Gray, Red Sox Blank White Sox (8/5/26)

One thing is for sure, if the Boston Red Sox ever get Garrett Crochet back they might not ever lose again with the pitching they have. Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young Award by tossing 6 shut out innings against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. After that, the trio of Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock and Jovani Moran shut the door without allowing a single run. Offensively the Sox used a balanced attack against Chicago starter Sean Burke & the White Sox bullpen. Willson Contreras drove in a run in the bottom of the first and Wilyer Abreu smashed a home run in the bottom of the third. Andruw Monasterio drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh and Caleb Durbin drove in Abreu in the bottom of the eighth. Moran shut the door in the top of the ninth and the Red Sox made it seven wins in a row as they knocked off the White Sox 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                           Jeremy Swayman approves of the shutout win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and Sam Antonacci grounded out to first to start. Munetaka Murakami flied out to left. Miguel Vargas walked but Colson Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning. Burke got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Nick Sogard took strike three to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to left but Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to center. Abreu took second on a wild pitch and Willson Contreras got a base hit to left to score him. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Sox strike first

Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Braden Montgomery flied out to left. Tristan Peters flied out to right to end the inning. Caleb Durbin lined out to right to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran grounded out to second. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left then stole second. Monasterio took third on a balk but Connor Wong lined out to short to end the inning. 

Chase Meidroth struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Drew Romo flied out to center, but Antonacci was hit with a pitch. Murakami walked and Vargas got a base hit inside the bag at third. Antonacci ran for home but Durbin threw him out to end the inning. Sogard struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Rafaela did the same. Abreu then smashed his 20th home run of the year to increase the lead before Contreras walked. Yoshida popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Abreu watches it go

Colson Montgomery struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Benintendi doubled off the Monster. Braden Montgomery struck out swinging and Peters did the same to end the inning. Durbin lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Duran doubled off the glove of Murakami. Duran took third on a wild pitch but Monasterio popped up to first. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. 

All of a sudden Contreras keeled over in the dugout and had to leave the game in the top of the fifth. Sogard moved over to first and Anthony Seigler came in for Contreras at second. Meidroth struck out swinging but naturally Seigler booted a grounder by Romo for an error. Romo took second on a grounder to the mound by Antonacci but Murakami struck out swinging to end the inning. Sogard popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Rafaela walked to chase Burke. Old pal Sean Newcomb came in to face Abreu and Wilyer hit a bullet.....right to Murakimi who got Rafaela at first to end the inning.

Vargas got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth but Colson Montgomery grounded into a double play. Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning. That was it for Gray agter 6 shutout innings at only 83 pitches. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks.

                                                         Good work Gray

Seigler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida lined out to right. Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Braden Montgomery struck out swinging to start. Peters' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Durbin and Meidroth grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh to chase Newcomb. Huascar Brazoban came in to fsce Monasterio and Duran took off for second. Romo's throw got away and Duran took third on the error. Monasterio hit a sac fly to left to score Duran but Wong struck out swinging. Sogard walked but Rafaela forced him at second to end the inning with the BoSox up 3-0.

                                                       Sox score another run

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Joey Bart pinch hit for Romo to start. Bart struck out swinging but Antonacci got a base hit to center. Murakami flied out to left and Vargas struck out swinging to end the inning. Old pal Chris Murphy came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Abreu walked to start. Abreu stole second but Seigler struck out swinging. Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Yoshida and took strike three. Durbin blooped a base hit to right and Abreu came home....SAFE! Durbin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-0.

                                                       Durbin drives in a run

Jovani Moran came in to close out the top of the ninth and Colson Montgomery walked on four pitches not even close. Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Benintendi and took strike three. Braden Montgomery struck out swinging and Brenton Doyle pinch hit for Peters. Colson Montgomery took second on defense indifference but Doyle struck out swinging to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sonny Gray. He pitched 6 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

                                                             Gray Hero

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run, a stolen base and 3 total runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 1 with a walk and an rbi before leaving the game.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

