On a hot summer Friday night at Camden Yards, nobody would have believed that a solo homer in the top of the first inning by mashing Mickey Gasper would be the difference in the game. But everything Gasper touches turns to gold of late, and when he barrels the baseball, it frequently leaves the ballpark. The 30-year-old continued his swift rise from journeyman to surging slugger, and his solo shot to right was indeed all a resurgent Ranger Suarez needed to pitch the Red Sox to a 1-0 victory over the Orioles. It was Gasper’s eighth homer in his last 14 starts, and the only run of the ballgame. “He’s been awesome,” said Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy. “I keep saying that I'm running out of words, but what he's done in his opportunities and what he's doing over the course of the last two weeks, he's helping us big time to win baseball games. His at-bats have been awesome.” The only reason Gasper was even at Camden Yards on Friday night is because the Red Sox had to place Willson Contreras on the 10-day injured list four days earlier with a left hamstring strain. Due to that move, Gasper was able to be recalled from Worcester the day after he was optioned there to make room for the return of Roman Anthony. Since returning from an option to the Minors, which was so short he never even made it to Worcester, Gasper has belted three more homers. All eight of Gasper’s homers this season are during this torrid run that started on Aug. 17 and has hardly stopped. “It feels great,” said Gasper. “Helping the team win, that's the biggest thing. But to scratch one across there, which turned out to be a big run, it’s a good feeling.” And considering the Sox only had four more hits after Gasper’s homer, it was big for Suarez to get back to being his vintage self, looking like the lefty who was named an All-Star before suffering a left groin strain on July 5.
