Adley Rutschman tormented his former team in his first game back at Camden Yards, hitting two home runs and leading the Red Sox to a 6-5 win in Baltimore.

Batting third for Boston, Rutschman received a standing ovation from the Camden Yards faithful in the 1st, tipping his helmet to the fans who still had plenty of love for the former Oriole. He then repaid that love by launching Brandon Young’s hanging curveball onto the flag court for an early 1-0 lead for Boston.

The Orioles would tie the game in the first on a Pete Alonso sac fly, before Alonso and Luis Robert Jr. provided some fireworks of their own in the 4th. Robert, the newest Oriole, marked his Camden Yards debut by blasting a Jack Bennett fastball into the left-field stands. The Polar Bear then followed suit, golfing a changeup below his knees just out of the reach of Boston’s CF for his 33rd long ball of the season.

Those back-to-back jacks put the Orioles up 3-1, a lead they held until Rutschman came back up in the 6th. With one out and the bases empty, Young tried to challenge his former teammate with a fastball up and in. Rutschman turned on the heater and sent another solo shot to right field to cut the Orioles’ lead in half.

After the Red Sox tied the game at 3-3 in the 7th, the former Baltimore backstop was then in the heart of another rally in the 8th. Jahmai Jones led off the inning with a single to left, bringing up Rutschman with the winning run on first. The three-time All-Star bounced a would-be double-play ball to third; however, a hard slide by Jones at second caused Blaze Alexander’s throw to skip off Alonso’s forearm and allowed Rutschman to go to second.

Like on his home run trots, the Boston catcher didn’t have to run hard to score his third run of the day. Two batters later, Nick Sogard homered off a Yennier Cano sinker at the knees to put the Red Sox up 5-3. The Sogard blast ended Cano’s streak of 48 straight appearances without allowing a homer. Roman Anthony would then take Albert Suárez deep in the 9th for the Red Sox’s fourth homer of the evening, putting Boston up 6-3.

Unexpectedly, that insurance run would prove important as Aroldis Chapman came in for the save in the 9th. After Alonso struck out to begin the frame, Gunnar Henderson slapped a belt-high fastball to left to give the Orioles some hope. That hope grew even more two pitches later, as Christian Encarnacion-Strand turned on a fastball at the top of the zone, blasting a two-run homer to left to chop Boston’s lead down to one.

The thoughts of a comeback quickly faded, however. The future Hall of Fame closer got Leody Taveras to fly out to center for the second out of the inning. Chapman then got ahead of Dylan Beavers 0-2 before blowing a 100mph fastball past the rookie outfielder to secure Boston’s win.

Outside of the two mistakes to Rutschman, Young was excellent for 6.2 innings on Thursday. He struck out the first two batters he faced, fanning Roman Anthony and Mickey Gasper on low splitters. He’d get two quick outs in the 2nd before punching out Jarren Duran on a splitter just off the outside corner.

After Rutschman’s first homer, Young set down the next six Red Sox he faced, with the streak ending on a two-out walk to Anthony in the 3rd. BY would cap that inning with a Gasper flyout to finish the first three innings with only two baserunners and three strikeouts.

The Orioles’ big right-hander ran into his first real jam in the 4th thanks to a brief lapse of control. After two flyouts to start the inning, Nick Sogard walked on four pitches to extend the frame. Young then tried to run a sinker in on the hands of Caleb Durbin, but clipped the Red Sox’s 3B to give Boston two on with two outs. The big Texan got out of the jam by getting Duran to fly out on a high fastball, stranding both runners.

Young breezed through a 1-2-3 5th inning on just 12 pitches. Rutschman’s second homer of the night snapped a streak of 17 straight Red Sox plate appearances without a hit. Young rebounded from that blast by striking out Wilyer Abreu looking on a curveball at the knees. Sogard then lined out to close out another strong frame from the 28-year-old righty.

