O's can't hold lead, fall to Red Sox in home opener

It was a messy top of the sixth for the Orioles. A lead was lost and later so was the home opening game. The Boston Red Sox scored two runs in the sixth to turn a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead and eventually pulled away for a 7-3 win.

Boston improves to 4-3 with a fourth win in a row. The O's fall to 4-3 in losing their third home opener in a row.

Right-hander Matt Harvey was rolling and then suddenly he wasn't. After a shaky first, where he allowed a two-run homer to Rafael Devers that went 452 feet, he settled in. Harvey needed just 51 pitches in keeping Boston off the board in innings two through five. He had a 3-2 lead at that point.

But it would not last.

He was replaced by Paul Fry after two singles started the Red Sox sixth. Devers singled and moved up a base when a bloop that should have been caught fell in front of Ryan Mountcastle in left. A walk to Marwin Gonzalez loaded the bases. All three runners moved up on a 1-3 groundout and the game was tied 3-3.

Then left fielder Franchy Cordero lined a single into left and Mountcastle seemed tentative moving toward the liner that put Boston ahead 4-3. Gonzalez advanced to third on the hit and Cordero moved into second when Mountcastle's throw to the infield got away for an E-7.

Earlier, Mountcastle's two-run homer in the opening inning was the first allowed by Boston pitching this year and tied the game at 2-2. He hit an 0-2 pitch fastball out to right-center against former O's farmhand Eduardo Rodriguez. Boston pitchers came into this game having not allowed a homer through six games, 57 innings and 245 batters. They extended that three batters more before Mountcastle's homer.

A homer in the fourth by Pedro Severino temporarily put the O's ahead 3-2 for Harvey. That was until their defensive issues and the two runs they allowed in the top of the sixth.

Boston added on with two runs in the seventh and a solo homer in the eighth by Kiké Hernández for the final 7-3 margin.

Boston's seven runs today are two more than they produced in three games in the season-opening series against the Orioles. O's pitchers gave up 15 hits in the three games with a team ERA of 1.67 at Fenway Park.

Harvey took the loss, allowing seven hits and four runs over five-plus innings. He threw 84 pitches, 57 for strikes, and has an ERA of 5.59 over his first two Baltimore starts.

The home opener began with the opening ceremony and team introductions. Trey Mancini got a huge ovation during that pregame ceremony and then again before he batted in the last of the first.

O's manager Brandon Hyde picked up his fifth career ejection arguing in the O's fourth. Rio Ruiz was hit by a pitch, but it was ruled that he swung at the pitch. Hyde argued that call and was tossed.

When Matt Barnes struck out the side in the last of the ninth, the O's finished with 14 strikeouts. That set a major league record, as they became the first club ever with 13 or more for five consecutive games.

The Orioles are now 44-24 all-time in homer openers. The teams take Friday off before the second game of this series on Saturday at 7:05 p.m.

A grueling journey, but what a destination.@TreyMancini is back where he belongs. pic.twitter.com/StAgcaUaIV

-- Baltimore Orioles 😷 (@Orioles) April 8, 2021