Rafaela Saves Boston (Again): Sox Sneak Past O’s 3–2 in Ninth-Inning Circus
Boston botches two potential outs, spots Baltimore a lead, and then Rafaela blasts them back—because perfection is overrated.
Game Recap
Let’s not sugar-coat it—last night’s win at Camden Yards was soul-crushing, edge-of-your-seat nonsense. Roman Anthony cracked a leadoff homer in the first, delivering that “please behave” energy only to have it dissolved by Orioles dribbles into the outfield. A mishandled fly ball—thanks to a Duran–Rafaela miscue—allowed Dylan Beavers to score after his own RBI double. Suddenly, it was 2–1 Baltimore and Boston’s defense looked like an embarrassing YouTube compilation.
Enter Brayan Bello, who did his job better than his teammates: 6.2 innings, one earned run, six punchouts. Obviously, the bullpen chimed in with Greg Weissert and Aroldis Chapman offering vintage “close it out like a lecture” performances, with Chapman pitching nine untouchable strikes.
Then, drama. Jarren Duran singled to open the ninth—himself the poster child for turnaround after that earlier defensive snafu. Ceddanne Rafaela, fresh from his own outfield embarrassment, launched his 15th homer of the season, a two-run dagger off Keegan Akin, who realized after fooling Baltimore fans that lead-maintenance is a two-way street. Sox win, 3–2.
Player Highlights
Ceddanne Rafaela: Proof that baseball is equal parts talent and unpaid therapy. One night you lose the ball, the next you launch wins. Couldn’t redeem himself in a museum—not allowed.
Roman Anthony: Two leadoff homers in three days. Either he’s allergic to standard baseball pacing, or he just enjoys opening act glory.
Brayan Bello: 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 K. Efficient and silent—naughty in Boston terms, because that’s the energy everyone complains they’re missing.
Jarren Duran: Ran in everything in the ninth. Came close to the phrase “and then the hero stepped up,” because baseball is inexplicably theatrical.
Keegan Akin (O’s): Bails himself out of the eighth, then collapses in the ninth. Baseball’s reset button is brutal.
Pitching Highlights:
Brayan Bello: 6.2 IP, 1 ER, 6 K — Business-like, unsentimental.
Greg Weissert / Aroldis Chapman: Combined to erase the Orioles’ hopes—Chapman closed it with a textbook side-out.
Quotes & Commentary
Media phrased it nicely: “Rafaela redeemed himself after his earlier error.” That’s Baskin-Robbins level arc: Flop, then hero.
One site summed it up: “Miscommunication in left cost the Sox two runs—but redemption came via the same bat.” That’s poetic in a snarky way.
On the O’s end: Akin “surrendered a two-run homer in the ninth after escaping an eighth-inning jam.” Baseball doesn’t reward you for almost doing it.
Opponent Misfires
Baltimore looked like they installed scare-actors in the bullpen. Akin was a gatekeeper for the eighth, then the ninth become his confessional. Their rookie outfield botched two critical reads—a double-producing error and a clutch blow allowed. Their pitchers weren’t envoys of fear; they were accomplices in the Sox’s suspense theater.
Red Sox Momentum Check
Boston is now 74–60, just four back of Toronto and clinging to third. They’ve won three straight, six of the last seven, and are running on more caffeine than cohesion. Momentum in Boston is typically a rumor with good PR—but when you pin games on ninth-inning rescues, at least the rumors feel earned.
Future Outlook
Still in Baltimore for another, then back home to host Pittsburgh. No magic here—just stop gifting runs and hits, and maybe let Anthony and Rafaela rent the Spotlight™ again. If Bello and the bullpen stay sane, this trip could end up looking less like survival and more like progress. Again, maybe. But let’s not jinx it: this team still trips over shoelaces, even on red carpets.
Subscribe to Red Sox Digest — because someone has to document this circus, and it might as well be us.