Red Sox beat the Orioles 1-0 on Gasper's 1st-inning homer; benches clear in the eighth

BALTIMORE (AP) — Mickey Gasper hit a first-inning home run, Ranger Suarez gave up five hits in seven innings, and benches cleared after a contentious eighth-inning double play as the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles 1-0 on Friday night.

Gasper now has eight home runs this season, all in his last 16 games.

Suarez (6-4) struck out three, walked one and all five hits he allowed were singles.

Aroldis Chapman worked the ninth for his 32nd save of the season and the 399th os his career as Boston improved to 2-0 during this four-game set.

Benches and bullpens emptied in the eighth after Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock induced Luis Robert Jr. into an inning-ending double play and Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story appeared to take issue with Blaze Alexander's slide into second.

Gasper had two of the four hits off Orioles starter Shane Baz (5-15). His first-inning shot off Baz's first-pitch fastball cleared the out-of-town scoreboard and continued one of baseball's more unlikely power streaks. Before being recalled from Triple-A Worcester on Aug. 16, the 30-year-old Gasper had homered only twice in 240 career at-bats.

Baz struck out six and walked two in 6 1/3 innings while tying Cleveland’s Tanner Bibee for the most losses in the majors. He has received MLB’s second worst run-support (3.02 runs per 9 IP), ahead of only Bibee.

Baltimore finished 0 for 3 with runners in scoring position while sinking to a fourth consecutive defeat. With the loss, the Orioles lost ground in the chase for the final AL wild-card spot.

Red Sox RHP Sonny Gray (16-4, 2.82 ERA) will try to add to what was an AL-leading wins total entering Friday. He'll face O's veteran righty Chris Bassitt (6-4, 4.97), who will be going for his third straight win.

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Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Shane Baz, left, talks with catcher Carlos Narváez (75) during a mound visit in the third inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Boston Red Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez delivers during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Boston Red Sox's Mickey Gasper rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

Boston Red Sox's Mickey Gasper rounds the bases after hitting a home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Stephanie Scarbrough)

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) — No. 6 Indiana will have two starting defensive linemen from its national championship team, Stephen Daley and Kellan Wyatt, on the field Saturday for its opener against North Texas following a court ruling Friday night.

Indiana circuit court Judge Kara Krothe of the Monroe Circuit Court in Bloomington issued a temporary restraining order barring the NCAA and its conferences from prohibiting any of the case’s seven plaintiffs from competing in Division I athletics in 2026-27.

Daley and Wyatt each were granted a fifth year of eligibility in a previous court decision.

Daley led the Big Ten with 19 tackles for loss last season after he moved into the starting lineup midway through the season but missed the College Football Playoff after suffering a season-ending knee injury during the Big Ten championship postgame celebration.

Wyatt started the first seven games last season and had 28 tackles, eight for loss, and 2 1/2 sacks before suffering a season-ending knee injury last October.

Neither player was drafted and neither signed with a pro football team as undrafted rookies.

Their eligibility had been in doubt since an Aug. 21 from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 10th Circuit that overturned a lower court’s ruling that granted an additional season of eligibility to the high school graduating class of 2022.

Daley and Wyatt were allowed to practice with the Hoosiers with their status in jeopardy, and coach Curt Cignetti said the school and the program would support both players as they continued to battle in court.

Indiana faced a similar situation with starting defensive back Louis Moore last summer. He was allowed to compete in the Hoosiers first two games before eventually being allowed to play the entire season, and he became a key cog on a defense that helped the Hoosiers win their first national championship and become the first major college football team with a 16-0 record since the 1890s.

The current case in Monroe Country also involves former Indiana basketball player Malik Reneau, now at Miami, an Indiana women's volleyball player, two Hoosiers swimmers and a Butler University basketball player.

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FILE - Indiana defensive lineman Stephen Daley (8) reacts during an NCAA college football game against Purdue, Friday, Nov. 28, 2025, in West Lafayette, Ind. (AP Photo/Doug McSchooler,File)

FILE - Indiana defensive lineman Kellan Wyatt (13) celebrates a tackle off Kennesaw State running back Alexander Diggs (3) during the first half of an NCAA college football game, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025, in Bloomington, Ind. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings,File)