The last time Kyle Bradish faced the Red Sox was Oct. 1, 2023, their final game of the season.

Serving as an opener, Bradish blanked Boston for two hitless innings in Baltimore. He walked one and struck out five, but the Orioles lost 6-1.

On Tuesday, in his first big-league start after Tommy John surgery 14 months prior, Bradish again carved up the Red Sox. Over six innings and 81 pitches (51 strikes), he yielded just four hits, didn’t issue a week, and struck out 10.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, two of those hits were solo home runs by Trevor Story and David Hamilton.

“I think that was the only way we were going to score runs off him,” manager Alex Cora told reporters. “That was electric. Good for him. It’s so tough to come from injuries, and that stuff was really good. The fastball was explosive, the sinker was great. He was tough, he was really tough today. One of the best we faced this year.”

Also unfortunate for the Orioles was Lucas Giolito’s meticulous eight-inning shutout gem, which began with 3.2 perfect innings and ended with a 5-0 Red Sox win.

Alex Jackson’s single broke up Giolito’s bid for perfection, but the righty was undeterred; with the very next pitch, he induced an inning-ending groundout from Jackson Holliday.

The Orioles could do virtually nothing against the Red Sox right-hander, who set them down in order in the first, second, fourth and seventh.

“Excellent, excellent. Fastball command was on point, the offspeed stuff was great, under control, and we were a little bit short in the bullpen, and he gave us more than enough,” lauded Cora.

Giolito faced more than four batters just once, in a sixth inning in which he unlocked a unique achievement. After Alex Jackson threatened with a leadoff single and Jeremiah Jackson’s one-out single put multiple O’s on base for the first time in the game, Giolito became the first pitcher in the majors to strike out Orioles star Gunnar Henderson three times in a game this season.

After a tricky sixth inning, Giolito needed four pitches to get through the seventh.

A lengthy at-bat against Jeremiah Jackson with two outs and one on in the eighth ensured Giolito’s night wouldn’t reach the ninth. Veteran closer Aroldis Chapman began moving around in the bullpen as Giolito and Jackson battled.

Almost exactly two hours after the game began, Giolito threw for the 104th and final time. He was roaring before the Orioles right-fielder had even finished swinging at his 11th pitch.

“We were going to Chappy for Gunnar, but (Giolito) kept pounding the strike zone,” Cora explained. “That’s what you have to do in that situation. If he hits it out of the ballpark, it’s a 3-2 game. We still have the lead, but you walk him, then you can run into trouble. But credit to (Giolito and catcher Carlos Narváez), they were locked in the whole game, and that was excellent.”

Cora also praised Giolito for the way he handled his first season with the Red Sox last year. When Giolito found out he needed season-ending elbow surgery in early March ’24, the veteran righty opted to recover and rehab in Boston so as to stay around the team as much as possible.

Facing Yennier Cano in the top of the ninth, the Red Sox batted around with some help from the Orioles defense. With two on and one out, Ceddanne Rafaela ground into what could have been an inning-ending double play. Third baseman Vimael Machín, however, seemed to think there were already two outs on the board, and by the time he threw to first, Rafaela had narrowly beat the tag. The Orioles challenged unsuccessfully, and the inning continued.

With Hamilton batting, a wild pitch by Cano moved Rafaela and Nathaniel Lowe (walk) into scoring position.

Then, the inning took a perplexing turn. Hamilton skyed a 1-0 four-seamer into shallow left. Henderson began jogging over, but stopped and watched as left-fielder Dylan Beavers let the ball drop a few feet away from him. Hamilton reached second as both runners scored on what was ruled a two-run double. Watching the chaos behind him from the mound, Cano could only chuckle in disbelief.

With a 5-0 lead, veteran closer Aroldis Chapman got the night off. Left-hander Justin Wilson gave up back-to-back one-out singles to Colton Cowser and Samuel Basallo to open the bottom of the ninth. A passed ball moved them both into scoring position before pinch-hitter Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the game.

Story joins the 200 Club

Story, 0 for 10 with five strikeouts in his career against Bradish before Tuesday, sent the Orioles starter’s first pitch to him out of the yard. His 21st homer of the season is also the 200th of his career.

Mets’ Francisco Lindor is the only active player ahead of Story on the all-time list of MLB shortstops to reach 200 home runs and 150 stolen bases.

“It’s a cool benchmark to hit,” Story told reporters.

Story also led off the ninth with a single and extended his perfect stolen-base record to 23. His 21st steal broke the franchise record, set by the late Julio Lugo in ‘07, earlier this month.

Hammy time

Over five games since the Red Sox recalled him last Thursday for his third big-league stint of the season, Hamilton is 6 for 15 (.400) with a double, triple, home run, seven RBI and five runs.

Facts and figures

The Red Sox are 73-60, including 5-1 so far on this eight-game road trip to New York and Baltimore. They are 6-5 against the Orioles this season, including 4-1 at Camden Yards.

2026 Red Sox schedule

MLB teams released their ‘26 regular-season schedules Tuesday. For the third season in a row, the Red Sox will open the year on the road, in Cincinnati, followed by Houston. Their home opener will be against the Padres.

Red Sox injury updates

The Red Sox placed right-hander Richard Fitts on the injured list Tuesday afternoon after strength tests led to a right arm neuritis diagnosis. The righty told reporters he hasn’t undergone an MRI, but will see the team doctor Friday.

Right-fielder Wilyer Abreu ran “a little bit” on Tuesday and is “feeling better, but not ready to push it,” Cora said.

Outfielder Rob Refsnyder (left oblique strain) and reliever Justin Slaten (shoulder) are expected to be activated from the injured list Wednesday or Thursday.

Originally Published: August 26, 2025 at 9:24 PM EDT