Boston followed its series-opener win in Baltimore with another tightly contested game at Camden Yards, and once again, it was pitching and small-ball execution that decided the outcome. Solo homers from Trevor Story and David Hamilton accounted for the early offense, and through six innings it remained a pitchers’ duel between Lucas Giolito and Kyle Bradish. Bradish fanned 10 across six strong frames, while Giolito turned in one of his best outings of the year. Giolito worked eight innings, allowing four hits, walking one, and striking out eight, and looked particularly sharp in the seventh when he needed just four pitches to retire the side.
The Sox pushed their margin late when Rafaela delivered an insurance run in the eighth following a double; a Hamilton bunt and a swinging bunt from Narváez helped bring that run home. Additionally, in the ninth inning, Rafaela and Lowe both scored due to a costly error that brought this game to 5-0. The combination of timely small-ball and Giolito’s length proved decisive as Boston took the game and sought to carry momentum into the series’ later matchups. The club returns to the field tonight at 6:35 p.m. with a chance to close out the series, a meaningful test as the playoff race tightens.
