Red Sox turn to Walker Buehler in series finale vs. Orioles

After splitting a pair of one-run decisions on a busy Saturday at Fenway Park, the Boston Red Sox will look to close their four-game weekend series against the Baltimore Orioles with a Sunday afternoon victory.

In between Boston's 6-5 win in 10 innings and 2-1 loss, top organizational prospect Marcelo Mayer was recalled to make his MLB debut in the nightcap. Mayer's promotion came after fellow infielder Alex Bregman was placed on the 10-day injured list with a right quad strain.

"It's significant," Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Bregman's injury. "But like I said before, if we really believe we're good, we have to keep going and keep playing good baseball and keep winning games."

Mayer's 0-for-4 debut with three strikeouts came in a game in which the Red Sox managed only five hits and lost by a run for the 13th time this season.

Rafael Devers had the walk-off hit in Boston's Saturday win, and Abraham Toro homered in both games.

Following Lucas Giolito's seven shutout innings in the Saturday nightcap, the Red Sox will look for more of the same from right-hander Walker Buehler (4-1, 4.00 ERA) on Sunday.

Buehler had his Tuesday outing against the New York Mets end after 2 1/3 no-hit innings Tuesday, as he and Cora were ejected for arguing a missed strike call. The outing was Buehler's first since April 26 following a stint on the 15-day injured list due to right shoulder bursitis.

"It's one of those things that you're very conflicted in how you feel, very convicted in what I felt and saw," Buehler said of the incident. "But at the same time, this is a team game and something I let get out of hand, and personally, that's the disappointing part of it."

Buehler will make his third career start against the Orioles, having gone 1-0 with a 1.54 ERA and 15 strikeouts in 11 2/3 innings against them. His outing last August with the Los Angeles Dodgers (four runs, two earned in 4 2/3 innings) was his first head-to-head since 2019.

Baltimore has split its last four games after an eight-game skid during which manager Brandon Hyde was dismissed. The Orioles' latest win was its fifth by one run this season, thanks to the trio of Trevor Rogers, Andrew Kittredge and Seranthony Dominguez carrying a shutout into the ninth inning.

Rogers, who was injured and in the minors until earlier this month, started in what began the day as a to-be-determined starter's spot.

"It was a great night," Orioles interim manager Tony Mansolino said. "We'll see where this goes. There's a lot of moving pieces right now. If there are more opportunities for (Rogers), hopefully he can continue to do what he did (on Saturday)."

Injury also has impacted Kittredge, who was reinstated following a left knee debridement on Wednesday and has thrown two scoreless outings since.

"I know that this stretch hasn't gone the way we want it to and it's an uphill battle from here, but we have so much talent in here," Kittredge said. "I think that we're fully capable of turning this around, and I think, hopefully, it's just a mindset change from the group, and so far, it doesn't really seem like there's not a lot of belief in here that we can't do it."

The Orioles on Sunday will start right-hander Dean Kremer (3-5, 5.50 ERA), who has won just one start this month after back-to-back outings giving up four earned runs. He allowed nine hits but struck out six in 5 1/3 innings in a Monday no-decision against the Milwaukee Brewers. Baltimore lost 5-4.

Kremer has a 2-4 record and 5.64 ERA in nine career starts against the Red Sox. He brought the Orioles seven innings deep in his lone start in 2024 against them, though, allowing just two runs (one earned) on five hits on Sept. 11.