Joey Rickard and Buck Showalter on Rickard's defensive gem in Boston

It was one of those plays that, as manager Buck Showalter said today, can "change the game." With the Orioles leading the Red Sox 8-3 last night, Boston had a rally going with the bases loaded in the last of the seventh.

In the top of the seventh, Seth Smith singled to right for a 4-for-4 game. But in the bottom of the inning, Joey Rickard came in for Smith as a defensive replacement in right field.

A few moments later, he Rickard made a leaping, sprawling catch of Andrew Benintendi's liner to deep right. He initially turned the wrong way on a ball that was crushed, but got to it and had just enough on his leap to make a snow-cone catch and save three runs from scoring.

The Orioles blew a big lead in the opening game of this road trip and didn't want to end it the same way.

Rickard said it was one of the toughest plays he's had to make since joining the Orioles. Even if his initial move was in the wrong direction.

"I think it I made it a little more difficult than it should have been, but it was definitely, given the circumstances and the angle, it was definitely up there," he said this afternoon.

"You really don't know how much to go back at first. It's one of those balls right at you. I just kind of reacted. It wasn't pretty, but I'll take it. When I went up for it, I thought it was out of my reach, but I felt it go right in the glove and stay."

Here is Showalter's take on the play: "You know, if you square a ball up it doesn't have spin that makes it follow one direction. If you square a ball up it's like trying to catch a knuckleball. I'm not sure if that's what happened.

"That was a tough play. There are many parts of that play. And they are right back in it there (if he doesn't catch it). It's tough trying to decide what inning to put Joey and (Craig) Gentry out there (for defense). I felt like Smitty, his next at-bat was going to be off a left-hander anyway.

"But it's great to have those pieces that can change the game over something they bring. That is what a lot of people miss analytically. Gentry gets on base, the game changes. Whether he's pinch running or whatever. That is one of the advantages of having five guys on the bench."

In his platoon role starting mostly against lefty pitchers, Rickard was happy to have the chance to make such an impactful play on a night he didn't start the game.

"It feels good to be involved. Especially when you come into a game late for defense," he said. "It finally pays off and it feels like you contributed."

Now, after a tumultuous four days in Boston, the Orioles are happy to be home and look forward to getting back to nights with more baseball and less drama.

"Definitely. At the end of day we're just looking to play baseball," Rickard said. "We have great leaders in here that don't let us stray too far away from going out there and having fun."