Yankees Drop Whitlock, Sox in Game 2 (10/1/25)

Well the post-season dominance by the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees finally ended in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. Facing a scared Brayan Bello, the Yankees got to the Sox bullpen and forced Sox manager Alex Cora to ride everyone for as long as they could. The Yankees scored two quick runs against Bello but Trevor Story got two back against Carlos Rodon. Jarren Dropped a catchable ball to allow the Yankees to score a third run but a Story home run tied it again. In the bottom of the eighth, an exhausted Garrett Whitlock coughed up an rbi single to Austin Wells, scoring Jazz Chisholm. The Yankees bullpen slammed the door after Rodon left the game to tie the series up with a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

                                                               The final image

Rodon got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Alex Bregman flied out to left to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trent Grisham flied out to left on the first pitch. Aaron Judge grounded out to third but Cody Bellinger got a base hit to right. Naturally Ben Rice hit a home run all the way to the moon to put the Yankees up. Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to short to end the inning but New York was up 2-0.

                                                              Yankees strike first again

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the second as Romy Gonzalez flied out to right to start. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center and Nate Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Austin Wells walked. Anthony Volpe grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Jarren Duran ripped a base it to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and Nick Sogard caught Rodon asleep with a bunt, with Carlos throwing it away for an error to load the bases. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Story lined a base hit to center to score Duran and Rafaela to tie the game. Bregman grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                  Story ties it

The Yankees finished off Bello in the bottom of the third as Ryan McMahon singled to right to start. Grisham forced McMahon at second but Judge ripped a base hit to center. Sox manager Alex Cora saw that Bello was a deer in the headlights and yanked him after just 2 2/3 innings and 2 runs allowed. Justin Wilson came in and Grisham stole third with Judge taking second on a passed ball. Bellinger flied out to left and Rice lined out to Eaton to end the inning.

                                                           So much for Bello

Gonzalez popped up to second to start the top of the fourth before Narvaez struck out swinging. Eaton got a base hit to right but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Stanton grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Chisholm popped up to first. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rafaela took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Sogard lined out to left. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth against Justin Slaten as Volpe flied out to center to start. McMahon grounded back to the mound but Grisham walked. A wild pitch moved Trent to second and Duran dropped a sinking liner by Judge to score Grisham to put the Yankees on top. Steven Matz came in to get Bellinger to ground out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-2.

                                               "I got it, I got it....I don't got it" - Duran

The lead lasted 8 seconds as Story smashed his first home run of the post-season to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Bregman walked on four pitches not even close but the Sox let him off the hook. On just two pitches, Gonzalez popped up to second and Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Story ties it again

Rice got a base hit down the third base line to start the bottom of the sixth but Stanton lined out to left. Chisholm struck out swinging but Wells got a base hit to left. Cora rolled the dice by bringing in Zack Kelly to face Volpe and somehow struck him out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Eaton walked to start. A wild pitch moved Eaton to second and Duran was drilled to send Rodon to the showers. Fernando Cruz came in and Rafaela blew it by popping up the bunt to him. Sogard flied out to left and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Refsnyder. Yoshida beat out a roller past second but Eaton didn't even try for home to load the bases. Naturally Story flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Cora then put the game in the hands of his best pitchers available as Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. McMahon struck out swinging but Grisham doubled to right. Judge was frozen for strike three and Bellinger flied out to right to end the inning.

Devin Williams came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bregman got a base hit to left to start. Cora then brought in Nathaniel Lowe to pinch hit for Gonzalez.....who grounded in to a double play. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck in the bottom of the eighth as Rice struck out swinging to start. Stanton grounded out to short but Chisholm walked. Wells dumped a base hit into the right field corner and Eaton failed to throw home in time, allowing Chisholm to score all the way from first. An exhausted Whitlock allowed a single to left by Volpe and a walk to McMahon to end his night after 47 pitches. Payton Tolle came in to make his post-season debut one month after making his ML debut with the bases loaded and got Grisham to ground out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-3.

                                                               Yankees take the lead

David Bednar came in to close out the top of the ninth and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Eaton. Abreu struck out swinging, Duran took strike three right down the middle and Rafaela flied out to right to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-3.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Nate Eaton. He failed to score the go-ahead run for the Sox and failed to prevent the go-ahead run for the Yankees scoring.

                                                                Eaton Jackass

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida got a base hit in his only at-bat.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with 3 total rbis and a home run.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Wilson tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Steven Matz tossed a full scoreless inning.

Zack Kelly got the final out of the sixth inning.

Payton Tolle got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Nathaniel Lowe grounded into a double play in his only at-bat.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Sogard was 0 for 2.

Brayan Bello crapped his pants allowing 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings, getting yanked after 4 hits and 2 walks.

Justin Slaten allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings of work to take the loss.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a run scored but dropped a huge fly ball that turned into a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Like I mentioned in Game 1, if that was it for the season, I'd be proud of this team. This game proved why they were frustrating to watch all season. With the game on the line, they couldn't get it done. Eaton not scoring in the seventh inning, not preventing the run in the 8th, Duran dropping the fly ball and on and on. The worst part was Cora pushed Whitlock as far as he could because he knows they're essentially screwed in Game 3. If he pulls Bello after 2 2/3 innings, what's he going to do when Connelly Early gets in trouble tomorrow night, a bullpen game? The only silver lining is they didn't use Arolids Chapman so he's available tonight. But good luck getting to him with all that's left is Greg Weissert after everyone else worked yesterday. If the Sox want to keep their season alive, they get a lead early for once. Playing from behind every game isn't sustainable. With Lucas Giolito out and Bello peeing down his leg, even if the Sox win Game 3, they have zero chance against Toronto on Saturday. But, there can't be a Saturday if they don't win tomorrow night. Cora will have to manage the game of his life if he wants to avoid elimination. The Sox look to keep their season alive in winner take all Game 3 tomorrow night. Connelly Early takes on fellow rookie Cam Schlittler. The game has been pushed back to 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

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.