Boston, MA (SportsNetwork.com) – Xander Bogaerts singled home Mike Napoli with
the winning run in the bottom of the ninth as Boston clipped Baltimore, 3-2,
in the opener of a four-game set from Fenway Park.
Ryan Hanigan slugged a two-run shot for the Red Sox, while Bogaerts finished
with a pair of hits.
Koji Uehara (1-0) struck out two in a scoreless top of the frame.
Caleb Joseph went deep for the Orioles, who extended their major-league best
home run total to 16 in defeat.
Brian Matusz (0-1) walked three and was charged with the deciding run in his 1
1/3 relief frames.
Matusz worked out of trouble in the bottom of the eighth, inducing a double-
play grounder from Pablo Sandoval with two on.
He walked Napoli to kick off the hosts’ final at-bat, and Daniel Nava
sacrificed him to second before Tommy Hunter served up the pitch that Bogaerts
served into right which ended the contest.
Baltimore got on the board in the fourth, as singles from Travis Snider and
Adam Jones placed runners on the corners and a double-play grounder by Chris
Davis brought in Snider.
Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez was ousted in the home half with two away by
home-plate umpire Jordan Baker after hitting Sandoval on the shoulder. Kevin
Gausman entered to retire Napoli on a grounder to end the frame.
Joseph kicked off the fifth by clearing the low wall in right in front of the
bullpen, but the Sox came back in the home portion as Bogaerts singled with
one down and Hanigan followed by clearing the Green Monster.
Game Notes
The Red Sox began a stretch of seven consecutive series and 22 consecutive
games against AL East opponents…This stretch ends when the Sox visit Oakland
on May 11 … The Sox dropped 11 of 19 meetings with the O’s last season,
losing 7 of 10 at Fenway … Boston starter Joe Kelly was lifted after 5 2/3
innings and 118 pitches, having allowed two runs on four hits … Jimenez
failed to surrender a hit but walked three over his 3 2/3-inning stint.
