Sox Hold Off Royals (8/4/25)

For seven innings the Boston Red Sox were cruising to an easy victory over the Kansas City Royals. The Sox jumped on Royals starter Bailey Falter for five quick runs in the bottom of the first, capped off by a Jarren Duran three run blast. Rob Refsnyder, Alex Bregman and Wilyer Abreu all drove in runs to add to the lead. Brayan Bello (8-5, 3.03 ERA) gutted through six solid innings allowing just one run. Then in the top of the eighth both Jorge Alcala and Justin Wilson got rocked for 4 runs, causing Sox manager Alex Cora to turn to his closing tag team in a game they led by 7. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the Sox won the game 8-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Kody Evans approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jonathan India struck out swinging to start. Bobby Witt Jr popped up to third and Vinnie Pasquantino flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Falter in the bottom of the first as Romy Gonzalez got a base hit to right to start. Alex Bregman got a base hit to center and Wilyer Abreu walked to load the bases. Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score both Gonzalez and Bregman, but Trevor Story popped up to third. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first but Jarren Duran smoked a three run home run to dead center to put the Sox up big. Abraham Toro grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were up 5-0.

                                                     Duran puts the Sox up big

Maikel Garcia grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second but Salvador Perez doubled to center. Mike Yastrzemski struck out swinging and Adam Frazier lined out to short to end the inning. Connor Wong took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Gonzalez lined out to right. Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals threatened in the top of the third as John Rave got a base hit to center to start. Kyle Isbel ate up Bello on a grounder who threw the ball away for an error to move both runners into scoring position. Bello battled back to strike out India swinging, but India walked to load the bases. Pasquantino lined out to second and Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning. Abreu ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Refsnyder banged into a double play. Story walked and promptly stole second. Rafaela stepped up with a base hit to center to score Trevor with another run. Rafaela swiped second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                               Rafaela drives in a run.

Things went south in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez booted a grounder by Perez to start. Yaz doubled to center and Frazier hit a sac fly to left to score Perez. Rave grounded out to first to move Yaz to third and Isbel lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                          Perez scores a run

El Toro got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to second on a Wong grounder to second. Gonzalez grounded out to short but Bregman got a base hit to left to score Toro. Abreu flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 7-1.

                                                             Bregman drives in another

India flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Witt Jr got a base hit to left. Pasquantino grounded into a double play to end the inning. Taylor Clarke came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Refsnyder grounded out to third to start. Story got a base hit off the glove of Clarke but Rafaela banged into a double play to end the inning.

Bello came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Garcia singled to right to start. Perez struck out swinging and Yaz hit one up the elevator shaft. Frazier flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 solid innings allowing 1 run, 6 hits and a walk.

                                                          Bello gets the job done

Sam Long came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Toro struck out swinging and Wong popped up to second to end the inning.

Steven Matz came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Nick Loftin grounded out to third to start. Isbel grounded out to short but India walked. Witt Jr took strike three to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Gonzalez doubled down the first base line to start. Bregman walked but Abreu singled to right to score Gonzalez. Refsnyder flied out to right to move Bregman to third but Story struck out swinging. Angel Zerpa came in to pitch to Rafaela and Ceddanne flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                     Abreu with the killshot

Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pasquantino hit a home run to Kelly's Roast Beef to start. Maikel Garcia then hit a home run all the way to Bill & Bob's as the crowd booed. Perez struck out swinging but Yaz got a base hit to left. The ball went under Duran's glove to move Yaz to third and that was it for Alcala. Justin Wilson came in but Frazier got a base hit to center to score Yaz. Loftin doubled to center to score Frazier and Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Isbel. Grichuk struck out swinging and Garrett Whitlock had to come into the game. India walked to load the base and put the tying run at the plate. Witt Jr singled to right but Abreu gunned down Loftin at home to end the inning with the Sox up 8-5.

                                                           Yerrrr out!

Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and El Toro flied out to left. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with David Hamilton at second base and Pasquantino struck out swinging to start. Garcia flied out to center and Perez grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-5.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wilyer Abreu. He drove in 2 big runs and gunned down Loftin at the plate to preserve a 3 run lead.

                                                           Abreu Hero

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, walk and a run scored.

