Bello takes no-hitter into 6th inning as Red Sox beat Orioles 5-1
By DAVID GINSBURG Associated Press
BALTIMORE - Brayan Bello took a no-hitter into the sixth inning and Jarren Duran delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh to carry the Boston Red Sox past the Baltimore Orioles 5-1 Saturday night.
Rafael Devers hit his team-high 27th homer for the Red Sox, who moved within seven games of the first-place New York Yankees in the AL East. Baltimore is one game out despite losing four of six.
Bello limited the Orioles to three walks before facing Gunnar Henderson with two outs in the sixth. Henderson hit the first pitch over the right-field wall for his 32nd home run, erasing Boston's 1-0 lead.
After Ryan O'Hearn followed with a single, Bello (11-5) ended his superb outing with his sixth strikeout.
Bello outpitched Baltimore rookie Cade Povich (1-6), who returned from the minor leagues to baffle the hard-hitting Red Sox for six innings. Povich was lifted after giving up a one-out infield hit in the seventh.
Yennier Cano promptly gave up a pinch-hit double to Masataka Yoshida, then got the second out before Duran singled up the middle.
Baltimore loaded the bases with two outs in the bottom half before Lucas Sims retired Anthony Santander on a slow grounder to second.
Devers tacked on a two-run drive in the eighth for a 5-1 lead.
Povich gave up two runs and six hits, striking out six with no walks. The left-hander was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game to allow Sunday's starter, Albert Suárez, an extra day of rest.
After a 76-minute rain delay, Povich launched his first major league outing since July 29 with a 1-2-3 inning. He had previously allowed seven first-inning runs in eight starts.
That proved to be a sign of things to come. Using a variety of off-speed pitches and a sneaky fastball, Povich allowed only two singles over the first five innings. Just as important, he didn't walk a batter after previously issuing 23 walks over 37 1/3 innings this season.
Boston finally broke through in the sixth with an RBI single by Tyler O'Neill, who was reinstated from the 10-day injured list before the game.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: O'Neill returned after missing 12 games with a leg infection. INF/OF Nick Sogard was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.
Orioles: All-Star C Adley Rutschman missed a second straight start with lower back discomfort, but he entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and stayed in the game behind the plate.
UP NEXT
The four-game series ends Sunday with Boston's Kutter Crawford (8-9, 4.21 ERA) facing Suárez (5-4, 3.39), who pitched a season-high 6 2/3 innings in his last start Sunday.