Bradley’s grabs help Red Sox top O’s 6-4; Davis now 0 for 54
BOSTON (AP) — Gold Glove center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. made two key catches and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-4 Friday night, giving the World Series champions their first two-game winning streak of the season.
Baltimore’s Chris Davis lined out as a pinch-hitter to end the game, extending his record hitless streak for a position player to 0 for 54.
Andrew Benintendi homered and Xander Bogaerts had three hits, helping Eduardo Rodriguez (1-2) and the Red Sox improve to 5-9.
Bradley made a diving grab in the fourth, then ended a threat in the eighth with by robbing Joey Rickard of extra bases and Baltimore of a run. Bradley planted his right foot in the padding of the Green Monster and pushed himself just high enough off the wall to grab the ball.
The catch helped preserve a 4-2 lead and Boston tacked on two more runs in the bottom of the eighth, one on a sacrifice fly by Bradley.
Rodriguez (1-2) had a strong start, keeping the Orioles hitless through four and taking a shutout into the seventh. He allowed two runs on three hits with no walks and eight strikeouts in 6 2-3 innings. He was pulled after Dwight Smith Jr. hit a two-run homer to pull the Orioles within 3-2.
David Hess (1-2) gave up three runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings.
Benintendi’s first homer of the season put Boston up 1-0 in the third. Eduardo Nunez had a pair of RBI singles for the Red Sox.
Renato Nunez hit a two-run homer in the ninth off Tyler Thornburg, who started the inning by walking Trey Mancini. Ryan Brasier came in later to post his third save, getting Davis to end it with a soft liner to second.
Baltimore didn’t have a hit against Rodriguez until Hanser Alberto lined a two-out single to left in the fifth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Orioles: C Pedro Severino had the night off after getting hit in the head Thursday night by a curveball thrown by Oakland’s J.B. Wendelken in the seventh inning. Manager Brandon Hyde said Severino cleared concussion tests but the Orioles wanted to give him another day.
Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia was out of the lineup after playing his first two games of the season this week. Pedroia, who played in only three games last year because of a knee injury, made his season debut Tuesday and started in Thursday night’s win over Toronto. . Manager Alex Cora said RHP Hector Velazquez is scheduled to start Monday’s series finale for Chris Sale, who is off to an 0-3 start with an ERA of 9.00. Cora said he wanted to give Sale some extra rest and have him available to start Tuesday night when the Red Sox open a two-game set at the New York Yankees.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Andrew Cashner (2-1, 5.28 ERA) gets his first start since picking up a win over Oakland on Monday, helping Baltimore end a four-game skid.
Red Sox: RHP Rick Porcello (0-2, 13.50) is still looking for his first win of the season after losing his first two starts. Porcello went 2-0 against the Orioles last season, but is 6-11 against Baltimore in his career.
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