What a torrid run the Red Sox are on. Not only have they won seven games in a row but the last five have come against potential playoff teams. Sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers and taking 2 of 3 from the AL Central leading White Sox is no joke. Its not just that they win, its how. The Sox 5 man rotation are under or just over 3.00 which means the starters are only giving up 3 runs or fewer per start. As long as the bullpen doesn't melt down, the Sox have a chance to win almost every night. The offense that was once the worst in not just all of baseball but heading toward historic incompetence is now a strength. With Andruw Monasterio and Caleb Durbin turning their seasons around and Connor Wong replacing Carlos Narvaez, the Sox are 7 guys deep out of nine. The only stragglers are Sogard and Seigler but they're only playing because Curtis Mead got hurt and Trevor Story is still out. Tonight's game went according to formula, get lights out pitching and scratch out enough runs to win. Duran's average might be .206 but he was about .190 a few weeks ago and he's definitely picked it up. That little ruckus with Contreras and Chad Epperson might have woke him up. He admitted that he thought for sure he would be released at the trade deadline and now that he's safe, he's been playing his ass off. Hopefully that continues moving forward because if HE gets hot, there's no stopping them. They're 7 guys deep in the bullpen, the rotation is averaging 3 runs or fewer and the offense is rolling. One pipe dream is the Detroit Tigers started their historic 1984 season by going 35-5. If the Red Sox somehow win five more games in a row, they'll have gone 35-5 since losing to the Colorado Rockies on June 24th. A tall task but not impossible. The bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the worthless Colorado Rockies but the good news was the St. Louis Cardinals knocked off the New York Yankees. The 15 game lead the Yankees had is now down to just 1. Overtaking them is crucial because they don't want a repeat of last year with 3 straight games in Yankee Stadium. It seems unfair but the Sox need to go on these major win streaks just to keep pace with the Rays and Yankees. Just have to keep winning and winning. The win improved the Sox to 62-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and win their eighth game in a row tomorrow night when Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) takes on Luis Castillo of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Dodgers (7/31/26)

Its too bad the month of July had to come to an end for the Boston Red Sox. They set a franchise record by playing 25 games and winning 21 of them including tonight's game against the back to back world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Things looked good early on when Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida drove in runs against the Dodgers "bullpen gamers" to take a 3-0 lead. Then things went south as Ranger Suarez got tagged for 3 runs and Jovani Moran gave up a two run home run to Shohei Ohtani in the bottom of the fifth to give LA a 4-3 lead. Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the seventh for five big runs, two of them courtesy of a Ceddanne Rafaela two run home run. Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narvaez and Duran knocked in some insurance runs but the game belonged to Brayan Bello (3-6, 5.30 ERA). With Moran struggling, Bello locked in to toss 4 scoreless innings to earn the win. The Sox had won their third straight game and fourth out of five with a 9-4 win at Dodger Stadium.

                                                           Karliah approves of the win

Edgardo Henriquez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard flied out to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center then immediately stole second, but Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Willson Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Shohei Ohtani took strike three to start. Andy Pages walked and Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Will Klein came in to pitch the top of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Caleb Durbin walked and then made it all the way to third when Klein threw the pickoff throw away. Andruw Monasterio took strike three right down the middle but the much maligned Jarren Duran ripped a base hit to center to score Durbin. A wild pitch moved Duran to second but Carlos Narvaez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Duran with a big hit

Freddie Freeman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and old pal Mr. Mookie Betts took strike three. Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Sogard got a base hit to left to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right to move Sogard to third but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras was hit with a pitch right in the head to load the bases and that was it for Klein. Cole Irvin came in to face Yoshida and Masataka got a base hit inside the bag at first to score both Sogard & Rafaela. Durbin flied out to left and Monasterio lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Yoshida picks up Contreras

The blow to the head apparently was too much for Contreras to bear and he left the game in the bottom of the third, forcing Anthony Seigler to take his spot in the lineup but with Sogard playing first. Kyle Tucker grounded out to first, old pal Enrique Hernandez grounded out to short and Eliezer Alfonzo's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Suarez to end the inning.

Duran got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Narvaez struck out swinging. Sogard walked but was forced at second by Rafaela to put runners at the corners. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Ohtani doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Pages grounded out to short. Rojas flied out to center to move Ohtani to third and Shohei scored on the Freeman base hit to center. Betts forced Freeman at second to end the inning with the Dodgers down 3-1.

