BOSTON -- Trying to feel at home with his new team shouldn’t be that hard for Eric Hosmer, when you consider how comfortable he's looked throughout his career with the bat in his hands at Fenway Park.

It took Hosmer just two home starts at MLB’s oldest ballpark to deliver the type of game-changing hit he made commonplace when he mashed the ball all over the field with the visiting Royals in years past.

And make no mistake about it: Hosmer’s RBI double that glanced off the garage door in center field was the biggest hit for the Red Sox in a tense 4-3 victory over the Orioles on Thursday night.

The Sox had just given up three runs in the top of the sixth to squander their 3-0 lead, and they were suddenly facing a tie game.

In the bottom of the frame, the momentum swung back in Boston’s favor for good, starting when the slumping J.D. Martinez worked a two-out walk.

Up stepped Hosmer, who ripped a 100.8-mph shot high enough (with a 27-degree launch angle) and far enough (a projected distance of 394 feet) to center to score the slow-footed Martinez from first. Hosmer came into the contest 2-for-12 with Boston, so his first significant "moment" left the slugger in good spirits.

“Yeah, it feels good to contribute,” said Hosmer. “Coming over to a new club and coming over to a new home stadium, you want to contribute right away. You want to try to settle in as quick[ly] as possible, and that certainly helps. But yeah, it felt good tonight, it felt good to [get the] win. I felt like I’ve been putting some good swings on the ball, so it was nice to get results on one today.”

In 99 career at-bats for the Royals at Fenway, Hosmer hit .354/.404/.485, with four doubles, three homers and 17 RBIs.

While the general perception is that Fenway is most advantageous to right-handed pull hitters, it is every bit as helpful to a pure left-handed hitter who can use the whole field.

“Just kind of like I’ve been saying all along, it really incentivizes you to go up the middle, stay to left-center field. ... For me personally, when I’m going good, those are my strengths,” said Hosmer. “So it just kind of keeps me working toward the middle of the field, and I think that can kind of be the approach for me from here on out, especially at home.”

That should work for Boston, especially when you consider Hosmer is under contract through the 2025 season. The Padres sent $44 million of Hosmer’s remaining salary to Boston to complete the Aug. 2 trade, and the Red Sox will simply pay him the minimum each season.

It should be a win for the club and a win for Hosmer, who enjoys the atmosphere that comes with playing at Fenway.

“You know you’ve got to bring it every single day,” Hosmer. “Especially late in the season, these games are big, it’s a must-win every day. It’s pretty much empty the tank for this one and worry about tomorrow [when it gets here]. But it’s certainly been nice to call Fenway home, especially for these last couple of days.”

This weekend, Hosmer will get his first taste of the storied Red Sox-Yankees rivalry. Considering he played in the World Series twice with Kansas City, winning it all in 2015, the pressure shouldn’t faze him.

With 49 games left in the season, the Red Sox (55-58) are 4 1/2 games out in the race for the third AL Wild Card spot.

It is going to take a strong collective effort for Boston to get to the postseason, but having someone as seasoned as Hosmer in the lineup regularly can only help.

“He’s great,” Red Sox reliever Matt Barnes said of Hosmer. “I knew him a little bit before he came over here. Was always a pro, great player. He’s obviously a veteran guy who has won and played in some of the biggest games of the world. And then his personality and leadership, I think he’s a great fit.”