BOSTON—Neither Corbin Burnes nor Colton Cowser had ever played in Fenway Park before Tuesday’s Opening Day for the Boston Red Sox. They might not want to leave Fenway after Tuesday’s performance.
Burnes pitched seven outstanding innings, allowing only two hits and dominating the Red Sox after giving up a lone run in the first. Cowser drove in four runs as the Orioles spoiled the Boston’s home opener with a 7-1 win before a sellout crowd of 36,093 at Fenway Park.
The Red Sox commemorated the 20th anniversary of their 2004 World Series championship. After the ceremony, Burnes went to work.
Tyler O’Neill homered for the sixth time in 11 games with two outs in the first. Trinton Casas followed that with a single, and Burnes did not allow another hit. His command got better as the game went on, and he looks like the ace the Orioles thought he would be when they acquired him in a trade with Milwaukee.
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“It took me until about the third inning to feel comfortable out there,” Burnes said.
Burnes (2-0) struck out six and walked two. He retired the last 12 batters he faced. He threw 90 pitches.
The Orioles’ seven runs were their most since they scored 13 in the second game of the season on March 30th.
Cowser, who started in left field in place of Austin Hays, who’s hitless in 19 at-bats, doubled in the second against Brayan Bello (1-1) to score Cedric Mullins.
In the fourth, Ryan Mountcastle singled with two outs, and Mullins lined to left, but leftfielder Jarren Duran muffed the catch, putting runners on second and third. Cowser followed with a two-run double to left-center to give the Orioles (6-4) a 3-1 lead.
Catcher Adley Rutschman’s RBI single scored shortstop Gunnar Henderson in the seventh against Josh Winckowski to boost the lead to 4-1.
The Orioles loaded the bases with none out in the eighth. Cowser’s sacrifice fly padded their advantage to 5-1.
Anthony Santander and Mullins added RBI singles in the ninth.
Relief pitcher Danny Coulombe struck out the three Boston (7-4) batters he faced in the eighth, and Jacob Webb worked the ninth.