                                                              Dodgers fight back

Seigler grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Yoshida flied out to center. Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning. Teoscar Hernandez flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Tucker walked. Enrique Hernandez got a base hit to center and Alfonzo got a base hit to center to score Tucker....but Enrique was thrown out at second. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged Hernandez was safe at second but the umpires held up the call. When play resumed....Ranger Suarez asked out of the game because he didn't want to pitch anymore. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 4 hits and 2 walks. Jovani Moran came in and immediately zipped a wild pitch that moved Alfonzo to second before Ohtani hit a home run all the way back to Japan to put the Dodgers on top. Pages got a base hit to left but Rojas flied out to left to end the inning with Dodgers ahead 4-3.

                                                         "Dammit Tracy!" - RS

Monasterio flied out to right to start the top of the sixth and Duran grounded back to the mound. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Freeman got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth and finally, Brayan Bello was summoned to put the fire out. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to left and both runners moved over on a grounder to short. Tucker took strike three and Max Muncy pinch hit for Hernandez. Alfonzo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Sogard walked to start. Rafaela then clobbered his 12th home run of the year to put the Sox back on top. Abreu singled inside the bag at first but Seigler flied out to center. Yoshida beat out a roller to third and Durbin managed to beat out a bunt down the third base line to load the bases. Monasterio doubled into the left field corner to score both Abreu and Yoshida. Duran grounded back to the mound but Durbin scored to increase the lead. Narvaez was hit with a pitch but Sogard struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                            Monasterio with the killshot

Ohtani grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Pages did the same. Rojas grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Abreu walked. Seigler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Freeman got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Mr. Mookie flied out to right. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging but Kyle Tucker singled to right. Muncy grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox got a run in the top of the ninth as Yoshida got a base hit to right to start. Durbin doubled to left but Monasterio grounded out to short to chase Irvin. Evan Phillips came in and Jahmai Jones ran for Yoshida. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases for Narvaez and Carlos hit a sac fly to center to score Jones. Sogard flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                                            Narvaez drives in a run

Bello returned to finish the bottom of the ninth and Alfonzo flied out to center to start. Ohtani grounded out to second and Pages took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                                      Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Hero Rafaela

The Good:

Willson Contreras was hit with a pitch before leaving the game.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jahmai Jones scored a run as a pinch runner.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Brayan Bello tossed 4 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 3.

Ranger Suarez allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored two runs.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

What a month that was for the Sox. Not only did they have a historic run, on June 24th the Sox had the second worst record in all of baseball. As July 31st came to an end, they had the 3rd best record in the American League. The Sox have been doing it with never say die offense that fights to the end, something they didn't do the first three months of the season. Last month if they were down 4-3 to the Dodgers in the sixth inning, the game was over. Not anymore. The only concerns in this game is Chad Tracy pulling the plug on Ranger Suarez early and the health of Willson Contreras. If Contreras has a concussion, they're in BIG trouble with Curtis Mead not slated to come back until September if at all. The strange season of Brayan Bello continues as he's virtually unhittable coming out of the bullpen compared to when he starts in the first inning. If he's the modern day Dick Radatz, coming in for 3-4 innings at a time, why not? With Connelly Early traded and Garrett Crochet not coming back, the rotation is down to Sonny Gray, Patrick Sandoval, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. Having a guy eat up 3-4 innings to save the rookie bullets of Tolle and Bennett is crucial. The bad news was the New York Yankees knocked off the Chicago Cubs but the good news was both the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians lost. The Sox now have a 3 game lead on the Guardians and Minnesota Twins although they're still 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card. With Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out for New York, their bubble may burst any time now. The Sox need to win one of the next two games with the Dodgers to send a message they can hang with MLB elite. The win improved the Sox to 58-51, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fourth straight game and second straight against Los Angeles tomorrow night when Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) takes on Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The game begins at 9:10 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Sox Rally Falls Short in Sacramento (7/28/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some grim roster moves. It was revealed Curtis Mead fractured his wrist and will be out the rest of the season proving this franchise is cursed again. Gave up the career of Connelly Early for 2 at-bats of Curtis Mead. Nick Sogard was called up to replace him but since they didn't want to pay for a cross country flight last second, he won't even be available until Wednesday's game at least. In other news, the Portland Sea Dogs released Raudelis Martinez. The 24 year old catcher was picked up in the Rule 5 draft last year and hit .262 with 1 home run as a backup. Doesn't seem like he was failing hard but, oh well.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, sometimes games are decided by one swing of the bat but in tonight's game it was two. The Sacramento A's knocked off the Red Sox when Jake Bennett (6-4, 2.74 ERA) was tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball but a Brian Serven two run home run seemingly put the game out of reach. The Sox got a run back on a Wilyer Abreu rbi against Gage Jump but the A's got another run off Ryan Watson. Game over right? Not so fast. The Sox rallied in the ninth when Connor Wong belted a 2 run shot and Anthony Seigler hit a rocket that would have been a home run....if Henry Bolte didn't leap up and catch it for the final out. Had that ball been 5 feet higher the Sox might have won, instead they fell 4-3 to the A's at Sutter Health Park.

