Wade LeBlanc’s solid debut helps Orioles beat Red Sox, 7-4, earn series win in Boston
With the way they lost on Opening Day setting the tone, it would have been hard to imagine the Orioles winning as simply as they did the last two days. But they have.
With another productive day from shortstop José Iglesias, a nice effort from debuting left-hander Wade LeBlanc and home runs from Rio Ruiz and Anthony Santander, the Orioles had enough for a 7-4 win over the Boston Red Sox that improves their record to 2-1 and gives them a series win on the first weekend of the season for the second year in a row.
LeBlanc, one of a handful of veteran pitchers the Orioles signed in the spring to give them consistency in their starting rotation, held up his end of that bargain the same way Alex Cobb did Saturday.
The 35-year-old left-hander kept the Red Sox off-balance all day, allowing only a pair of solo home runs in the early innings before having two more runs charged to his account after leaving the game in the sixth inning.
More importantly, he contributed 5 1/4 u2154 innings to the Orioles’ second straight game without issuing a walk to opposing hitters.
Another fast start
Another strong day at the top of the Orioles’ lineup meant they didn’t wait long to build a lead. Iglesias singled with two outs in the first inning and scored on Ruiz’s second home run in as many games.
Iglesias doubled in a run in the third inning, and Santander’s first home run of the season highlighted a three-run fourth inning that had the Orioles up 6-1.
The Orioles had plenty of chances to capitalize on early base runners in the later innings, including with the rest of Iglesias’ season-high four hits, but their inability to build on the lead wouldn’t be punished.
Chris Davis’ first hit of the season, a run-scoring double in the ninth inning, rounded out the scoring.
Fool me once…
Manager Brandon Hyde called Miguel Castro striking out Xander Bogaerts on three pitches with the tying run at the plate to end the sixth inning Saturday the biggest out of the game. With two on and two out in the sixth inning and a 6-2 lead, Hyde called Castro’s number again — but Bogaerts was ready.
The Orioles started Bogaerts off with back-to-back inside fastballs, and he pulled the second down the left-field line for a two-run single.
The rest of the day, however, went much like Saturday did. Without top relievers Richard Bleier and Mychal Givens, the Orioles still got three scoreless innings of relief from Castro, Tanner Scott and Cole Sulser to close out the game.
Sulser, a waiver claim at the end of last season, picked up his first career save with two scoreless innings.
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