BALTIMORE -- Adley Rutschman had only positive things to say about his former teammates.
Then he delivered a blow to their postseason hopes.
Rutschman homered twice in his return to Camden Yards, hitting solo shots in the first and sixth innings for the Boston Red Sox in a 6-5 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night. The loss left the Orioles 1½ games out of the final wild-card spot in the American League.
"That's a heck of a way to make a return," Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. "That was awesome."
Rutschman received a standing ovation from the crowd -- and from the Baltimore dugout -- when he came to the plate with two outs in the first. Then he slugged a 1-1 pitch from Brandon Young over the wall in right field. It was the All-Star catcher's 10th homer of the season and second since being traded from the Orioles to the Red Sox in early August. He added another homer in the sixth to cut Baltimore's lead to 3-2.
Rutschman received a video tribute between the first and second innings, and he got another big ovation despite having already done some damage offensively for his new team.
"All of it was special, a true testament to them as an organization," Rutschman said after the game. "They do it right."
Rutschman hit two homers for the Orioles against the Red Sox on April 24. He is the first major league player to have a multihomer game on both sides of the same matchup in the same season, according to OptaSTATS.
Rutschman has battled elbow issues of late, but he was back in the lineup after missing the previous three games. He is batting .193 since the trade, but perhaps this is the start of a more productive stretch run.
Baltimore drafted Rutschman No. 1 overall in 2019. His arrival in the major leagues in 2022 was part of a significant turnaround in which the Orioles ultimately won the AL East in 2023 and made the playoffs in 2024.
However, the past two years were a good deal less successful. Although Rutschman made the All-Star team for the third time this year, the Orioles traded him to the Red Sox just before the deadline.
"A lot of memories, a lot of positive experiences. The people in Baltimore have always treated me with an unbelievable amount of respect and love, and I've always felt that when I've been here," Rutschman said before the game. "So just a huge thank you from the bottom of my heart."
Rutschman is now in better position to make the playoffs. Boston (76-65) is almost certain to qualify, currently holding the second wild card. The Orioles (69-72) could still sneak in, but right now they are in last place in the AL East.
So there was a decent amount at stake once the pregame reunions were over.
"He couldn't help himself. He stopped into the clubhouse quickly," Orioles manager Craig Albernaz said before the game. "A lot of hugs, a lot of crap talk going back and forth. It was good to see him."