                                                     "The Sox lost again"

Jump got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jahmai Jones doubled to left to start. Romy Gonzalez popped up to first but Willson Contreras walked. Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bennett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson grounded out to third to start. Nick Kurtz flied out to right and Jonah Heim grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Caleb Durbin got a base hit to right. Durbin stole second but Jarren Duran took strike three. Andruw Monasterio walked but Carlos Narvaez took strike three to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second as Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to short to start. Tommy White got a base hit inside the bag at third then took second on a sacrifice bunt by Colby Thomas. Henry Bolte got a base hit to center to score White to put the A's up for good just two innings into it. Alika Williams flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                          Bolte puts the A's on top

Jones grounded out to second to start the top of the third but Gonzalez walked. Contreras grounded into a double play to end the inning. Serven grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Wilson grounded out to third. Kurtz grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Abreu flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Rafaela grounded out to third. Durbin flied out to right to end the inning. Heim popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Soderstrom took strike three. White singled to right but Thomas flied out to left to end the inning.

Duran caught Kurtz asleep with a bunt to start the top of the fifth but naturally got picked off. Monasterio struck out swinging but Narvaez walked. Jones took strike three to end the inning. Bolte reached on a bunt single to third to start the bottom of the fifth but Williams flied out to right. Bolte swiped second but Severn took strike three. Wilson flied out to right to end the inning.

Gonzalez struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth and Contreras did the same. Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. Kurtz was called for strike three to start the bottom of the sixth but Heim walked. Soderstrom struck out swinging but White singled to center. Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning.

Luis Medina came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela took second on the sacrifice bunt by Durbin but, naturally, Duran struck out swinging and Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning. The A's iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Bolte walked to start. Williams dropped down a bunt to move him to second but Serven hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to put the game out of reach. That was it for Bennett who pitched well but that last home run killed his outing. He went 6 1/3 allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 runs. Jovani Moran came in to pitch to Wilson and Jacob doubled to left. Kurtz took strike three but Wilson stole second. Heim lined out to second to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                      Bennett deserved better

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez and got a base hit to right. Anthony Seigler pinch hit for Jones and walked.....only for Gonzalez to ground into a double play. Contreras walked to chase Medina. Hogan Harris came in to face Abreu and Wilyer got a base hit to right to score Yoshida. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                          Abreu doesn't want to give up

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Connor Wong now behind the plate. Soderstrom was retired on a tapper in front of the plate but White got a base hit to left. Lawrence Butler pinch hit for Thomas and doubled to center to score White. Bolte flied out to right to move Butler to third but Williams grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's up 4-1.

                                                           A's with the dagger

Durbin took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Duran singled off the glove of Bolte. Monasterio took strike three but Wong somehow belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Seigler then hit a ball deep out to center but Bolte reached up and grabbed it to end the game. The Sox missed a game tying home run by 5 feet as the A's won 4-3.

                                                              Missed it by THAT much

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Watson. He allowed a run in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                             Jackass Watson

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 3.

Anthony Seigler walked as a pinch hitter and missed the game tying home run by 5 feet.

Willson Contreras walked twice in four plate appearances.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez walked in two plate appearances.

