The Baltimore Orioles handed the Boston Red Sox a 8-7 loss at JetBlue Park on Sunday in spring training play. Despite Willson Contreras's 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, and three RBI effort at the plate, the Sox could not pull even when it mattered. On the mound, Ranger Suarez turned in a solid outing, working 3.0 innings of 1-run ball with two strikeouts. The Orioles out-hit the Sox 11-9 on the day. The loss is a minor bump as the Sox continue fine-tuning ahead of Opening Day. The exhibition season is about preparation, and today provided the kind of reps the coaching staff needs to see.
Key Performers
Willson Contreras was the offensive highlight at the plate, going 2-for-2 with a home run, a double, and three RBI. His power was on full display throughout the game. The Sox will be hoping for more of the same as the spring continues.
Allan Castro also contributed, going 1-for-2 with two RBI, Caleb Durbin chipped in, going 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, and Trevor Story added to the attack, going 1-for-3. The Sox showed flashes of offense but could not piece together the big inning they needed.
On the other side of the diamond, Samuel Basallo led the Orioles offense with a 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI day. Heston Kjerstad also contributed, going 3-for-3 with a double and an RBI. Dylan Beavers added a 2-for-4 with two doubles effort as well. The Orioles offense proved to be too much for the Sox pitching staff to contain on this particular day.
On the Mound
Ranger Suarez got the start, battling through his outing, working 3.0 innings while allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits with two strikeouts. He threw 45 pitches in the outing. The coaching staff will review his performance as they continue mapping out the pitching plan for the regular season.
The bullpen combined for 4.6 innings of work, allowing 7 earned runs while striking out eight. The Sox continue to sort through their relief options as they build their Opening Day bullpen. Every inning pitched in the spring is an opportunity for pitchers to make their case for a spot on the roster when the games start counting. Alex Pham recorded the save to close out the game.
Among the relievers, Tayron Guerrero stood out with 2.0 innings of scoreless work, striking out two. It was an impressive showing that could factor into roster decisions.
How It Happened
The Sox struck first, pushing across a run in the first inning. Orioles struck back with a run in the second. The Sox answered with five runs in the third. Orioles responded with four runs in the fifth. The Sox countered with a run in the fifth. Orioles struck back with three runs in the sixth. The Orioles were able to score in three separate innings, keeping the pressure on throughout the contest. Orioles out-hit the Sox 11-9, with 5 errors committed between the two clubs. A crowd of 9,278 was on hand to take in the action.
Looking Ahead
Despite the result, the Sox will take the lessons learned from this game and move forward. Spring training is about preparation and evaluation, not wins and losses, and the coaching staff gained valuable information about the roster today. There is still time to make adjustments before the regular season begins, and games like this one are part of that process.