O’s late homers not enough to overcome Sox

Much has been the case this week at Camden Yards, Friday night’s biggest blasts did not belong to the Orioles.

Pat Valaika and Cedric Mullins went back-to-back in the seventh, and Chance Sisco provided an opposite-field, three-run home run in the eighth, but it wasn’t enough to overcome an early trifecta from the Boston Red Sox in an 8-5 loss, the Orioles’ sixth straight defeat.

After a crisp six-pitch first inning, Baltimore left-hander John Means allowed a home run on a change-up to Xander Bogaerts to open the second. A frame later, after slugging prospect Ryan Mountcastle walked in his first major league plate appearance and was erased on a double play in the bottom of the second, J.D. Martinez hammered another Means change-up for a two-run shot.

Statcast measured the home run at a projected 431 feet, the longest at Camden Yards in 2020. That remained the case until the fifth inning, when Rafael Devers broke the game open with a three-run home run off reliever Jorge López that went a projected 447 feet.

Even with the Orioles’ three homers in the late innings, the five longest home runs this season at Oriole Park have all been hit in the past week by visiting players. Friday’s defeat dropped the Orioles (12-14) to 4-13 at their home ballpark, including games in which they played as the road team.

In other teams’ venues, the Orioles are 8-1.

Making the most of it

Colten Brewer, making his second start in 78 career appearances, pitched four shutout innings to open the game for the Red Sox. But Valaika spoiled Boston’s shutout bid with a solo home run in the seventh, then Mullins hit one of his own, the fourth time the Orioles have gone back to back in 2020.

With the homerun coming off left-hander Josh Osich, it marked not only the first time the switch-hitting Mullins has gone deep batting right-handed in the majors, but also the first time he’s had an extra-base hit from the right side.

Since Austin Hays went on the injured list last week and thus opened up more playing time in the outfield, Mullins has a six-game hitting streak, batting .476 during that span while raising his average to .324.

Having struck out and flew out after his second-inning free pass, Mountcastle worked an eight-pitch walk with two outs in the eighth, extending the frame. Sisco capitalized, cutting the Orioles’ deficit in half with his second home run in three games.

During the game, the Red Sox traded closer Brandon Workman, along with fellow reliever Heath Hembree, to the Philadelphia Phillies. Replacement closer Matt Barnes surrendered a leadoff bunt single by Mullins in the ninth, but nothing more.

Spare change

In his All-Star 2019 campaign, Means’ change-up held opponents to a .207 average, while they swung and missed on it nearly a quarter of the time.

Despite throwing the pitch nearly 4 mph harder than he did a year ago, it hasn’t been nearly as effective. Three of the four hits Means allowed Friday, including both home runs, came on his change-up. On the year, opposing batters are hitting .409 off the pitch with an .818 slugging percentage.