Masataka Yoshida singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong hit a 2 run home run in his only at-bat.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Jake Bennett was solid going 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Jovani Moran got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Monasterio was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The loss of Curtis Mead stings already because once again the Sox struggled to score runs against a last place team. The Sox have been on such a roll this month that a lot of fans expected that Seigler ball would go out. Just one month ago nobody even thought they would score a run. Still, they couldn't hit Jump and rallied way too late. Watson picked a bad time to give up a run and Bennett made just one mistake to Serven. We're less than a week away from the trade deadline and the question becomes, does Breslow go all in to make a move for another bat or does he sit back and wait & pray Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Curtis Mead come back healthy? With Story at short, Anthony in left and Mead at second, that puts Seigler & Monasterio as defensive replacements and most likely Duran is DFA'd. You can't hit .199 at this level in the middle of a pennant race. He's either got to pick it up like Durbin did or he's dog food. The worst part is the Tampa Bay Rays lost so the Sox missed an opportunity to gain a game on them. Just have to come back stronger in the next two games. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-51, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Rays when Patrick Sandoval goes for the Sox against Jacob Lopez of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM eastern time at Sutter Health Park.

Rafaela, Sox Slam A's (7/27/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Tsung Che-Cheng was sent back to Worcester to make room for Curtis Mead. Mead would be starting at second base moving forward. Cheng was a fun sparkplug during that 15 game win streak but now they need true power.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the bad news was Curtis Mead lasted just two at-bats as a member of the Red Sox as he took a 99 mph fastball to the wrist in his second at-bat. Leaving the game and probably won't be seen again until Spring Training next year. The good news Ceddanne Rafaela and the Boston pitching staff was up to the task against the Sacramento A's. Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) gave up two solo home runs but not much else in 5 1/3 gutty innings. In the top of the sixth with the A's leading 1-0, Ceddanne Rafaela belted a grand slam to put the Sox on top. The red hot Boston bullpen relieved Tolle in the bottom of the inning and didn't give up a run after. 2 men got on in the bottom of the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman struck out the final two batters. The Sox now wait on the status of Curtis Mead but they at least won tonight's game 4-2 at Sutter Health Park.

                                                   Raquel Rodriguez approves of the win

Jack Perkins got the ball in the top of the first inning and Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Curtis Mead took strike three and Willson Contreras flied out to left. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson grounded out to third to start. Tyler Soderstrom then hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to put the A's on top. Jonah Heim took strike three but Colby Thomas singled to center. Tommy White grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                          Soderstrom hits one out

Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to short to start the top of the second and Caleb Durbin took strike three. Jarren Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Jeff McNeil singled to left to start the bottom of the second but Henry Bolte forced him at second. Alika Williams got a base hit to left but Bolte was thrown out at third trying to steal. Lawrence Butler grounded out to short to end the inning.

Andruw Monasterio walked to start the top of the third but Connor Wong grounded into a double play. Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. Wilson grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third but Soderstrom walked. Heim and Thomas both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Disaster struck in the top of the fourth as Mead was hit in the wrist with a pitch to start. Contreras struck out swinging, Abreu popped up to second and Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. 

                                  "HABOOOOOWOWOWOWOWWWWW!!!!!" - Mead

White grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and McNeil hit one up the elevator shaft. Monasterio booted a grounder by Bolte but Williams struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Duran struck out swinging. Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning. All of a sudden Mead had to be helped into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU, so much for him. Anthony Seigler came in for him to start the bottom of the fifth as Butler struck out swinging to start. Wilson struck out swinging and Soderstrom grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the sixth as Wong doubled to left to start. Yoshida grounded back to the mound but Seigler grounded out to second to move Wong to third. Contreras walked and that was it for Perkins. Jose Suarez came in and Abreu walked as well. Suddenly Rafaela smashed a grand slam just over the wall in left to put the Sox on top. Durbin hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Rafaela's first career grand slam

The A's finished off Tolle in the bottom of the sixth as Heim hit a home run to South America to start. Thomas struck out swinging and that was it for Payton. He allowed 2 runs off 5 hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and White grounded out to first. McNeil grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's down 4-2.

                                                              Tolle did his best

Elvis Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox fumbled and bumbled big time. Monasterio led off with a double only for Wong to pop up a bunt to first and Andruw getting thrown out at third trying to steal. To add insult to injury, Yoshida got a base hit to center which would have scored Monasterio. Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning, what a waste. Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bolte struck out swinging to start. Williams lined out to left but Butler took strike three to end the inning.

