Kyle Gibson
Staff report
BOSTON — Greenfield’s Kyle Gibson (1-0) allowed four runs and six hits over five-plus innings, in his debut with the Baltimore Orioles, to earn his first opening-day victory since his 2021 All-Star season with Texas.
Gibson gave up an RBI groundout in the first inning before retiring nine straight Boston Red Sox hitters. The Orioles nearly gave away the game in the ninth in their 10-9 victory at Fenway Park, Thursday.
The Orioles led 8-2 and 10-4 before the Red Sox came back with five runs in their final two at-bats. Boston scored three times in the eighth and twice in the ninth.
Gibson left the game in the sixth with an 8-2 lead. Reliever Keegan Akin inherited two Gibson runners and both scored.
In five innings, the 2006 Greenfield-Central grad gave up six hits, four earned runs and struck out three. He hit one batter, walked one, and threw 79 pitches.
The 6-foot, 6-inch, 35-year old right-hander will likely get his next start when the Orioles travel to play one of his former teams, the Texas Rangers, in a series from April 3-5.
Gibson is in his 11th season in the major leagues and is with his fourth team. He was 10-8 last season with a 5.05 ERA with the Philadelphia Phillies and pitched in the World Series for the first time in his career. He started his career with the Minnesota Twins, who drafted him out of the University of Missouri in the first round of the 2009 draft. He spent seven seasons with the Twins.
He elected free agency in November of 2022 and was signed by the Orioles the following month.
Gibson is 89-91 for his career. He hit two career milestones in Thursday’s win over the Red Sox. He has thrown over 1,500 innings (1,504) and struck out 1,200 (1,202) during his big league career.
The game was also the 261st start of his career.
(The Associated Press contributed to this story)
