Boston Red Sox catcher Adley Rutschman’s return to Camden Yards had been widely anticipated since the trade. Rutschman made the Orioles remember who they traded in a multi-homer game that led to a Red Sox 6-5 win.
The feat also made some MLB history as well. OptaSTATS posted on X that Rutschman became the first player to have a multi-homer game on both sides of the same matchup. He previously had a multi-homer game against the Red Sox as a member of the Orioles on April 24.
April 24: 2 HR for Orioles vs. Red Sox Tonight: 2 HR for Red Sox vs. Orioles
He’s the first player in MLB history with a multi-HR game on both sides of the same matchup in the same season.
The trade was viewed as a win-now move by the Red Sox, as they try to improve the catcher position for 2026 and 2027. Their sudden surge in the standings has them a virtual lock to qualify for the postseason.
Adley Rutschman Homers Twice in Historic Return to Camden Yards
Adley Rutschman was once viewed as the cornerstone player for the Baltimore Orioles. They selected him No. 1 overall in the 2019 MLB Draft after losing 118 games the prior season.
However, they elected to shop the three-time All-Star catcher on the trade market. Boston pulled the trigger on that opportunity, sending a litany of prospects to Baltimore to acquire the star catcher from their division rival.
“It’s different just being on the other side of it,” said Rutschman after the game on WEEI’s radio broadcast. “Seeing guys I played with a lot of my career being on the other side and playing against them. It’s a different feeling, but the fans were awesome and welcomed me back.”
The Orioles played a tribute video of Rutschman before the game. He returned the favor by homering in his first at-bat back at the stadium he once called home. He later homered in the sixth inning, which trimmed the Red Sox deficit to 3-2.
Both home runs came off Orioles starter Brandon Young. Rutschman was the catcher in 13 of Young’s 36 career starts.
Eventually, the Red Sox rallied to take a 6-3 lead on home runs by Nick Sogard and Roman Anthony. It was enough to fend off the Orioles that night.
Since the trade, Rutschman is hitting .193 with three home runs and a .638 OPS in 16 games with the Red Sox.
Red Sox Right Now
Coming off the win over the Orioles, the Red Sox are now 76-65. They’re 4.5 games behind their archrival, the New York Yankees, in the race for the American League’s top Wild Card spot.
With the Yankees also owning the season-series tiebreaker, Boston is more or less locked into the AL’s No. 5 seed. They’d travel to New York for the Wild Card Series, like in 2025.
Red Sox’s Adley Rutschman Makes Historic Return to Camden Yards vs. Orioles