Hayden Juenger came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Contreras was hit with a pitch to start. Abreu popped up to third, Rafaela lined out to right and Durbin flied out to left to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jacob Wilson grounded out to first to start. Soderstrom grounded out to second and Heim took strike three to end the inning.

Hogan Harris came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran lined out to third to start. Monasterio struck out swinging and Wong flied out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Thomas singled in the hole at short to start. White struck out swinging and Nick Kurtz pinch hit for McNeil. Kurtz hit what should have been a game ending double play ball to Seigler....booted for an error. Donovan Walton came in to run for Kurtz but Bolte struck out swinging. Williams also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His first career grand slam propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                       Our Hero gets the Wally Head

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Curtis Mead was hit with a pitch before leaving with an injury.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Payton Tolle got the win by allowing just 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk.

Justin Slaten got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 25th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was certainly good news, bad news for sure. For all we know Mead could be out for the season with a wrist fracture and Connelly Early wins NL rookie of the year with Washington. Or, he just suffered a bruise and he'll be back tomorrow. The defense in this one wasn't up to snuff with Monasterio and Seigler booting grounders and Tolle might be at the rookie wall. Also apart from one swing of the bat by Rafaela, the offense accomplished nothing. Monasterio getting thrown out stealing third, Wong popping up a bunt and guys swinging at air against Jack Perkins reminded fans of April and May. The other side of the coin is the pitching was once again great. Jovani Moran stepped up big time in the seventh to bridge the game to Whitlock and Chapman. Chapman lately has a problem allowing baserunners but manages to get the final outs when he has to. It was a sloppy game but a win is a win. The Cleveland Guardians got rained out and the Tampa Bay Rays didn't play so the Sox gained a half game on both. The New York Yankees knocked off the Chicago White Sox so the Red Sox are now tied with Chicago for the third best record in the American League. Literally just over a month ago the Red Sox were percentage points ahead of the Colorado Rockies for the second worst record in all of baseball and now they have the third best record in the American League. This has been a hell of a comeback and hopefully Tracy's Turnaround continues. If Mead is okay, then we can laugh at this and move on. If not, this might be what get Craig Breslow fired in the end. The win improved the Sox to 55-50, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for their third straight win and second in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) takes on Gage Jump of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM eastern time at Sutter Health Park.

Rivera Routed, O's Snap Streak in Game 2 (7/22/26)

Before Game 2 of the doubleheader the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Alec Gamboa was called up to be the 27th man for tonight only.

                                                                            IN

As for the game, all good things must come to an end and the Red Sox 15 game win streak was snapped by the Baltimore Orioles. Ranger Suarez had a cold so the Sox sent Eduardo Rivera (0-1, 6.30 ERA) to be the opener and it backfired. Rivera allowed 4 runs without even getting out of the first inning. Meanwhile Kyle Bradish held the Sox bats to just 1 run and 4 hits as the offense finally crashed down to earth. Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings but Jovani Moran allowed the final run. The bats did nothing and the pitching wasn't good enough as the Orioles won the second game of the doubleheader 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         So much for the streak

Rivera got the ball to start the top of the first inning and crapped his pants. Taylor Ward flied out to right but Pete Alonso hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Gunnar Henderson walked and Tyler O'Neill beat out a roller to Caleb Durbin to load the bases. Somehow Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging but a wild pitch scored Alonso and a base hit to center by Dylan Beavers scored the other two runners. Jonathan Rodriguez doubled to left to score Beavers and effectively end the game just like that. Jackson Holliday walked and Rivera got booed as Sox manager Chad Tracy yanked him. Brayan Bello came in and Chadwick Tromp grounded out to third to end the inning with the game already over 4-0 Orioles.

                                                          O's end it early

Bradish got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Ward was hit with a pitch to start the top of the second but Alonso lined out to short. Henderson grounded into a double play to end the inning. Willson Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second. Caleb Durbin walked but Jarren Duran lined out to left to end the inning.

