After split with Orioles, Red Sox brace for more competitive baseball

BALTIMORE -- The playoffs don’t start until October, but the Red Sox are in their own postseason right now.

Every game and every series matters in the club’s quest to play more than 162 games for the first time since 2021.

If nothing else, the Sox held their own against a top contender in the Orioles this weekend, settling for a split of this four-game series with Sunday’s 4-2 defeat at Camden Yards.

“Every game is a big one for us. We’ve been saying that since Seattle [at home July 29-31],” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “Every pitch matters, every pitch counts, and we’re going to keep doing that. We have a good team. We're in the hunt, so nothing changes. We split here. It doesn't matter what happens around us. You’ve got to take care of yourself.”

The Royals swept the Reds over the weekend, and now lead Boston by 3 1/2 games in the quest for the third American League Wild Card spot.

At 65-58, the Sox have 39 games left. The first three of those 39 will be in Houston against an Astros squad that swept the Red Sox in Boston a week ago.

“It was a hard-fought series [in Baltimore] and those are the type of games you want to be in,” said first baseman Triston Casas. “Those are the types of games we're expecting in Houston, as well. There is more competitive baseball to come down the stretch.”

After losing the first game on Thursday, the Sox would have taken a split.

But after wins on Friday and Saturday put them in position to win the series, Sunday represented a missed opportunity, particularly for the offense, which went 1-for-14 with runners in scoring position and left 11 on base.

It was a strange day that saw the Sox collect 11 hits but score just two runs. Meanwhile, the Orioles needed just three hits to account for the four runs, thanks in part to homers from two stars from their young core -- Adley Rutschman (solo shot in the fifth) and Gunnar Henderson (two-run blast in the sixth).

O’s starter Albert Suárez made every pitch he needed to, firing six scoreless innings in which he scattered seven hits while walking none and striking out six.

“Today we were just shut down by Mr. Suárez,” said Casas. “He pitched a really good game. Keeping us off balance with the changeup and honest with the cutter. We need to do a better job in Houston putting together hits. But overall, I thought they were good games. That's what matters.”

Here are a couple of other things that mattered as the Sox left Baltimore and headed to Houston:

Casas back in swing
Getting Casas back from a four-month absence clearly makes Boston’s lineup thicker. In his first three games back, Casas went 5-for-13, all singles.

While most players would take those results after missing so much time, Casas made it clear after Sunday’s game he expects more out of himself.

“I didn't like the way I controlled the plate,” Casas said. “I felt like I could have swung at more strikes and let go of some balls. I found some holes with some hits. But I'm looking for better swing decisions, for sure.”

Kutter again hits sixth-inning wall
For the second straight start, Kutter Crawford was tremendous through the first five innings, but got into trouble in the sixth.

This time, the righty walked No. 9 hitter Ramón Urías to open the inning after getting ahead in the count 0-2 and then hit Colton Cowser with a pitch. Given how dangerous the middle of Baltimore’s lineup was, that was not a good recipe.

Granted, Crawford did get a ground ball to first base that had a chance to be a double play. But as Crawford raced to the bag, shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela’s throw was off the mark, and the error allowed Urías to score from second.

Crawford was pulled at 75 pitches. In his previous start, he was lifted at 67 pitches when things snowballed on him in the sixth.

“The red flag was the walk,” Cora said. “The command was off [at that point].”

Bailey Horn came on and gave up the biggest hit of the game -- a two-run homer to Henderson.

“It’s just annoying and frustrating,” Crawford said. “I just have to be more aware about attacking the zone once I get ahead of that hitter and not shy away from contact. But yeah it's most definitely frustrating not being able to get through the sixth.”