Kimbrel closes out Orioles' 1st loss of season
BOSTON (AP) — Craig Kimbrel had another shot against the Baltimore Orioles and finished with a lot better results.
Two days after giving up a go-ahead three-run homer to Chris Davis, the Boston closer struck out the side as the Red Sox sent the Orioles to their first loss of the season, 4-2 on Wednesday night.
The Orioles finally were beaten after opening the season with a team-record seven straight wins.
Kimbrel ended a solid night for Boston's bullpen, which held the Orioles scoreless with two hits over the final four innings.
"He was dominant tonight, going up against the same guys he faced a couple of days ago," Boston manager John Farrell said of his closer, acquired from San Diego during the offseason.
"A wipeout curveball, when you're considering a high 90s fastball with a high 80s type of curveball, it's premium stuff," Farrell said. "It's nice to be able to go to him and lock down games."
The Orioles were the last undefeated team in the majors. The loss ended their longest winning streak to start a season since moving to Baltimore in 1954. The franchise opened 9-0 in 1944 as the St. Louis Browns.
The Red Sox snapped a three-game losing streak. Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run double and Jackie Bradley Jr. had a tiebreaking triple.
Davis hit a two-run homer for the Orioles.
Joe Kelly (1-0) labored through five innings, giving up two runs on seven hits with five walks and six strikeouts. Kimbrel, the fifth Boston reliever, earned his second save. He took the loss in the first game of the series.
"Kimbrel, obviously his stuff was electric, throwing strikes," Red Sox catcher Ryan Hanigan said. "It's just pure power. . He was on his game tonight for sure."
Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1) gave up four runs on six hits and four walks in five innings.
The Red Sox gave up nine runs to Baltimore in each of the first two games of the series. They took the lead for good in this one in the fourth when Bradley hit an RBI triple off the base of the right-field fence and scored on Mookie Betts' groundout that ricocheted off Jimenez's glove over to second baseman Jonathan Schoop.
Trailing 2-0 in the third, Boston tied it on Bogaerts' two-run double that got past diving third baseman Manny Machado and went into the left-field corner.
Davis hit his fourth homer, sending a drive into the first row of Green Monster seats in the third.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Orioles: CF Adam Jones didn't start for the sixth straight game because of ribcage soreness. Manager Buck Showalter said he hopes to get him in the lineup Thursday.
Red Sox: Benched 3B Pablo Sandoval was placed on the 15-day DL with a strained left shoulder. LHP Eduardo Rodriguez, on the DL since early April with an injured right knee, threw 50 pitches at the club's spring training complex in Fort Myers, Florida. "He got through it very good," Farrell said. RHP Carson Smith, on the DL with a strained flexor muscle, also threw in Fort Myers.
LOOK OUT
Hanley Ramirez's bat went flying out of his hands, down the third-base line, sending umpire Feldin Clubreth scampering.
ROSTER MOVE
After the game, the Red Sox optioned OF Rusney Castillo to Triple-A Pawtucket. He had just four at-bats, collecting two hits.
"We need to get him out to get him going, get him some at-bats to get him playing every day," Farrell said.
Farrell said an additional move would come Friday.
UP NEXT
Orioles: RHP Chris Tillman (1-0, 1.29 ERA) is set to face LHP Cole Hamels (2-0, 2.08) when Baltimore opens a four-game series at Texas on Thursday.
Red Sox: After an off day Thursday, Rick Porcello (1-0, 6.00) is scheduled to face the Blue Jays and RHP R.A. Dickey (1-1, 8.10) in the opener of a four-game series in Fenway Park. Porcello got the win in Toronto on Saturday, giving up four runs in six innings.