Having only thrown 81 pitches through six innings, Young got the green light from manager Craig Albernaz to go back out for the 7th. At first, it looked like the right decision, with Durbin lining out after two pitches and Duran striking out on a 3-2 splitter at the knees. However, with two outs, Boston outfielder Eli White poked a first-pitch fastball down the right-field line to put the tying run on second. Albernaz let Young pitch to Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who bounced another ball through the right side. The single scored White, tied the game at three and chased Young from the game.

The Orioles’ most reliable starter finished with a line that doesn’t accurately reflect how good he was Thursday. Finishing with 6.2 IP, 4 H, 3 ER, 2 BB and 7 Ks, his stats paint the picture of a good but not great start from BY. At times, however, he was untouchable, generating 12 swings and misses and producing 5 Ks on his splitter alone. If not for two mistakes to Rutschman, Young might have earned a win; instead, he finished with a somewhat unjust No Decision.

Thanks to Cleveland losing Thursday, the Orioles remain 1.5 GB of the last Wild Card spot in the AL. Shane Baz takes the mound tomorrow night looking to end Baltimore’s three-game skid.

Box Score

After scoring nine runs in back-to-back games, the Brewers were only able to muster a single run as they dropped tonight’s series finale against the Cubs by a score of 2-1. Logan Henderson put together another great start, but Pete Crow-Armstrong’s two-run homer in the third proved to be all the offense Chicago would need.

With the loss, the Brewers split this week’s four-game series at Wrigley Field. They are now eight games up in the division with 21 games to go.

Both starters — Henderson for Milwaukee and Kevin Gausman for Chicago — kept the opposing offense from doing much through the early innings. Milwaukee had a brief chance in the top of the second after Christian Yelich and Garrett Mitchell both singled with two outs, but Joey Ortiz flew out to center, stranding them both.

In the bottom of the frame, Alex Bregman led off with a double, but Henderson bore down to retire the next three Cubs — Ian Happ, Nico Hoerner, and Pedro Ramírez — without so much as allowing Bregman to advance to third.

Henderson was again terrific tonight for the Brewers, going seven innings for the third time in four starts while striking out seven and holding the Cubs to just three hits. The lone blemish on an otherwise nearly spotless outing came in the third after Carson Kelly singled into left field with one out in the third. That brought up Crow-Armstrong, the favorite to win this year’s NL MVP award, who has struggled against the Brewers — he entered today’s game just 3-for-33 against Milwaukee this season. Henderson threw a 2-1 changeup well below the zone that PCA golfed over the center-field fence for a two-run homer.

However, Gausman — who’s had some uncharacteristic struggles this season — matched Henderson every step of the way. Milwaukee immediately got a run back in the fourth on a (monster) two-out solo homer off the bat of Andrew Vaughn, but the Brewers couldn’t muster the tying run despite threatening twice more.

In the fifth, Ortiz and David Hamilton — the Brewers’ eight and nine hitters — both reached and ended up on second and third with two outs, but Gausman got Brice Turang to stare at strike three for the third out. In the sixth, Jake Bauers worked a one-out walk and made it around to third on a wild pitch and a groundout, but Yelich grounded out to strand him. Gausman came back out for the seventh and retired the side in order, as did relievers Ryan Zeferjahn and Ryan Rolison in the eighth and ninth.

Milwaukee won’t have much time away from the Cubs, as the two teams are scheduled to begin a second series — this time in Milwaukee — on Monday. In the meantime, the Brewers will head to Cincinnati to take on another divisional opponent in the Reds for a three-game set. First pitch for tomorrow’s series opener is set for 5:10 p.m., with Shane Drohan starting for the Brewers opposite Rhett Lowder.

I spend too much time on the internet. That has become clear to me, especially over the last year or so. However, occasionally the internet brings good ideas! And that was the case last week.

