeback attempt in the opening game of a doubleheader didn’t cover nearly as much ground. They didn’t trail twice by six.
They didn’t ride the momentum, if there’s such a thing, to another win.
Bobby Dalbec’s first career pinch-hit home run broke the tie in the sixth, the Red Sox tacked on an insurance run in the seventh, and Eovaldi went the distance in a 5-3 victory at Fenway Park.