Brayan Bello got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock got the final out of the eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 21st save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jorge Alcala was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Justin Wilson allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Think its time to end the Jorge Alcala experiment as the Sox just got Steven Matz and have Brennan Bernardino buried in Worcester. The Sox had this game won and had no need to use Chapman and Whitlock. Cora was visibly angry with Alcala because he knows the less wear and tear on Aroldis and Garrett means possibly bullets left in October. If Steven Matz can keep doing what he's doing, that gives the Sox a 7-8-9 of Matz, Chapman and Whitlock which would be tough to beat. Bello did the good job and the Sox bats once again did a good job piling on rather than sit on the lead. The Sox are getting timely hitting and they'll take any run they can get. The Toronto Blue Jays crushed the Colorado Rockies tonight but the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees. The Sox now are up 2.5 games on them for the first wild card and 4 games in front of Texas for the third wild card. Its too early for a magic number but it would be 44 as of today. They still can set their sights on the first seed if they can catch Toronto and Detroit since they're only 3 games out. Winning 6 games in a row is great and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 63-51, 3 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it seven wins in a row tomorrow night when Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23 ERA) takes on Ryan Bergert of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Story Powers Sox Past Astros (8/2/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. After Cooper Criswell dominated the Houston Astros last night, he was rewarded by being sent back to Worcester to make room for Dustin May to be activated. If Walker Buehler continues to struggle, we may see Criswell back sooner than later.

                                                                       OUT

                                                               IN

As for the game, the Red Sox historically have streak hitters that can carry a team when hot. Tom Brunansky and Brian Daubach couldn't hit a ball off a tee for two weeks then turn into American League MVP the next two. Trevor Story is heading in that direction as he once again was the difference maker in today's win against the Houston Astros. The Astros teed off on Walker Buehler and knocked him out of the game in the 5th inning. However the bullpen and the suddenly alive Red Sox offense picked up the slack. Trevor Story belted a two run home run to give the Sox a 4-2 lead in the third inning and Abraham Toro hit a two run shot of his own to ice it. Story drove in another run in the seventh and the Sox had won the game 7-3 at Fenway Park.

                                          The Dangerous Alliance approves of the win

The Astros wasted no time getting to Buehler in the top of the first inning as Jose Altuve grounded out to short to start. Jesus Sanchez lined out to second but Carlos Correa walked. Christian Walker hit a home run all the way to Met Life Stadium to put Houston on top. Yainer Diaz singled to left and Victor Caratini singled to right, but Cam Smith lined out to center to end the inning with the Astros up 2-0.

                                                                 Houston strikes first

Colton Gordon got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Romy Gonzalez led off by belting his 6th home run of the season. Alex Bregman struck out swinging but Roman Anthony walked. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Trevor Story was hit with a pitch. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1. 

                                                               Gonzalez steps up

Taylor Trammell got a base hit to right to start the top of the second and Ramon Urias singled to left as well. Altuve grounded into a double play and Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning. Jarren Duran flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Correa grounded out to second to start the top of the third inning but Walker got a base hit ti center. Diaz flied out to left but Caratini singled to right. Smith flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third as Gonzalez hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Bregman lined out to left and Anthony took strike three, but Refsnyder got a base hit to right to score Gonzalez. Story then annihilated his 18th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.

                                                       Story gets the Wally head

Trammell walked to start the top of the fourth but Urias grounded into a double play. Altuve lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Duran popped up to second to start. Rafaela doubled to left and Toro bashed his sixth home run of the season to increase the lead. Gonzalez grounded out to first and Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                               Toro gets the Wally head

The Astros knocked out Buehler in the top of the fifth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Correa got a base hit to left, Walker walked and Diaz got a base hit to center to score Correa. That was it for Buehler who got lit up for 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Justin Wilson came in and struck out Caratini swinging. Smith took strike three to end the inning with Houston down 6-3.

                                                               Buehler wasn't good enough

Anthony singled in the hole at third to start the bottom of the fifth and that was it for Gordon. Old friend Kaleb Ort came in to pitch and Refsnyder took strike three. Story took strike three but Narvaez walked to chase Ort. Steven Okert froze Duran for strike three to end the inning.

