Adley Rutschman probably couldn’t have scripted a better return to Baltimore.
Returning to Camden Yards for the first time since being dealt to the Boston Red Sox at the MLB trade deadline, fans gave Rutschman a standing ovation for the five seasons he played with the Orioles. The catcher returned the warm feelings by tipping his batting helmet to the crowd before stepping to the plate.
Perhaps buoyed by the show of support, Rutschman crushed a hanging curveball from Baltimore pitcher Brandon Young 377 feet over the right-field wall for his 10th home run of the season to give Boston a 1-0 lead over the Orioles in the first inning.
The homer was Rutschman’s second with the Red Sox and 38th career long ball that he hit at Camden Yards.
Rutschman, 28, was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by the Orioles out of Oregon State, where he won the College World Series national championship in 2018 and earned the Golden Spikes Award as the best player in amateur baseball during the following season.
Yet in five seasons with Baltimore, Rutschman never matched the same production that his college career promised. He compiled a slash average of .254/.342/.414 with 70 home runs, 123 doubles and 281 RBI in 579 games.
This story will be updated with more information.
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