Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman had a memorable return to Baltimore with 2 homers
Boston Red Sox
“Home runs are fun, man. They’re really fun.”
Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman had a memorable return to Baltimore on Thursday night.
The former Orioles backstop doled out plenty of damage against his former team at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, slugging a pair of home runs in both the first and sixth innings en route to a 6-5 win for Boston.
“That’s a heck of a way to make a return,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Rutschman.
It was a welcome sight for both Rutschman and the Red Sox, who had played the previous three games without their top trade-deadline pickup in the lineup as he dealt with a nagging elbow injury.
That elbow didn’t seem to hinder the 28-year-old Rutschman on Thursday.
Exactly one month after the Orioles traded their former No. 1 pick to Boston, Rutschman earned a standing ovation from the Baltimore crowd as he stepped up to the plate in the first inning.
Rutschman — who earned three All-Star nods across parts of four seasons with the O’s — tipped his batting helmet in return.
Just three pitches later, Rutschman quieted some of those cheers from his former fanbase by golfing a breaking pitch from Baltimore starter Brandon Young into the seats in right field to give Boston an early 1-0 lead.
Rutschman was at it again in the sixth, jumping on a first-pitch sinker from Young and depositing it into the seats in right-center to cut Boston’s deficit to just one run at the time.
“Obviously, the days off, like he was feeling good today,” Tracy said of Rutschman’s return to the lineup. “So we’ll keep monitoring that. That’s an important part.
“I know where the season’s at and where we’re at and the magnitude of the game and where he’s at … I’m sure all that played into it, but he took some really, really good swings tonight.”
Every run mattered in what ended up being a one-run victory for the Red Sox, with a two-run homer from Nick Sogard and a solo shot from Roman Anthony in the eighth and ninth innings pushing Boston past its AL East foe.
But, most of the focus on Thursday was rooted in Rutschman’s return to a ballpark he called home for years.
“You’ve walked down the tunnel so many times taking an early right turn, so definitely a little different (heading the other way),” Rutschman said pregame to reporters, including Jen McCaffrey of The Athletic. “Some of the guys were giving me a little bit of crap, saying, ‘Make sure you don’t take a right turn in the dugout after you ground out or something.’”
Rutschman’s homecoming might have been just what he needed after a lackluster start to his tenure in Boston.
Beyond his recent injury woes, Rutschman labored in his first 15 games with Boston, batting just .170 with two extra-base hits (one double, one home run), six walks, and 15 strikeouts over 59 plate appearances
Those struggles were non-existent on Thursday, with Rutschman recording his first two-homer game since he slugged a pair against the Red Sox while playing for Baltimore on April 24.
“It was special. Just to feel that kind of love. It’s really cool,” Rutschman said postgame. “Emotional moment, and really special. … Home runs are fun, man. They’re really fun. So yeah, just happy to contribute.”
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