Despite Boston Red Sox Starter Tanner Houck’s efforts, the Baltimore Orioles continued to spoil the Red Sox opening series in a 4-2 win on Saturday.
Five of the Red Sox starting batters would go hitless, leaving 3 of Boston’s 7 hits to come from designated hitter J.D Martinez. After going 1-4 against the O’s on Friday, Martinez’s 3 hits brought the designated hitter’s batting average up to a steady .500.
In his 5 inning start, Houck allowed 3 runs on 6 hits while fanning 8 batters. Two of Houck’s 3 earned runs came on a ground-ball single from Oriole third Baseman Maikel Franco, bringing in Rio Ruiz and Austin Hays from second and third base.
An RBI single from Anthony Santander in the 5th inning and a sac fly from Trey Mancini in the 7th inning would bring in the Orioles other 2 runs. The 7th inning fly would be Mancini’s first RBI in the big leagues since 2019, after having to sit out the 2020 season while battling Stage 3 Colon Cancer.
The Dark Knight Returns
After being added to the Orioles 40-man roster on Thursday, Matt Harvey made his debut for Baltimore, allowing 2 runs on 6 hits in a 4.2 inning performance. Harvey signed a minor-league contract with the Orioles at the beginning of spring training this year. The former Mets ace is looking to have a bounce-back season after going 0-3 in 4 of his starts with the Kansas City Royals in 2020.
Up Next
After their series finale with the Orioles on Sunday, April 4th at 1:10 pm, the Red Sox will face the Tampa Bay Rays in another three-game home series.
The Orioles will then head to New York for a 3-game series with the Yankees, before welcoming the Red Sox to Baltimore their home opener.
