Adley Rutschman absolutely tore up his old stomping grounds. You kidding me with this dude? After getting shipped out of Baltimore to Boston in a massive seven-player deadline deal, Rutschman rolled back into Camden Yards as an opponent for the first time on Thursday, and he didn’t waste a second. He put on a show for his former fanbase, mashing two homers in his first three trips to the plate, single-handedly keeping the Red Sox afloat.
The Homecoming Hammer
Talk about making a statement in your first game back. Rutschman blasted his first dinger off Brandon Young in the very first inning, giving Boston a quick 1-0 lead. His first-ever at-bat against the Orioles, and he sent one flying. What a welcome back, right? Then, even after Baltimore scratched out a 3-1 lead, Rutschman wasn’t done for the night. He stepped up in the sixth inning, stared down Young again, and went deep for a second time, cutting right into that Orioles advantage. What’s wild is those two solo shots were the only hits the Red Sox had on the night at that point. Both rockets landed in the same exact spot, too: those right field seats, an area Rutschman is definitely familiar with from his years playing there. That’s a performance you don’t forget.
A History of Hits, A Future of Rivalry
You know that night had to feel wild for Rutschman, who probably expected to remain in Baltimore long term after being drafted first overall in 2019. Instead, he’s wearing a division rival’s uniform, set to face them 13 times every single season. Before he even stepped to the plate, the Camden Yards faithful gave him a nice ovation, a real moment for their former first overall pick. When it was all said and done, his final line for the night was 3 at-bats, 2 hits, 2 home runs, and 2 RBIs. Both of those bombs were solo shots, and they accounted for the Red Sox’s only hits at the time. This dude had already hammered 37 homers at Camden Yards as an Oriole. Now he’s added two more as an opponent. The Red Sox paid a hefty price for him in that seven-player swap, which was called a “hefty price to land the switch-hitting catcher.” The Orioles received pitchers Anthony Eyanson and Kiyan Witherspoon, along with outfielders Enddy Azocar and Harold Rivas, plus catcher Carlos Narvaez. Boston also got catcher Jake Rogers in the deal, though he was designated for assignment a few weeks later when Rutschman returned from the injured list.
This is only the beginning of the fireworks, too. That massive trade one month ago at the deadline means Rutschman will be facing his old team 13 times every single season now. If this first game back is any indication, these division matchups are going to be absolutely must-watch television. You gotta wonder how many more times he’s gonna go deep in those right field seats as a visitor.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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