Christian Encarnacion-Strand went 2-for-3 with a two-run homer and a walk Thursday against the Red Sox.

The homer came off Aroldis Chapman in the ninth, but the Orioles, unfortunately, were down by three at the time and lost by one. Still, it was another impressive showing from Encarnacion-Strand, who could be playing his way into the Orioles’ 2027 plans. He’s hit .269/.314/.508 with eight homers and 30 RBI in 141 plate appearances. That’s as many RBI as Taylor Ward had in 506 plate appearances before being traded, two more than Jackson Holliday has in 316 plate appearances and seven more than Tyler O’Neill has in 260 plate appearances.