Orioles beat Red Sox, 5-1, to end 15-game streak behind newly paid Bradish

BOSTON — There are few wins the Baltimore Orioles needed more than the one they secured in Game 2 of their doubleheader against the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday night.

A loss would’ve dropped them to five games back of Boston for the third wild-card spot in the American League. Instead, they jumped out to an early lead and let Kyle Bradish do the rest. Baltimore (50-53) cruised to a 5-1 win that ended the Red Sox’s historic 15-game winning streak and ensured it would leave Boston a manageable three games out of a playoff spot with the trade deadline 12 days away.

The Orioles, having lost 6-3 in Game 1 of the doubleheader, put up four runs on Red Sox opener Eduardo Rivera in the first inning. They reached base five times in the frame, including a two-run single by Dylan Beavers and an RBI double by Johnathan Rodríguez for his first hit as an Oriole, chasing Rivera from the game before he could record a third out.

It was all Bradish would need. Making his first start since signing a five-year, $90 million extension with the Orioles on Saturday, the right-hander kept the red-hot Boston lineup at bay with six innings of one-run baseball. Bradish allowed just four hits and a walk with four strikeouts, generating all nine of his whiffs with his curveball (five) and slider (four).

The Red Sox’s only run against him came in the fourth, when first baseman Willson Contreras doubled with two outs and scored on a single by designated hitter Masataka Yoshida. Bradish didn’t allow another runner to advance past first base the rest of the way.

Twenty starts into his first full season since undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in 2024, Bradish sports a 3.49 ERA, 1.32 WHIP and 23.6% strikeout rate. He appears to be fully rounded back into his Cy Young Award-caliber form since getting off to a slow start, recording a quality start in nine of his past 14 outings dating back to May 8.

Red Sox right-hander Brayan Bello prevented the Orioles from blowing the game open with 5 1/3 scoreless innings in relief. Baltimore immediately took advantage when he finally did leave the game in the seventh as Gunnar Henderson tripled off reliever Jovani Morán and scored on a wild pitch — the second run Boston allowed on a wild pitch in the contest.

Yennier Cano and Andrew Kittredge both put up zeros in relief of Bradish before manager Craig Albernaz turned to Tyler Wells with a five-run lead in the ninth. Wells hit Contreras with a pitch to start the inning (although it appeared to miss the catcher on replay review), but he settled in from there and retired the next three batters in order to close out the game.

Around the horn

— The Orioles added left-hander Cade Povich to their taxi squad ahead of Game 2. Though he wasn’t added to the active roster for the contest, the team is considering using Povich in a relief role despite him being stretched out as a starter. Povich owns a career 5.20 ERA in 42 games (39 starts) for the Orioles over the past three seasons.

— Instead of Povich, the Orioles appointed left-hander Josh Walker as their 27th man for Game 2 of the doubleheader. Walker didn’t appear in the contest, and his last appearance in a game at any level was July 17 for Norfolk. The left-hander has allowed three runs in five games (4.50 ERA) for the Orioles this season, and he owns a 3.73 ERA in Triple-A.

— Baltimore released outfielder Jhonkensy Noel from its Triple-A roster, the Norfolk Tides announced Wednesday. The club acquired the 25-year-old through waivers over the offseason, and he never made it to the majors with the Orioles, hitting just .121 with three home runs in 30 games for Norfolk.

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