BALTIMORE – A month ago, Adley Rutschman’s professional world -- the only one he had ever known -- was turned upside down.
The ultimate Oriole, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, was headed north to Boston in a deal struck hours before the Aug. 3 Trade Deadline.
There he was on Thursday night, exactly one month after that blockbuster deal between American League East rivals, putting on a power show (two towering solo shots) to give the Red Sox an up-close glimpse at what they now have. At the same time, he showed the Orioles and their fans what they are missing.
All this in Boston’s 6-5 victory in the opener of a four-game series that marked Rutschman’s breakout game with his new team.
“That's a heck of a way to make a return,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “That was awesome. I thought it was really cool, the video they did for him. I thought it was first class of them to step out and let him be acknowledged, and the ovation was awesome. And obviously, he had a big night.”
For Rutschman, the night couldn’t have gone better.
He soaked in the love from the fans he never got to say goodbye to, and shook off the effects of a hyperextended right elbow that had prevented him from playing in the previous three games.
“It was special,” Rutschman said. "Just to feel that love was a really cool, emotional moment, and really special.”
Battling injuries, which Rutschman has done a lot of the last couple of seasons, isn’t special. In fact, it is an annoyance for someone who prides himself on being the ultimate competitor.
“It's tough dealing with an injury,” Rutschman said. “But like I said earlier, hopefully it is trending in the right direction and continuing to just get better, and I won’t have to take time off and just be able to go out and compete."
While emotions were swirling within Rutschman, he was able to put them aside and get the job done in powerful fashion.
“I think just trying to compartmentalize as much as possible, trying to move on [from the ovation],” he said. “You're in a big league baseball game, and you’ve got to lock in for your at-bat, and so I was trying to just move into that mindset as quickly as possible afterward.”
Before Rutschman’s bat did the tormenting, the fans at Camden Yards showered him with a standing ovation that lasted for close to a minute as he dug in for his first at-bat of the night.
Three pitches later, Rutschman was rounding the bases with one of those towering fly balls to right that he hit many times as an Oriole. In the sixth inning, he did it again, belting both homers -- his second and third with Boston -- against righty Brandon Young.
It was Rutschman’s second multi-homer game of the season. His last was on April 24 against the Red Sox at Camden Yards on a night he served as Young’s batterymate.
Baseball has a mind of its own sometimes.
Per Elias, Rutschman became the second player since at least 1900 to change teams and homer multiple times in his first career game against his former team in the same season, joining then-Blue Jay Willis Otáñez (July 8, 1999, also against the O's).
Elias also had this nugget: Rutschman became the 13th player in the expansion era (since 1961) to switch teams and later homer in his first career PA against the former team in the same season.
The Orioles had a pretty good idea what they were up against, given Rutschman’s institutional knowledge of their team.
"He knows the pitching staff extremely well,” said Orioles manager Craig Albernaz. "He knows our game planning and prep side extremely well. And I’m imagining that he was juiced up for today, and rightfully so. With the ovation the crowd gave him, it was awesome, and obviously, it goes without being said, rightfully so. I just wish those two balls hit off the wall."
Instead, as those two baseballs went over the wall, it was joyous to see for the Red Sox.
“It was really cool to see the reaction. I think we were all kind of excited for him," said Nick Sogard, who hit the go-ahead homer in the top of the eighth. "And then to put a game like that together was super cool to watch. I’m really happy for him. Cool to see him get kind of like the flowers that he deserves.”
At least offensively, the start of Rutschman’s career for Boston felt more like weeds than flowers.
In his first 15 games with Boston, Rutschman slashed .170/.254/.245 with one homer.
Then came Sweet 16.
“Home runs are fun, man, they’re really fun,” Rutschman said. “So, yeah, just happy to contribute.”