I was scrolling through Threads and came across this question:

So I’d like to rephrase this for baseball into four questions:

1. If you had to create a Rockies team using nine clones of exactly one current player playing all positions, which player do you think would create the most successful team?
2. If you had to create a Rockies team using nine clones of exactly one former player playing all positions, which player do you think would create the most successful team?
3. If you had to create a Major League Baseball team using nine clones of exactly one current player playing all positions, which player do you think would create the most successful team?
4. If you had to create a Major League Baseball team using nine clones of exactly one former player playing all positions, which player do you think would create the most successful team?

Let us know in the comments!

Please keep in mind our Purple Row Community Guidelines when you’re commenting. Thanks!

Tarik Skubal faces Quinn Matthews as the Dodgers look to avoid being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals

THURSDAY GAME INFO

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Cardinals
• Stadium: Dodger Stadium
• Time: 7:10 p.m. PT
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 (Spanish)

The Red Sox had one hit through five innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

If you think that was going to stop them, you must not have been paying attention…

Boston, as it has done over and over against throughout the week, took its time to get going and entered the seventh inning trailing and immediately ran into two outs. Double. Single. Tie Game. Boston then took the lead just one inning later, doing so once again with two outs. Single. Fielder’s Choice. Strikeout. Home Run.

It’s not pretty, but this team continues to scratch and claw — scoring 14 runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings since Sunday — and was rewarded with a 6-5 victory at Camden Yards.

STUDS

Adley Rutschman: If there was ever a time to rediscover that you’re the best two-way catcher in the game…

Rutschman, in his first game against the team that made him the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft, belted two home runs in one of the coolest subplots of the season. The Red Sox offense literally didn’t have a hit aside from those two until the seventh inning, and when the rest of the club got things going he was on base to score the game-winning run.

ESPN Insights shared that he is now the fourth former top pick to hit a home run in his first plate appearance against the team that drafted him, and first since Kansas City Royals first baseman Jeff King did it against the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1997.

Nick Sogard: OH. HELL. YEAH.

Sogard home runs in his first 91 games? 0. Sogard home runs in his last 15 games? 4.

Jake Bennett: The Red Sox starting rotation hasn’t been able to contain opposing offenses in the last couple of weeks, so this was a fresh breath of air.

Bennett allowed three runs through six innings, which isn’t stellar but it sure is quality and enough for a win. That’s all that matters in September.

Roman Anthony: If he doesn’t hit this home run in the top of the ninth inning, we would have been going to extras.

DUDS

I’ve got nothing.

“CLASS ACT, THAT GUY” MOMENT OF THE GAME

Rutschman didn’t just hit two home runs, but he got two standing ovations in his return to Oriole Park.

Carlos Narvaez, one of the men in which he was traded for, helped facilitate the first when he took a stroll in front of home plate to allow the crowd to cheer the former face of the franchise — with the two sharing a moment together behind the dish whenever the other would step up to the plate.

Cute. Cool. Classy.

The Dodgers’ nine-game homestand continues with the middle series of the residency, hosting the Washington Nationals beginning Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

Blake Snell starts the opener on Friday, with fellow left-hander Jackson Kent on the mound for Washington. Snell is making his fifth start since returning from the injured list, while Kent is making his fifth major league start.

Friday game info

• Teams: Dodgers vs. Nationals
• Ballpark: Dodger Stadium
• Start time: 7:10 p.m.
• TV: SportsNet LA
• Radio: AM 570 (English), KTNQ 1020 AM (Spanish)

Talk about Dr. Jeckyl and Mr. Hyde. The Astros seemed poised this week to not only beat them in a series, but also eventually leapfrog them into the two seed. Astros 6. White Sox 2. It took more than a month, but finally, Houston has won a series at home.     

You’d be hard pressed to select just “one” player of the game. On the pitching front, Hunter Brown limited the damage to only the 2nd inning. Sousa and Abreu had moments of dominate stuff, each pitching a scoreless frame and AJ Blubaugh continues to dazzle, authoring yet another scoreless appearance. He’s now struck out 87 batters in 86.1 innings. The next closet (Parker Blackburn) hasn’t even eclipsed 75 for the year.

On the offensive side of the ledger, Jose Altuve started things in the bottom of the first, blasting a two-run shot which brought home Paredes who drew a walk. That made things 2-0.     

