BALTIMORE – Rafael Devers and Hunter Renfroe homered, Nick Pivetta won his third consecutive start and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles 4-3 Sunday.
Boston has won five of six, improved to 12-4 on the road and at 22-13 owns the best record in baseball. The Red Sox are within two victories of their entire total from last year’s truncated season, when they went 24-36.
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“We believe in each other as a team,” Devers said on a Zoom call with reporters. “It’s you guys that don’t believe in us, but we believe in this clubhouse in this team and we believe in each other. We knew we were a good team.”
The Orioles fell to a majors-worst 4-13 at home, including 0-6 against the Red Sox.
Devers has played a significant role in Boston’s six outings at Camden Yards, hitting .391 (9 of 23) with five homers and 13 RBIs.
Devers, who homered off Baltimore starter Dean Kremer in the second inning, hit a two-run double off reliever Adam Plutko in the sixth to give Boston a 3-2 lead.
“He’s been doing a great job with men in scoring position, and he’s been very patient lately, which is good,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “When he does that, he becomes very dangerous.”
Renfroe added a solo shot off Cole Sulser in the eighth.
Pivetta (5-0) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings to improve to 7-0 since being traded from Philadelphia to Boston last August. He is only the fourth starting pitcher in franchise history to win at least his first seven decisions with the team, joining George Winter (7-0 in 1901), Dave Ferriss (8-0 in 1945) and John Burkett (7-0 in 2002).
“Just mixing pitches, getting ahead of guys, a lot of weak contact today,” Pivetta said.
Matt Barnes earned his eighth save in as many tries with a perfect ninth.
Pivetta ran into his only serious trouble right away. After retiring his first two batters of the day, he issued consecutive walks and then gave up Ryan Mountcastle’s RBI single.
Baltimore’s Cedric Mullins belted a two-out solo homer in the fifth. The Orioles had just one hit in the last four innings, Mountcastle’s RBI double in the eighth.
“When you get four hits, you don’t expect to win the game,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said.
Kremer (0-3) surrendered three runs and five hits in five-plus innings and has not won in nine starts since beating the New York Yankees in his major league debut on Sept. 6.
Baltimore shortstop Freddy Galvis extended his hitting streak to 10 with a single in the fourth.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Boston placed INF Christian Arroyo (left hand contusion) on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Friday, and recalled INF Jonathan Araúz from Triple-A Worcester. Arroyo was hit on the hand with a pitch Wednesday. … Boston has shut down RHP Tanner Houck after he was diagnosed with a sore flexor muscle at Worcester. “There’s no timetable, but this is something we feel will be short term,” Cora said. “It’s not something where we are overly concerned.” Houck was 0-2 with a 4.35 ERA in three April appearances with the Red Sox.
Orioles: Baltimore placed RHP Dillon Tate (left hamstring strain) on the 10-day IL, retroactive to Friday. Tate is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in 11 games this season. The Orioles recalled OF Ryan McKenna from Triple-A Norfolk. … OF DJ Stewart left in the sixth inning with a left hamstring strain.
UP NEXT
Red Sox: LHP Martín Pérez (0-2, 4.40 ERA), who has a 2.53 ERA in two road starts this season, gets the ball for Boston.
Orioles: RHP Jorge López (1-3, 6.49), who allowed seven runs in four innings against Boston on April 11, takes the mound as the four-game series concludes.
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