Bradish Shines in Debut After Extension as Orioles Beat Red Sox 5-1 to Split Doubleheader
The Baltimore Orioles closed their road trip on a high note Wednesday night, defeating the Boston Red Sox 5-1 in the second game of a split doubleheader at Fenway Park. More importantly, Baltimore handed Boston its first loss in 16 games while giving fans a glimpse of the club’s future as Kyle Bradish made his first start since signing his five-year, $90 million contract extension.
After dropping the opener 6-3 earlier in the day, the Orioles wasted no time responding. Baltimore erupted for four runs in the opening inning, all with two outs. Dylan Beavers delivered a two-run single, Johnathan Rodríguez added an RBI double, and the Orioles also capitalized on a Red Sox wild pitch to take an early 4-0 advantage.
That was more than enough support for Bradish.
Making his first appearance after signing the largest contract of his career, Bradish looked every bit like the ace the Orioles are counting on. The right-hander worked six strong innings, allowing just one run on four hits while keeping Boston’s powerful lineup off balance throughout the night. His performance set the tone as Baltimore snapped the Red Sox’s franchise-record-tying 15-game winning streak.
Boston scored its lone run in the fourth inning on an RBI single by Masataka Yoshida, but the Orioles never let the momentum swing. Gunnar Henderson later tripled and came around to score on a wild pitch in the seventh inning, providing valuable insurance before Baltimore’s bullpen took over.
Yennier Cano, Andrew Kittredge and Tyler Wells combined for three scoreless innings to secure the victory and preserve Bradish’s impressive outing. The Orioles finished with nine hits despite leaving several scoring opportunities on the table.
The win allowed Baltimore to avoid a sweep and finish its six-game road trip with a solid 4-2 record. While the Orioles dropped two of three in Boston, they leave the trip with positive momentum after previously sweeping the Astros and proving they can still compete against one of baseball’s hottest teams.
MSB Analysis
This game was about more than just ending Boston’s winning streak. It was the first opportunity to see Bradish take the mound after committing his long-term future to Baltimore, and he delivered exactly the type of performance Orioles fans hoped to see. The offense also deserves credit for jumping on Boston early, something that had been missing in the first two games of the series.
The Orioles now head home with confidence, knowing they played winning baseball for most of the trip despite facing two difficult opponents in Houston and Boston.
Brian’s Take
Kyle Bradish looked like a pitcher determined to prove the Orioles made the right investment. The command was there, the confidence was obvious, and he attacked one of the hottest lineups in baseball from the first pitch.
Baltimore may have lost the series, but finishing the road trip 4-2 while ending Boston’s 15-game winning streak gives the Orioles momentum heading into their next homestand. If Bradish continues to pitch like this, the Orioles’ rotation becomes much more dangerous during the second half of the season.