O'Neill got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Strand struck out swinging. Rodriguez and Holliday both struck out swinging to end the inning. Colton Cowser came in for O'Neill to start the bottom of the third and Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left....but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center and Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tromp struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Ward got a base hit to right. Alonso took strike three but Ward stole second. Henderson was hit by a pitch and Cowser walked to load the bases...but Strand lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Abreu struck out swinging but Contreras hit a ground rule double into the bullpen. Yoshida got a base hit to left to score Contreras but Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                            Yoshida isn't ready to quit

Beavers flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Rodriguez got a base hit to right. Holliday grounded into a double play to end the inning. Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Monasterio singled to left. Narvaez struck out swinging and Seigler grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Tromp grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Yeoman's effort from Bello to toss 5 1/3 shutout innings after Rivera left a mess.

                                                       Bello did well

Rafaela flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left. Contreras was plunked but Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. How do you let the 6-9 Kyle Bradish toss 6 innings of 1 run ball?

Jovani Moran came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Henderson tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. A wild pitch scored Henderson and Cowser walked. Strand dropped down a bunt to move Cowser to second and Colton moved to third on a grounder to first by Beavers. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                             It was Baltimore's night

Yennier Cano came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Durbin grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to first and Monasterio grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Holliday got a base hit to right to start. Tromp flied out to right, Ward flied out to left and Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Narvaez. Jones struck out swinging but Seigler got a base hit to center. A passed ball moved Seigler to second but Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu also flied out to center to end the inning. 

Alec Gamboa came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Connor Wong now behind the plate. Henderson grounded out to second, Cowser struck out swinging and Strand popped up to second to end the inning. Tyler Wells came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Contreras was hit with a pitch again. Yoshida flied out to left, Durbin popped up to short and Duran popped up to second to end the game. The 15 game win streak was over as the O's won the game 5-1.

                                                               O's win

Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rivera. He put the Sox in a 4 run hole they couldn't climb out of

                                                               Jackass Rivera

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 1 for 2 with 2 hit by pitches and a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 3.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and a walk.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Alec Gamboa pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the worst losses of the season for all the wrong reasons. 15 game win streak down the drain because Ranger Suarez couldn't pitch with the sniffles and Brayan Bello doesn't have the mental capacity to start the first inning. It should never have come to Eduardo Rodriguez starting the second game of a doubleheader to keep a 15 game win streak alive. Kyle Bradish has nine losses on the season but his ERA is on par with guys like Suarez and Payton Tolle, meaning he was bound to pitch a good game. The bats just didn't have it tonight and now the idiotic Sox fans that want to sell and blow the team up have all the ammo they need to get that wagon train moving again. There's still over a week before the deadline and another win streak would shut them up big time. The bloom appears to be off the rose for Anthony Seigler and the Sox need to do something about Narvaez and Duran because they're giving the Sox almost nothing. At least with Narvaez you can start Connor Wong but Duran is a black hole and without Roman Anthony, there's not much you can do there. The win streak and winning 20 out of 22 games brought the season back from the brink and they're still the third wild card team by 2 games over Seattle and still 1 behind the Cleveland Guardians for the 2nd spot. The New York Yankees are only 4.5 ahead of them as well so this season is not over yet. The loss dropped the Sox to 52-49, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night against the last place Toronto Blue Jays. Both pitchers have yet to be determined but the game starts at 7:15 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep Rays, Win 13 Straight (7/19/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox officially released Danny Coulombe. Just like Tommy Kahnle, he didn't have it anymore. The Red Sox have been white hot lately and a lot of that was due to their shutdown bullpen. Coulombe wasn't getting it done and rumors are Patrick Sandoval is going to the bullpen when Ranger Suarez comes back. Oh well.