Steven Matz made his Sox debut in the top of the sixth and Mauricio Dubon pinch hit for Trammell. Dubon popped up to first but Urias walked. Altuve struck out swinging and Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                            Good start for Matz

Rafaela struck out swinging to open the bottom of the sixth and El Toro popped up to short. Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Correa got a base hit to center to start. Walker forced Correa at second then moved to second on the grounder to first by Diaz. Caratini singled to left but Walker was thrown out at home by Duran to end the inning.

                                                             Yerrrrr out!

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh with Hector Neris now on the mound. Bregman hit one up the elevator shaft to start and Anthony struck out swinging. Refsnyder doubled off the glove of Sanchez and Story doubled to right to score Rob. Story took third on a balk but Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                        Another rbi for Story

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Smith flied out to right to start. Dubon got a base hit to right but Urias struck out swinging. Altuve got a base hit to right and Sanchez walked, but Correa took strike three to end the inning. Nick Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran lined out to first to start. Rafaela doubled to center but Toro flied out to right. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Walker walked to start. Diaz popped up to third but Caratini singled to center. Sox manager Alex Cora kicked the dirt as he pulled Alcala in favor of closer Aroldis Chapman. Smith struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved both runners over. Dubon grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Trevor Story. His 2 run homer put the Sox on top and added an insurance run later.

                                                             Hero Story

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Justin Wilson tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 20th save with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Walker Buehler allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 9 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Jorge Alcala only retired one of the three batters he faced.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but with the New York Yankees epic collapse against the Miami Marlins, the Sox are now the owner of the first Wild Card slot. The Sox got ripped apart for having the trade deadline they did but have won the first two games following. Once again Buehler bit the big one but the bullpen stepped up to get the final 4 2/3 innings. Jordan Hicks loaded the bases and Alcala got knocked around again so Brennan Bernardino may be back sooner rather than later. The benches cleared in the 8th inning and Will Middlebrooks had the best line "The Astros are complaining about sign stealing??". Let them complain all they want because the Sox are red hot. Trevor Story becoming the modern day streak hitter that can carry a team isn't what they signed him for, but he's delivering right now. It may be time to end the Walker Buehler experiment because at least Richard Fitts has upside, there is no upside to Buehler. All in all it was a good win and hopefully they can finish the sweep tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 61-51, 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the series tomorrow morning when Lucas Giolito (7-2) takes on Houston ace Framber Valdez. The game begins at 11:30 AM tomorrow morning at Fenway Park.

Sox Outlast Twins (7/29/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. "Big" Dick Fitts was sent back to Worcester and Cooper Criswell was called up to take his place. Can't predict 3 starters being lost for the season but the Quinn Priester trade is looking REAL bad right now since all that pitching depth was supposed to prevent seeing the likes of Criswell again. Sox have 3 days to make a move or else they're going to have to go with this down the stretch.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, the Boston bats woke up for one game at least against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins called up Pierson Ohl to make his major league debut and the Sox jumped on him. Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman drove in runs before Trevor Story belted a two run home run to give the Sox a cushion. Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80 ERA) gave the Sox 6 much needed innings surrendering just one run in the process. Jarren Duran also went yard and Ceddanne Rafaela drove in runs but the Boston bullpen faltered again. Justin Wilson allowed a 2 run bomb to Brooks Lee but rbis from Story and Wilyer Abreu put the game away. Jorge Alcala allowed a 2 run home run in the ninth to Brooks Lee but Aroldis Chapman blew away Mickey Gasper to end it. The Sox had won the game 8-5 at Target Field.

                                                   Lindsay Lohan approves of the win

Ohl got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Alex Bregman struck out swinging and Jarren Duran had a stand up triple....but stopped at second base for no reason. Didn't matter anyway as Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins wasted no time threatening Giolito in the in the bottom of the first as Trebor Larnach walked to start. Carlos Correa singled to center but Willi Castro struck out swinging. Royce Lewis lined out to left and Kody Clemens lined out to center to end the inning.