The White Sox would respond the next frame by generating four singles off Hunter Brown. By the time they were set down, things were even at 2-2. That would remain the score until the bottom of the third.    LaMonte Wade Jr. singled to right, then Yordan would move him over after reaching on an HBP. Paredes would double home Wade and then moments later, Daulton Varsho tripled which broke things open for good. Christian Walker would bring in Varsho and it was 6-2. That would be your final.    

Hunter Brown for the day would go 6 innings, picking up his 5th win of the season. He struck out 7, issued a pair of walks and allowed 6 hits.   

Odds & Ends:

The Astros won 5 of 7 meetings this season vs. the White Sox.

The Astros have tied their best mark, reaching 3 games over the .500 mark.

Since releasing GM Dana Brown, the club has won 7 out of their last 10.

The Astros are now 1.5 games behind the White Sox for the 2 seed in the American League.

This is hardly the stretch run the Mets were expecting when they opened the season with one of the highest payrolls in the game and among the loftiest expectations. 

But here we are, with 10 games left on their home schedule as they open a series against the Giants on Friday night at Citi Field. 

And as Juan Soto said Thursday, he hopes the team’s goal is to “finish strong.” 

“We’re not finished yet,” Soto said. “We’re not done yet. Who knows what can happen?” 

At various points of the year, that might have sounded like a threat, as the Mets hit different low points along the way. 

And while they remain in last place in the NL East and are certainly a team that will go down as one of the most disappointing in franchise history, they’ve at least been less of an embarrassment of late. 

As Soto said, the team hopes to “finish strong and carry that into October or next season.” 

Since the Mets won’t even make it to the end of September, let alone next month’s playoffs, perhaps it’s best to look at what the organization can try to learn over the final weeks of the regular season. 

How will the outfield look? 

Carson Benge has established himself as a solid player on both sides of the ball, getting more comfortable at the plate and, as a former pitcher, already showing off one of the best outfield arms in the game. 

Since Luis Robert Jr. was claimed off waivers by Baltimore, the Mets have gone with three different left fielders in three games: Christopher Morel, Brett Baty and another rookie, Nick Morabito, who picked up his first major league hits and RBIs off the bench in Wednesday’s win at Tampa Bay. 

Perhaps the most crucial question as the Mets look to the future is which player is A.J. Ewing? 

Is he the player that sparked the offense with an .805 OPS over his first 55 games or the one who’s been among the least productive hitters in the sport since July 11, with a .494 OPS that’s the second-lowest among qualified hitters? 

Soto, who took part in a baseball clinic for athletes from the Police Athletic League and was sponsored by Under Armour at City Line Park in Brooklyn on Thursday, said he “100 percent” wants to get back in left field before the end of the season as he manages the strained left calf that sidelined him last month. 

Soto turns 28 next month and had never appeared in fewer than 150 games in a full season outside of his rookie year with the Nationals, when he was called up in May. 

He’s so far played in just 89 games this lost season and has already acknowledged he needs to adjust how he trains going forward. 

Starting up 

In the three-game series against the also-disappointing Giants, the Mets are scheduled to start three promising young pitchers, with Nolan McLean going Friday, lefty Zac Thornton on Saturday and Christian Scott on Sunday. 

McLean is making a late push for NL Rookie of the Year, although Cincinnati’s Sal Stewart is considered the favorite, with Benge also potentially in the mix. 

McLean has been one of the best pitchers in the majors in the second half, with an ERA of 1.76 in his past 11 starts. 

And as The Post’s Mike Puma reported this week, another young pitcher, Jonah Tong, could get a start in Miami next week. He has yet to find success in the majors, but pitched well in seven of his past eight starts at Triple-A Syracuse and allowed just a pair of runs in his past four outings, over 21 ¹/₃ innings. 

What a relief! 

