Tuesday’s game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Boston Red Sox (68-59) was in a way, a tale of two halves, the starter’s half and the bullpen’s half. When all was said and done, however, the Orioles came out on top by a score of 4-3 in 11 innings.
Tomoyuki Sugano made his 24th start of the year and gave up just one unearned run when he was charged with a third disengagement violation with Trevor Story batting, balking in a run. Over 5.0 innings and 85 pitches (54 K’s) he allowed 5 hits and struck out 3.
The game was in the hands of the bullpen
The bullpen covered the final six innings and gave the fans a few hold your breath moments. Keegan Akin relieved Sugano in the sixth mainly because Boston had two left-handed hitters coming up. Akin proceeded to pitch 2.0 clean innings, turning the game over to Kade Strowd for the eighth inning.
Strowd was not sharp to say the least, allowing a pair of singles to open the inning and then advancing them to second and third on a wild pitch. He walked Alex Bregman, loading the bases and ending his outing without recording an out.
Rico Garcia was tasked with getting the Orioles out of that mess and that is exactly what he did, striking out the next three Boston batters on 12 pitches.
RICOOOOO
pic.twitter.com/Da13pIunQH
— Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) August 20, 2025
Yaramil Hiraldo entered the game in the ninth and issued a lead-off walk to Romy Gonzalez before surrendering a pinch-hit game-tying homerun to recently DFA’d by the Washington Nationals Nathaniel Lowe. Hiraldo then struck out the next two batters befor walking the bases loaded. A groundout by Story ended the inning. One has to wonder if the righty Hiraldo could get a good view of homeplate due to the large wad of chew he had in his left cheek.
When asked why Garcia didn’t come out for the ninth Interim Manager Tony Mansolino said, “with how emotional a high it was (the eighth inning), I felt like it would be irresponsible to send him back out.”
Yennier Cano (2-0) pitched the tenth and hit the lead-off batter Ceddanne Rafaela. A forceout at second put runners on the corners and a walk to Lowe loaded the bases. Abraham Toro grounded into a double play to end the threat after which Cano struck what I felt was an unnecessary pose.
The eleventh belonged to Corbin Martin and if not for a Boston “brain fart” the outcome may have been different. Toro was pinch run for by Nate Eaton as the ghost runner at second. Eaton advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and with Roman Anthony batting, failed to tag up on a fly ball to Colton Cowser in left field. Cowser’s throw was so far to the left of home that Eaton would have easily scored and tied the game. Eaton tried to maintain that third baseman Luis Vazquez obstructed him on the play, but to no avail. A Bregman pop out to short ended the game.
A fifth inning outburst
The Orioles score three runs in the fifth. Jackson Holliday doubled to start the inning and Vazquez walked to put runners at first and second. A Ryan Mountcastle single with one out scored Holliday and a Cowser double scored Vazquez. Mountcastle came home on a wild pitch by Boston’s Greg Weissert for a 3-1 lead.
A big prospect comes up big
Representing the last bench player available, #1 Prospect Samuel Basallo was called upon to pinch hit for Alex Jackson with a runner at third and one out in the eleventh. Jeremiah Jackson, the ghost runner, had advanced to third on a Dylan Carlson groundout to first. The 6′ 4″, 180 lb. Basallo hit what was likened to a swinging bunt in front of home plate that Boston’s catcher Connor Wong could only make a play at first on, allowing Jackson to score what would be the winning run and what would award the win to Cano.
Referring to Basallo’s at bat Mansolino said, “I’m paying attention to see, like, is he nervous? This is a really big moment he’s going up for and, for me, if he was nervous, he probably would have taken the first pitch, because that would have been abnormal. He swings the bat, and he came out of the gate swinging it. He was himself.”
The Orioles won the game despite only having 6 hits over 11.0 innings, half of which came in the three-run fifth, and going 2 for 13 with runners in scoring position. The Birds are also eight games under .500 for the first time since July 29th and have moved to 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race and now have just six teams to climb over to get in the playoffs.
2025 Record: 59-67
Next Game: Thurs. 8/21 @ 7:15 pm vs. Houston Astros (FOX)