Triston Casas is back
BALTIMORE - All of it was lining up in a fashion that suggested disaster for the Red Sox. Corbin Burnes, the odds-on-favorite to win the American League Cy Young, going up against what would turn out to be three Red Sox pitchers by the second inning.
This was going to be the jumping off point for the Red Sox' cliff. They were going to be facing too many good teams, with too many good pitchers, while possessing too few answers of their own.
Surprise.
The Red Sox would saddle Burnes with career highs in hits (10) and runs (8) allowed on the way to an offense-led, 12-10 win over the Orioles. It was the first time since Sept. 24, 2019 the Sox had won despite giving up 10 runs, snapping a 57-game losing streak when allowing 10-or-more.
It wasn't pretty. It wasn't expected. But it was necessary.
This is the existence of these Red Sox these days, teetering on the brink with most expecting them to simply relent to injuries and adversity. But instead of accepting the narrative and succumbing to Burnes and Co. - which would have put the Sox 3 1/2 games out of the Wild Card - they leaned into their strength.
Three hits and three runs from Jarren Duran.
Rafael Devers' resurgence via his 26th home run of the season.
Three hits from Masa Yoshida - including a homer - that put his average over the past 11 games at .429 with a 1.204 OPS.
And more good stuff from David Hamilton, who came away with a home run and stolen base while playing a solid shortstop.
It was another example of this edition of the Red Sox figuring just enough things out, having to do so this time around while using eight pitchers. And while the Sox possess the exact same 64-57 record as a year ago, it does feel like they aren't about to let themselves finish with something similar to the 15-27 mark the 2023 closed out with.
More answers need to be uncovered, with the Orioles, Astros and Diamondbacks still standing in the way of meaningful September baseball. And the Sox' bullpen's ERA (7.11) and OPS-against (.948) since the All-Star break absolutely has to somehow change.
But, as we sit here, with 41 games remaining, credit is due. As Friday night suggested, these Red Sox are pretty good at fighting to see another day.