More ineptitude in the top of the second as Harrison Bader outright robbed Wilyer Abreu of a home run. Carlos Narvaez popped up to second and Abraham "El" Toro flied out to center to end the inning. Ty France grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Matt Wallner got a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved Wallner to second but Harrison Bader struck out swinging. Christian Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Brooks Lee had to come in for Carlos Correa to start the top of the third and the Sox struck. David Hamilton grounded out to first but Ceddanne Rafaela tripled into the centerfield gap. Anthony struck a base hit to center to score Rafaela and Bregman drove a line drive to left, misplayed by Castro. Anthony scored and Bregman got a "double". Duran struck out swinging but Story belted his 16th home run of the season to increase the lead. Abreu walked but Narvaez lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                            Story gets the Wally head

Larnarch popped up to third to start the bottom of the third before Lee grounded out to first. Castro was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

Michael Tonkin came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Toro was hit with a pitch to start. Hamilton lined out to left, Rafaela lined out to center and Anthony grounded out to second to end the inning. Lewis grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Clemens flied out to right. France lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another one in the top of the fourth although Bregman flied out to right to start. Duran clobbered his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead but Story struck out swinging. Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                       Duran causing some turbulence

The Twins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Wallner flied out to center to start. Bader got a base hit and Vazquez was hit with a pitch, but Larnach struck out swinging. Lee got a base hit to center...under the glove of Rafaela. Bader scored and the runners moved into scoring position. Castro grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins down 5-1.

                                                     Twins get a run back

The Sox got that run right back in the top of the sixth against Kody Funderburk. Narvaez singled to left but Toro pounded a ground rule double down the right field line. Hamilton struck out swinging and Rafaela hit a sac fly to center to score Narvaez. Anthony walked but Bregman popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Lewis popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Clemens popped up to second. France got a base hit to center and Wallner walked, but Bader went down hacking to end the inning. Giolito tossed 6 solid innings allowing 1 run off 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                          Good work by Giolito

Duran walked to start the top of the seventh and promptly stole second. Story grounded out to short and Abreu grounded out to second to move Duran to third. Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to vomit up his intestines in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez flied out to left to start. Ryan Jeffers pinch hit for Larnach and got a base hit to center. Lee then hit a home run all the way to Aruba to cut the lead. Rafaela absolutely robbed Castro of a sure triple with a diving catch and Lewis struck out to end the inning with the Twins down 6-3.

                                                           Great catch by Rafaela

Cole Sands came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Toro grounded out to first to start. Hamilton flied out to right and Rafaela grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Clemens got a base hit to right. France struck out swinging, Wallner struck out swinging and Bader popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance in the top of the ninth with Louis Varland on the mound. It looked like Anthony had beaten out a grounder to first, but the Twins challenged the call. Replays ruled Anthony out but Lewis booted a grounder by Bregman. Duran flied out to left but Story doubled to right to score Bregman. Abreu doubled to right to score Story and Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                Abreu's turn to cause some turbulence

Jorge Alcala was brought in to close out the bottom of the ninth and failed. Vazquez flied out to center but Story booted a grounder by Jeffers. Lee hit yet another home run all the way to New Mexico, but Castro struck out swinging. Lewis got a base hit to left and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. Aroldis Chapman was summoned to finish it and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Clemens. Chapman blew away Gasper on 3 pitches to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Lucas Giolito. The Sox desperately needed a good start to save the bullpen and he went 6 innings allowing just the 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 5.

                                                             Gio-Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run, a stolen base, and a walk.

Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 19th save by striking out Gasper to end it.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Wilson allowed a 2 run home run in the seventh.

Jorge Alcala allowed a 2 run home run in the ninth.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and sored a run.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored two runs.

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

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Once again this game was a half glass empty or full situation. The Sox bats woke up but pessimists can say they beat up a rookie making his debut and a bad bullpen. Still, you HAVE to win games like this and they got the job done. Now that the story has come out, the whole airplane thing and part of the bullpen woes came from the plane ride to Minnesota from Boston. Apparently the plane damn near crashed and the turbulence caused motion sickness to both Chapman and Whitlock. The Sox used it as a rallying cry any time they got on base tonight. Also explains why Whitlock and Chapman were absent last night. Fans were expecting the worse then Chapman left with a bad back on Sunday but he looks okay now. The most important part was the Sox built the lead rather than sit on it for once. They might have beat up on a bad team, but hopefully it woke them up. The Baltimore Orioles swept a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays so the Sox gained some ground on the Jays. The Detroit Tigers also have been inconsistent lately so believe it or not, the Sox are literally 5 games out from the best record in the American League. This year is wide open and the Sox can blow the doors off the hinges by adding another starter at the trade deadline. Peyton Tolle and Connelly Early tore up Portland this season and Kyson Witherspoon might be a stud, but if the Sox want to win now, one of them must go. Unless they hope that Patrick Sandoval can magically appear out of thin air and save the season. They have 3 days left to figure it out. The win improved the Sox to 58-51, 5 games behind the Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) takes on Zebby Mathews of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:10 Eastern time at Target Field.

