BALTIMORE — Masataka Yoshida homered and had four RBIs and the Boston Red Sox pounded All-Star Corbin Burnes before holding on to beat the Baltimore Orioles 12-10 on Friday night.
Burnes (12-5) gave up eight runs and 10 hits — both career highs — in four innings. It was a performance unbefitting the AL starter last month in the All-Star game and the 2021 Cy Young Award winner.
Burnes yielded two home runs, walked three and threw two wild pitches on a hot, humid night. His ERA jumped from 2.71 to 3.10, the highest it’s been all season.
“Probably he was off a little bit,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Just one of those nights. It wasn’t a good one for him, but he grinded with us. He’s a great pitcher, probably one of the top five in the league.”
Ramón Urías went 3 for 3 with a homer and five RBIs for the Orioles, who fell a game behind the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East. Rookie Jackson Holliday had his first four-hit game and scored three runs.
“Our offence kept fighting, but we came up short,” Holliday said. “But it’s pretty special to get four hits.”
Despite getting 17 hits and cutting a five-run deficit to 12-10, Baltimore stranded 12 runners and never led after the fourth inning.
Rafael Devers doubled in a run in the first inning and hit a two-run drive in the third for a 4-1 lead. After the Orioles pulled even in the bottom half, Yoshida capped the fourth with a three-run shot that made it 8-4.
“Just a smart hitter,” Cora said about Yoshida. “He’s in a good place physically and he’s putting good swings on the ball.”
It was 8-6 before the Red Sox tacked on three runs in the seventh against Craig Kimbrel, who’s trying to regain his job as Baltimore’s closer. This game didn’t help that effort, as he was booed lustily by the home crowd after giving up a two-run homer to David Hamilton and a solo blast by Jarren Duran.
Cooper Criswell (5-4) got the win despite allowing six runs and nine hits in 3 1/3 innings. He was the third of eight Boston pitchers, with starter Brennan Bernadino getting only two outs before manager Alex Cora tapped deep into his bullpen.
Kenley Jansen worked the ninth to earn his 23rd save and seal Boston’s second win in eight games against Baltimore this season.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Boston activated 1B Triston Casas (rib strain) off the 60-day DL, hoping his return will provide some punch to the lineup. “Hitting the ball out of the ballpark is important. That’s what he brings to the equation,” Cora said of Casas, who had six homers in 78 ABs before going on the IL on April 21. … Boston also reinstated RH Cooper Criswell from the Covid-19 IL, optioned RH Chase Shugart to Triple-A Worcester and designated 1B/DH Dominic Smith (.237, 6 HRs, 34 RBIs in 83 games) for assignment. … The Red Sox expect OF Tyler O’Neil (leg infection) back on Saturday, Cora said.
Orioles: C Adley Rutschman was scratched minutes before the game because of lower back discomfort.
UP NEXT
Baltimore was poised to recall rookie Cade Povich (1-5, 6.27 ERA) from Triple-A Norfolk to start Saturday, a move manager Brandon Hyde said is designed to give 34-year-old Albert Suárez an extra day of rest after he pitched a season-high 6 2/3 innings Sunday. Brayan Bello (10-5, 4.97) was set to start for Boston.
