Rodriguez allows 4 in 2 innings, Orioles’ bullpen gives up 4 more in 8-3 loss to Red Sox

BALTIMORE—It was a tale of two starts for Grayson Rodriguez. The first two innings weren’t very good, and his final four were good, but in the end, the Orioles couldn’t catch the Boston Red Sox.

The Orioles’ 8-3 loss to the Red Sox before 17,970 at Camden Yards on Tuesday night broke a season-long five-game winning streak.

Rodriguez (5-2) struck out a career high 10, including five of six in the third and fourth innings.

Boston (28-27) scored two runs in the first. Wilyer Abreu homered with one  out, and after Rob Refsnyder doubled, Rafael Devers singled for a 2-0 lead.

The Orioles (34-19) took a 3-2 lead in the first. Gunnar Henderson led off with a double, and after Adley Rutschman walked, Henderson moved to third on Ryan O’Hearn’s forceout and scored on Colton Cowser’s infield single.

Anthony Santander was hit by a pitch by Brayan Bello (6-2), and with the bases loaded, Jordan Westburg’s opposite-field single to right put the Orioles in front.

Boston quickly retook the lead in the second when Cedanne Rafaela singled and scored on Jarren Duran’s double. Devers’ RBI singled scored Duran, and the Red Sox led, 4-3.

While Rodriguez allowed only one hit in his final four innings, the Orioles had just one more hit until the sixth.

Santander led off the sixth with a single, and Bello hit Westburg with a pitch. Brennan Bernardino replaced him and walked pinch-hitter Ryan Mountcastle to load the bases.

Austin Hays, pinch-hitting for Cedric Mullins, struck out, and Jorge Mateo’s tapper was fielded by Bernardino, who threw home for the force. Henderson struck out, and the Orioles wasted their final scoring chance.

Bernardino retired the Orioles in order in the seventh.

Devers led off the eighth with a triple against Cionel Pérez, and Connor Wong drove him in with a single against Yennier Cano.

The Red Sox added three runs in the ninth against Keegan Akin on a sacrifice fly by Romy Gonzalez and a two-run homer by Rob Refsnyder.