After the Mets shipped off many of their quality relievers at the trade deadline, they’ve seen more out of inexperienced arms like Nate Lavender, who hasn’t allowed a run in 12 appearances. And is Kodai Senga closing really going to continue? His performance this month — and willingness to stay in the role moving forward — could play a part in the decision. 

Last chance? 

While Luis Torrens continues to impress — both offensively and defensively — Francisco Alvarez is back in an ugly slump, just 5-for-51 with a pair of doubles, four walks and 29 strikeouts in his past 16 games. 

Brett Baty has not fared well in a utility role, and Mark Vientos’ future with the organization is in doubt after another rough season. 

The Mets claimed right-hander Cameron Weston from the Orioles and optioned him to Triple-A Syracuse. The 26-year-old has made one appearance in the majors, tossing an inning for Baltimore in May. He spent most of this season with Triple-A Norfolk, where he’s been mostly ineffective. To make room on the 40-man roster, catcher Shawn Ross was designated for assignment. Ross was picked up off waivers from the Pirates last month.

A couple of injured Mariners have had setbacks in their progression as they attempt to return to play: reliever Matt Brash has been shut down from throwing temporarily, while infielder Brendan Donovan remains in the concussion protocol.

Brash, who was trending towards a rehab assignment after completing a series of bullpens, is instead getting an MRI today on his injured lat. Brash felt tightness in his lat after throwing his most recent bullpen in Boston, so the team has shut him down from throwing for the time being while he gets imaging done. According to GM Justin Hollander, this has been a recurring pattern for Brash as he attempts to clear the hurdle of bullpens off a mound before graduating to throwing to live hitters and then to a rehab assignment.

“This has been a recurring theme with this specific injury,” said Hollander. “He feels good when he’s throwing on flat ground, but in the pens, it’s continued to tighten up on him as he finishes the bullpen and gets into the recovery phase.”

“He’s bounced back reasonably. Not as much as we would have hoped, which is why we’ve been in the same holding pattern where he’s throwing bullpens but hasn’t progressed to live BPs or game action because this has been a pattern over the last 10 days – two weeks, where he feels really good in between, he feels really good throwing on flat, he feels fine in the bullpen, then after the pen, it starts to tighten up a little bit. And until we can get through that, there’s just no reason to push him out there and cause more injury or have a recurrence of the same injury.”

There is no timetable currently for Brash’s return, but as he’s not even able to progress to the live BP portion of the rehab arc, having been out all season, it seems very unlikely that Brash will be able to rejoin the team before the end of the regular season. Even with the most best-case-scenario accelerated timeline, it’s hard to see Brash being available much sooner than the back half of the final homestand – and that’s assuming Brash suddenly starts bouncing back perfectly from every activity. As a reminder, results of the MRI are pending; this article will be updated with any relevant information.

Brash isn’t the only Mariner struggling to clear an injury benchmark. Infielder Brendan Donovan remains in the concussion protocol. The benchmark he’s not able to clear yet is being able to complete his pregame work without feeling symptoms of his concussion – he’ll get to the end of his pregame routine and feel effects such as nausea, fatigue, and/or dizziness. Hollander called Donovan’s progress “incremental” and “slow” and said all the team can do is continue to see if he can clear that benchmark before a return to play can be considered, at which point the team will determine whether to send him back to Tacoma for a couple of rehab games or activate him straight to the big-league team.

“Some days are better than others,” said Hollander. “The last few days, he has felt symptomatic towards all of thsoe pregames…it’s just not okay if we run him out there when he’s feeling those things until he can get all the way through them and feel 100%.”

Hollander also provided an update on Emerson Hancock, who is currently on the IL with a groin strain. Hancock will throw on Sunday, either from a mound or flat ground, at which point the team will have more information about how he’s feeling and decisions will be made about how to proceed.

There’s better news for another injured Mariners reliever: reliever Cole Wilcox will throw off a mound this weekend, and the hope is he’ll be able to throw a couple of bullpens with the goal of getting in some rehab games in Tacoma before the Triple-A season ends, and then ideally be available for the Mariners after that.