Rob Refsnyder hit two home runs among his four hits and drove in a career-high five runs, while Tyler O’Neill also hit two homers, as the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 12-3 on Monday night.
Ceddanne Rafaela added two hits and four RBIs, helping the Red Sox finish with a total of 15 hits.
“Maybe this is the way we play the rest of the way — platoon the rest of the way and try to maximize the roster,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “They did an amazing job offensively today.”
Refsnyder and O’Neill hit back-to-back homers in both the third and eighth innings. This was Refsnyder’s second career multi-home run game and O’Neill’s 12th, including his seventh this season, tying him with Jordan Alvarez for the most in the majors.
This was the ninth time this season that Boston batters hit back-to-back home runs.
“A lot of people behind the scenes have been helping me,” Refsnyder said. “I’ve been freaking so bad. So, it’s been a grind. There’s been a lot of frustrating nights. So, a lot of credit to the hitting department.
They’ve stayed up countless hours trying to help me out, figure some stuff out. So, it felt really, really good to kind of breakthrough.”
Boston starter Brayan Bello (13-7) allowed two runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. He walked five, struck out five, and hit a batter. Josh Winckowski pitched the last three innings, giving up a run and earning his second save of the season.
Orioles left-hander Cade Povich (2-8) gave up four runs and five hits, with two walks and five strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
“It’s been the same kind of mantra or maybe the same thing I’ve been saying since getting called back up,” Povich said. “Just wanted to continue to see the aggression in the zone.
I think this might have been — correct me if I’m wrong — maybe the first game since being called up I had more than one walk.”
Had two, but still think I was pitching well. Making good pitches. Obviously, a couple on the edges were still a bit too good, so they got hit. But I’m starting to settle in, just figuring out when I can make the right pitches and when not to.”
Anthony Santander hit a home run and drove in all three of Baltimore’s runs. His 40th home run of the season came in the seventh inning, reaching that milestone for the first time in his eight-year career. He is the eighth Orioles player to hit 40 home runs, and the first since Mark Trumbo in 2016.
“He’s had a heck of a year,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “I’m proud of him for how far he’s come in our years together here, and to see a guy with 40 homers, that’s a special milestone.
Even in a game like this, it’s something to celebrate. Not many guys can do that, a switch-hitter hitting 40 homers.”
The Orioles took the lead in the first inning when Gunnar Henderson doubled to start the game and scored on a single by Santander.
The Red Sox tied the game in the bottom of the first inning when Rafael Devers singled, advanced to third on a double by Refsnyder, and scored on a groundout by O’Neill.
In the third inning, after Cedric Mullins of the Orioles made a great diving catch on a hard-hit ball by Jarren Duran, Devers singled and Refsnyder hit his 10th home run of the season to center field. O’Neill then hit his 28th home run of the season over the left field wall, making it 4-1.
The Orioles added a run in the fourth inning, loading the bases without a hit. Colton Cowser walked to start the inning, followed by a one-out walk to Livan Soto and Mullins being hit by a pitch with two outs. Santander then walked, bringing in a run.
The Red Sox sent nine batters to the plate in the sixth inning, scoring four runs. Romy Gonzalez and Connor Wong started with back-to-back singles against reliever Burch Smith.
Danny Jansen was hit by a pitch, loading the bases for Rafaela, who singled to center to drive in two runs. After a two-out single by Devers, Refsnyder’s two-run single to center pushed the lead to 8-2.
Rafaela had a two-out, two-run double, and Refsnyder and O’Neill hit back-to-back home runs again in the eighth inning to finish the scoring.