Crochet Outduels Kershaw, Sox Beats Dodgers (7/26/25)

Now that's more like it. After the Boston Red Sox got throttled by the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, the Sox turned the tables in tonight's highly anticipated pitching matchup of aces. Clayton Kershaw was beaten by Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23 ERA) as Garrett held the Dodgers to just 2 runs in 6 strong innings. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez hit two first inning home runs but a Jarren Duran triple and an Abraham Toro sac fly put the Sox on top in the second inning. The game remained tight although the Sox got an insurance run when Roman Anthony doubled in a run in the fifth. After Crochet left, Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door on LA. The Sox had taken the monster match 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                       The late Hulk Hogan approves of the win

The Dodgers wasted no time in the top of the first as Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the game into the Charles River to put the Dodgers up just like that. Will Smith struck out swinging but Teoscar Hernandez then launched a home run over the Mass Pike to seemingly ice the game already. Freddie Freeman got a base hit to left but was thrown out at third on a base hit to left by Andy Pages. Tommy Edman lined out to center to end the inning with the Dodgers up 2-0.

                                                      That didn't take long

Kershaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Alex Bregman popped up to first but Roman Anthony walked. Romy Gonzalez forced Anthony at second to end the inning.

Miguel Rojas lined out to left to start the top of the second before Esteury Ruiz struck out swinging. Hyeseong Kim singled off the glove of Abraham Toro but Ohtani struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story walked to start. Carlos Narvaez doubled to center and Jarren Duran tripled into the centerfield triangle to tie the game. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to short but Toro hit a sac fly to center to score Duran. Refsynder grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-2.

                                                 Duran shows us how many runs he drove in

Smith walked to start the top of the third before moving to second on the grounder to Crochet by Hernandez. Freeman grounded out to second to move Smith to third but Pages struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Bregman singled down the third base line to start. Anthony got a base hit to right but Gonzalez grounded into a double play. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

Edman got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth before Rojas struck out swinging. Ruiz forced Edman at second but Kim singled off the globe of Gonzalez to move Ruiz to third. Ohtani struck out swinging to end the inning. Kershaw cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Narvaez took strike three to begin. Duran popped up to short and Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Hernandez walked. Freeman struck out swinging and Hernandez was thrown out at second trying to steal second to end the inning. The Sox got a big run in the bottom of the fifth as Toro grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder grounded out to third but Bregman singled to center. Anthony doubled to left to score Bregman with another run. That was it for Kershaw as Edgardo Henriguez came in to face Gonzalez. Romy grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                         RBI double for Anthony

Crochet came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth and Pages took strike three to start. Edman struck out swinging but Rojas singled to left. Ruiz popped up to second to end the inning. That was it for Crochet who tossed six solid innings allowing just the two home runs to start the game. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 batters.

                                                           Crochet gets it done

Alexis Diaz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Story watched strike three go by to start. Narvaez flied out to right but Duran hit a triple to right. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Kim went down hacking to start. Ohtani struck out swinging and Smith got a base hit to center....only to get thrown out at second trying to stretch a double by Rafaela to end the inning. Will Klein came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Toro took strike three to start. Refsnyder got a base hit inside the bag at third base and David Hamilton pinch ran for him. Bregman got a base hit to right and Anthony walked to load the bases, then Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Gonzalez. The gamble backfired as Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Freeman struck out swinging and Pages grounded out to short to end the inning. Kirby Yates came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story flied out to right to start. Narvaez flied out to center and Duran doubled to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Edman flied out to center to start. Rojas flied out to right but Ruiz walked. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pinch hit Mookie Betts for Kim. In a surreal moment at Fenway, Chapman struck Betts out looking to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He held the world champs to just 2 runs in 6 innings of work, moving closer to the Cy Young Award by allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10.

