Orioles Set Franchise Record Despite First Loss In Boston
Kimbrel, who heard it from the Fenway Park crowd when he served up a game-losing, three-run homer to Chris Davis in Monday's home opener, his debut in front of his new home fans, was back on track on Wednesday, slamming the door on the Baltimore Orioles' perfect start.
The Boston closer struck out the side on 14 pitches to nail down a 4-2 defeat that ended the Red Sox's three-game losing streak and handed the Birds their first loss in eight games.
Kimbrel's comments after the game? Well, there were none. He didn't come out to talk about his second save in his new uniform.
"He was dominant tonight, going up against the same guys he faced a couple of days ago," said Boston manager John Farrell. "A wipeout curve ball, when you're considering a high 90s fastball with a high 80s type of curveball, it's premium stuff. It's nice to be able to go to him and lock down games."
Red Sox starter Joe Kelly struggled through five innings but combined with five relievers as the Red Sox salvaged the finale of their opening home series of the season to pull even at 4-4.
Kelly (1-0) threw 116 pitches and walked five in his second start of the season before Matt Barnes, Tommy Layne, Junichi Tazawa, Koji Uehara and then Kimbrel (second save) worked the final four innings, allowing two hits.
"Obviously it wasn't the best," said Kelly. "I went out there and battled and grinded against a team that's been really, really hot."
After Davis had put the Orioles ahead 2-0 on Wednesday with his fourth homer of the season in the third inning (on a 3-0 count), Xander Bogaerts tied the game with a two-run double in the bottom of the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr. untied it with an RBI triple off loser Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1) in the fourth. He then scored on a groundout.
Jimenez also worked five innings, falling to 2-5 lifetime against the Red Sox, including 1-3 at Fenway Park.
"It was fun," Jimenez said of the streak. "You are always trying to start the right way. And that was a fun way to start the season. You are never thinking in spring training, oh you are going to win the first seven games of the season.
"You never know because it's really tough. But it really got us in the right place, the right mood."
The Orioles set a Baltimore franchise record for victories at the start of a season and were heading for the St. Louis Browns' franchise record of a 9-0 start in 1944.
"I'm proud, we won the series," said Baltimore manager Buck Showalter. "We won two out of three in the American League East on the road against a team we all know is going to be pretty good this year. We're real proud of that. Now we move on. We got to play four games."
Jimenez survived a first inning that saw him issue two walks and allow a single while the Red Sox stole three bases and didn't score -- largely thanks to a strange 5-4-6 double play on a ball hit by Bogaerts.
The Orioles, who set a franchise record with 14 homers in the first eight games, left the bases loaded in the second inning and saw Manny Machado (three hits, batting .441) foolishly try to steal third base with Davis batting and his team down two runs in the sixth.
