Félix Bautista worked a perfect ninth with the score 5-5 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader against the Red Sox.
It was a little surprising to see Baltimore go to its closer in a tie game with the bottom third of the lineup due up, but the team was probably thinking that even with a potential lead in the 10th, it might have made more sense to have a lefty face the Alex Bregman-less top of the Red Sox lineup, which featured Jarren Duran, Rafael Devers and Wilyer Abreu. Bautista went on to retire the side in order, but the lefty-lefty matchups didn’t go the Orioles’ way in the 10th. Bautista now figures to be down for the nightcap, which might put Andrew Kittredge or Yannier Cano (who struck out two in a perfect eighth today) in line for a save.