Settling the Score: Friday’s results - MLB

They said White Sox first baseman Jose Abreu would hit some home runs, but few expected him to show this much power this soon. Abreu blasted two home runs on Friday night against the Rays, including a walk-off grand slam in the bottom of the ninth. Abreu’s nine home runs breaks the record for long balls hit by rookies in the month of April. The previous record was eight, most recently set by Albert Pujols in April 2001 and previously held by Carlos Delgado and Kent Hrbek. Abreu’s 27 RBI in the month also ties a record, set by Pujols, for April runs batted in by a rookie.

Oh, and Abreu is tied for the MLB lead in home runs with Pujols at nine, and is also tied for the MLB lead in RBI with Giancarlo Stanton and Chris Colabello at 27.

Abreu got the scoring started for the White Sox in the first inning, driving an RBI single to center to put his team up 1-0 against Rays starter Chris Archer. The Rays stormed back for four runs in the top of the second inning, chasing Sox starter Erik Johnson after 1 2/3 innings.

Abreu brought the score to 4-2 in the third inning with a solo home run to straightaway center field, and the White Sox knotted things up at 4-4 when Tyler Flowers knocked in two runs with a single in the fourth.

The game remained tied at four apiece entering the top of the ninth, but Evan Longoria gave his team the lead with a two-run home run off of Matt Lindstrom to make it 6-4. In the bottom half of the ninth, the White Sox loaded the bases with one out against Rays reliever Grant Balfour when Alejandro De Aza doubled, and Tyler Flowers and Paul Konerko drew walks. However, their chances of walking off took a hit when Adam Eaton could only push across one run, grounding into a fielder’s choice at second base for the second out of the inning. The only thing that did was set up Abreu to become the hero. The White Sox needed one run to tie and two to win. With the count 0-1, Balfour threw a fastball on the outer edge of the strike zone, but Abreu drove it to right-center over the head of right fielder Wil Myers and over the fence for the walk-off grand slam, giving the White Sox the 9-6 victory.

The win pushes the White Sox to .500 at 12-12. They have hovered around .500 all season and sit two games behind the first-place Tigers in a three-way tie for second place along with the Twins and Royals.

Your Friday box scores:

Rays 6, White Sox 9

Royals 5, Orioles 0

Padres 1, Nationals 11

Angels 13, Yankees 1

Marlins 3, Mets 4

Red Sox 8, Blue Jays 1

Reds 4, Braves 5

Cubs 2, Brewers 5

Tigers 10, Twins 6

Pirates 0, Cardinals 1

Athletics 12, Astros 5

Phillies 4, Diamondbacks 5

Rangers 5, Mariners 6

Rockies 5, Dodgers 4

Indians 1, Giants 5

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BOSTON – The last time Adley Rutschman recalls feeling this level of emotion on a baseball field was playing in front of intimate, 5,000-seat crowds in college at Oregon State.

He trumped that experience at Fenway Park on Thursday in his first career opening day start.

“This blows that out of the water,” Rutschman said.

Rutschman became the first catcher in major league history with five hits in an opener, and the Baltimore Orioles survived a wild ninth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 10-9.

“To have that close game in the ninth inning and the crowd get so loud. You kind of sit there and say, ‘This is pretty cool,’” said Rutschman, the top overall pick in the 2019 draft.

Rutschman – who debuted for the Orioles last May and quickly became indispensable to the young, resurgent club – homered in his first at-bat and finished 5-for-5 with a career-best four RBIs and a walk on a chilly day at Fenway Park, with a temperature of 38 degrees at first pitch.

Ramon Urias hit a two-run homer for Baltimore, which finished with 15 hits, nine walks and five stolen bases.

Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings to earn his first opening-day victory since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas. Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Red Sox hitters.

The Orioles nearly gave the game away in the ninth.

With Baltimore leading 10-7, closer Félix Bautista walked pinch-hitter Raimel Tapia. Alex Verdugo followed with a single and advanced to second on an error by center fielder Cedric Mullins.

Rafael Devers struck out. Justin Turner then reached on an infield single to third when Urias’ throw was wide, scoring Tapia. Masataka Yoshida grounded to shortstop Jorge Mateo, who stepped on second for the force but threw wildly to first, allowing Verdugo to score.

Bautista struck out Adam Duvall on three pitches to end it and earn the save.

The Orioles scored four runs in the fourth and three in the fifth to take an 8-2 lead. Baltimore led 10-4 before Bryan Baker allowed three runs in the eighth to give the Red Sox some hope.

The eighth could have been even better for the Red Sox had Devers, who led off the inning, not become the first player in major league history to strike out on a pitch clock violation. Devers was looking down and kicking debris off his cleats when umpire Lance Barksdale signaled a violation that resulted in strike three.

“There’s no excuse,” said Alex Cora, who dropped to 0-5 in opening-day games as Boston’s manager. “They know the rules.”

Boston offseason addition and two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (0-1) struggled in his Fenway debut, surrendering five runs on six hits and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.

“Less than ideal,” Kluber said. “Didn’t turn out the way I would have hoped for.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Christian Arroyo stayed in the game after taking an inadvertent cleat to the side of his head in the second inning. Arroyo was applying a tag to Rutschman at second base as he attempted to stretch out a single. Rutschman’s leg flipped over as he slid awkwardly. … LHP James Paxton was placed on the 15-day inured list (retroactive to March 27) with a strained right hamstring.

GOOD COMPANY

Rutschman, one of six Baltimore players making his first opening-day appearance, became the youngest Oriole to homer in his first opening-day at-bat since Cal Ripken Jr. in 1984.

BIG BAGS

The Orioles took advantage of MLB’s bigger bases – going from 15- to 18-inch squares – that are being used for the first time this season. Baltimore hadn’t stolen five bases in a game since last June 24 against the White Sox. Mullins and Jorge Mateo swiped two bags apiece, and Adam Frazier got a huge jump on his steal against reliever Ryan Brasier. There was nothing Boston catcher Reese McGuire could do to stop them and on the majority of Baltimore’s steals, he didn’t bother to throw.

FINAL SPOTS

Right-hander Kaleb Ort and Tapia earned Boston’s final two roster spots to open the season. Tapia got the nod over Jarren Duran, who was sent down to Triple-A Worcester. Ort pitched a scoreless sixth with one strikeout Thursday.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer will make is sixth career start against Boston when the three-game series resumes on Saturday. In 11 road starts last season, he went 5-3 with a 3.63 ERA.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale, who has pitched in only 11 games over the past three years due to injuries, is set to begin his seventh season in Boston.