                                                                      OUT

As for the game, how about the white hot Boston Red Sox. The Sox took the first place Tampa Bay Rays and chewed them up & spat them out in four straight games. Today Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 innings and holding the Rays to 1 run. He wasn't as sharp but he got the outs when he had to. Meanwhile the Sox got to Rays ace Shane McClanahan for 6 runs. The Sox scored 3 runs in the third inning without getting a hit and Willson Contreras hit a 2 run jack to put it out of reach. The trio of Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson slammed the door and the Sox had won 13 straight including a 4 game sweep of the Rays 6-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Ryan Fox approves of the win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz led off by grounding out to first. Jonathan Aranda walked and Junior Caminero singled in the hole at third. Cedric Mullins struck out swinging and Jarren Duran nearly ran into Ceddanne Rafaela on a pop up to center by Chandler Simpson to end the inning. McClanahan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones led off with a base hit to left. Ceddanne Rafaela bunted foul, then popped up to first and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center.  Willson Contreras flied out to center as well to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Victor Mesa Jr hit a ball into the centerfield triangle that Rafaela had trouble picking it up. Mesa tried for the home run and the throw beat him....but Connor Wong dropped the ball to put the Rays on top. Richie Palacios got a base hit to center and they had him picked off...but Contreras dropped the ball. It looked like Palacios was thrown out at second trying to steal but the Rays challenged. Replays showed Romy Gonzalez missed the tag and Taylor Walls walked. Hunter Feduccia took strike three, Diaz flied out to right and Aranda flied out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                            Mesa scores...barely

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin ripped a base hit to left to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Durbin took off for second. The throw by Feduccia got away and Durbin took third. Andruw Monasterio beat out a double to left to score Durbin and Jarren Duran walked. Duran was thrown out at second on a double steal but Monasterio made it to third. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Sox tie it up

Caminero struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Mullins walked. Simpson doubled to right but Mesa Jr took strike three. Palacios flied out to left to end the inning. Jones walked to start the bottom of the third Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu was hit with a pitch and Contreras walked to load the bases. Feduccia allowed a passed ball to score Jones and Durbin hit a grounder to third. Caminero hit Abreu with the throw to score him and the runners moved over. Gonzalez grounded out to second but Contreras scored with another run. Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Sox take the lead

Walls lined out to short to start the top of the fourth and Feduccia grounded out to first. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aranda got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Caminero. Mullins grounded back to the mound to move Caminero to second and Simpson grounded out to first to end the inning. Rafaela beat out a grounder to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Abreu flied out to left. Contreras pounded his 22nd homer of the year to dead center to increase the lead but Durbin flied out to center. Gonzalez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                      Contreras hits another one out

Gray returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Mesa Jr lined out to right to start. Palacios walked but Walls grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gray wasn't the sharpest but hung in there to allow just 1 run in 6 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks.

                                                           Gray battled in this one

Craig Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Monasterio struck out swinging to start. Duran grounded out to short and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Feduccia doubled to center to start. Diaz grounded out to second to move Hunter to third, but Aranda took strike three. Caminero lined out to left to end the inning. Chris Roycroft came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Jones grounded out to third to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right but Abreu lined out to center. Contreras lined out to third to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mullins grounded out to short to start. Simpson got a base hit in the hole at second then move to second on the grounder to third by Mesa. Palacios grounded out to second to end the inning. Durbin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Gonzalez grounded out to short. Monasterio walked and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Walls got a base hit to center to start. Feduccia walked but Diaz struck out swinging. Aranda struck out swinging and Caminero lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Willson Contreras. His two run home run essentially iced the game.

                                                           Hero Contreras

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Sonny Gray got the win with 6 innings of run 1 ball allowing 5 hits and 4 walks.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

On June 24 the Red Sox got embarrassed by the Colorado Rockies 2 out of 3 to drop to 14 games out and 14 games under .500. The Sox have lost 2 games since, winning 18 out of 20 and 13 straight to get back into the race. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees also lost today so everything is coming up Red Sox. Gray didn't have his best stuff today but he got the outs he needed to win this one. Contreras is unquestionably the team leader and its fired the team up any time there's a big hit. He got the big two run homer to ice it in this one. They scored three runs without getting a hit and that's the kind of game the Rays were known for with their speed. Yandy Diaz getting held in check was the main reason the Sox won this series. The Rays go to Toronto next so the Jays are going to be facing an angry, due Diaz. Good luck with that. All in all this win streak brought hope back, the fans back and good spirits back. It'll be a shame when the streak ends but if the Sox can win consistently in the next two months, they'll be right in the thick of things by the end. Getting a healthy Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez back would make Boston very deadly come October. Have to make it there first with 64 games left on the schedule. The win improved the Sox to 50-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to continue the momentum against the equally hot Baltimore Orioles who have won 7 in a row in the next series. Tomorrow night Shane Baz goes for Baltimore against Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA) of Boston at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.