                                                           Hero Crochet

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Roman Anthony was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 18th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton ran for Refsnyder in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox to not only drop the world champs but have Crochet outpitch Kershaw. This season has a very 1998-99 feel to it with Crochet in the role of Pedro Martinez stopping a losing streak or preventing one. The offense still isn't lighting it up and it might be time to consider some trade options for another bat considering most of the offense are backups. Yandy Diaz is rumored to be on the trade block and the Sox have to do SOMETHING considering Triston Casas and Rafael Devers were replaced with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro. Still, the offense did just enough to get the job done and the bullpen was lights out. Once the game gets to the eighth inning, its pretty much over the way Whitlock and Chapman have been this season. If Jordan Hicks can harness that 100 mph fastball, he might be the 7th inning guy they need with Justin Slaten down and Greg Weissert being inconsistent. Crochet needs just 8 more wins to become the Sox first 20 game winner since Rick Porcello back in 2016 and he's got two months to get it done. All in all the Sox needed this win to keep pace in race and they did. The win improved the Sox to 56-50, 7.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow afternoon when ex-Dodger Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA) takes on Dustin May of LA. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Stun Phillies in Extras (7/23/25)

"Biggest win of the year" is a cliche most of the time but tonight the Boston Red Sox might have a case. For four innings the Sox were getting pounded by the Philadelphia Phillies. Lucas Giolito had given up 5 runs in four innings off FOUR home runs. Kyle Schwarber, Bryce Harper, Nick Castellanos and Bryston Stott all went yard to put the game away.....but wait! The Sox rallied against Jesus Lazardo for two bases loaded walks and a grand slam by Romy Gonzalez to give the Sox the lead. Aroldis Chapman was brought in the seventh inning but JT Realmuto tagged him for a solo home run in the eighth. Plunged into extra innings, Trevor Story hit an rbi double in the top of the 10th but the Phillies answered with a Schwarber rbi single off Greg Weissert in the bottom of the inning. The recently maligned Carlos Narvaez redeemed himself with a two run blast in the top of the 11th. The tag team of Jorge Alcala and Brennan Bernardino slammed the door in the bottom of the 11th and the Sox stunned the Phillies 9-8 in 11 innings at Citizens Bank Park.

                                               The late Ozzy Osbourne approves of the win

Luzardo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder lined out to right to start. Jarren Duran struck out swinging and Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Phillies ended the game early in the bottom of the first against Giolito as Trea Turner singled to start. Kyle Schwarber crushed a two run home run to essentially end the game right then and then. Bryce Harper hit a home run into the Potomac River for good measure. Nick Castellanos struck out swinging and JT Realmuto flied out to center, but Brandon Marsh walked. Max Kepler lined out to center to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-0.

                                                            Schwarber again

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Masataka Yoshida also went down hacking. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Edmundo Sosa lined out to a running Duran to start the bottom of the second but Bryson Stott doubled to right. Turner struck out swinging but Stott swiped second. Schwarber flied out to left to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Carlos Narvaez flied out to right. Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning. The Phillies poured it on in the bottom of the third as Harper grounded out to first to start. Castellanos hit a home run all the way to Bermuda to increase the lead but Realmuto grounded out to short. Marsh grounded out to first to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-0.

                                                               Castellanos adds to the misery

Refsnyder walked to start the top of the fourth but Duran struck out swinging. Gonzalez forced Refsnyder at second and Story grounded out to third to end the inning. Kepler lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Sosa grounded out to short. Stott then hit a home run all the way to Cuba to increase the lead. Turner grounded out to first to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 5-0. That was it for Giolito who got rocked for four home runs and five total runs.

                                                               Giolito wasn't good enough

The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth as Yoshida doubled to right to start. Rafaela walked but naturally Abreu struck out swinging. Obviously Narvaez popped up to short but Mayer walked to load the bases. Refsnyder walked home Yoshida and Duran walked home Rafaela to cut the lead. Gonzalez then smashed a grand slam to suddenly put the Sox on top and Story grounded out to to third to end the inning with the Sox up 6-5.

