BALTIMORE -- On a hot summer Friday night at Camden Yards, nobody would have believed that a solo homer in the top of the first inning by mashing Mickey Gasper would be the difference in the game.
But everything Gasper touches turns to gold of late, and when he barrels the baseball, it frequently leaves the ballpark.
The 30-year-old journeyman continued his swift rise from journeyman to surging slugger, and his solo shot to right was indeed all a resurgent Ranger Suarez needed to pitch the Red Sox to a 1-0 victory over the Orioles.
It was Gasper’s eighth homer in his last 14 starts, and the only run of the ballgame.
Meanwhile, Suarez was back to his vintage self, looking like the lefty who was named an All-Star before suffering a left groin strain on July 5.
The crafty lefty went seven scoreless innings, his longest start since he went eight on April 17 at Fenway against the Tigers. Suarez allowed five hits while walking one and striking out three. He threw 91 pitches, 61 of them for strikes.
Garrett Whitlock took care of the eighth, which ended with a double-play ball, and the sides engaging in a brief benches-clearing fracas. Blaze Alexander, who slid into second to try to break up the double play, seemed to be doing the majority of the yelling and gesturing.
Aroldis Chapman came on in the ninth for career save No. 399.
The Red Sox have secured at least a split of this four-game series between AL East foes with games still to play on Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.