                                                             Sox take the lead

Abraham Toro took over for Mayer who left with wrist discomfort and Justin Wilson came in to pitch. Schwarber lined out to right, Harper grounded back to the mound and Castellanos struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jordan Romano came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Yoshida struck out swinging to start. Rafaela grounded out to short and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Realmuto got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Marsh forced him at second. Kepler grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Daniel Robert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Narvaez doubled to left to start. Toro popped up to short and Roman Anthony pinch hit for Refsnyder. Anthony walked and Tanner Banks came in to pitch to Duran. Jarren beat out a doubled play ball but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sosa grounded out to short to start. Stott lined out to center but Turner doubled to right. Sox manager Alex Cora overmanaged by bringing in closer Aroldis Chapman to faced Schwarber. Kyle popped up to second to end the inning but now you just burned your closer early.

Orion Kerkering came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Story struck out swinging to begin. Yoshida grounded out to first but Rafaela singled to left. Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Chapman returned for the bottom of the eighth and Harper flied out to left to start. Castellanos flied out to right but Realmuto hit a home run all the way to China to tie the game. Otto Kemp pinch hit for Marsh and struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                         Realmuto ties it up

Johan Rojas came in for Kemp with Matt Strahm on the mound for the top of the ninth. Narvaez flied out to left but Toro was hit with a pitch. Anthony & Duran both struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Kepler flied out to center to start. Sosa flied out to right and Stott grounded out to short to end the inning.

Max Lazar came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Duran starting at second base. Alex Bregman pinch hit for Gonzalez and lined out to left. Story lashed a double to left to score Duran but Yoshida grounded out to third. Rafaela hit a grounder to third and Story was tagged out to end the inning with the Sox up 7-6.

                                                            Story puts the Sox on top

Greg Weissert came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Stott starting at second. Turner flied out to right to move Stott to third and who else but Schwarber got a base hit to right to score Stott. Weston Wilson pinch ran for Schwarber but Harper struck out swinging. Wilson was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.

                                                Why can't the Sox get guys like him?

Seth Johnson came in to pitch the top of the eleventh with Rafaela starting at second. Abreu struck out swinging but Narvaez clubbed his 9th home run of the year to put the Sox up again. Toro struck out swinging but Anthony doubled to left. Duran took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 9-7.

                                                         Redemption for Narvaez

Jorge Alcala came in to close out the bottom of the 11th with Harper starting at second. Castellanos grounded out the short but somehow Harper was awarded third on a disengagement violation. Realmuto struck out swinging but Rojas got a base hit to left to score Harper. Brennan Bernardino was brought in to face Kepler with the game on the line. Kepler took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-8 in 11 innings.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of The Night is Carlos Narvaez. His caught stealing saved the bottom of the 10th and his 2 run home run won the game in the 11th.

                                                                Hero Narvaez

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.

Roman Anthony was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Marcelo Mayer walked and scored a run in 2 plate appearances.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless inning.

Jordan Hicks tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Brennan Bernardino got his first save of the season by getting the last out of the game.

The Bad:

Lucas Giolito got tagged for 5 runs and four home runs in 4 innings.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Aroldis Chapman allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a grand slam.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored 2 runs.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Greg Weissert allowed the ghost runner to score in the bottom of the 10th.

Jorge Alcala allowed the ghost runner to score in the bottom of the 11th.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the biggest wins of the season for a variety of reasons. The Sox were 0-7 on the road and Alex Cora has been brutally stubborn about his managing in extras. They FINALLY got the big hit when it mattered to win an extra innings game on the road. Also, they had lost 2 of 3 to the Chicago Cubs and the previous two games to Philadelphia, going down 5-0 pretty much sealed their doom in the eyes of many. The rally to go-ahead and the rallies in extras shows this team may be brainless but they have miles and miles of heart. Cora managed this game like it was Game 7 of the World Series with the off-day tomorrow and Chapman got tagged for the first time in a long time. Still, they survived a blown save to win the game anyway. The Toronto Blue Jays kicked the crap out of the New York Yankees last night so the Sox picked up a game on New York. They were 1 game behind the Yankees coming out of the break and despite going 2-4, they're still only 2 back of NY. The Sox have just over a week to decide if they're buyers or sellers and this coming series with the Los Angeles Dodgers might decide it. The win improved the Sox to 55-49, 6 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the world champion Dodgers. Brayan Bello (6-4, 3.23 ERA) takes on Emmet Sheehan of LA at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.