Giolito, Sox Sweep Astros (8/3/25)

On June 29th, the Boston Red Sox were 3 games under .500, they were 8 games behind the New York Yankees for first place and they were reeling after losing 7 of 9 following the Rafael Devers trade. Just a little over a month later the Red Sox have gone 21-7 since including completing a 3 game sweep of the Houston Astros. Lucas Giolito (8-2, 3.57 ERA) tossed one of the best games of the season holding the Astros to just 1 run and 3 hits in 8 great innings. The Sox scored in just one inning but they made it count. Framber Valdez got frazzled and the Sox put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Carlos Correa homered off Giolito but Trevor Story drove in a run to tie it. Ceddanne Rafaela drove in the go-ahead run and the Sox poured it on, scoring four more runs. More than enough cushion for Giolito and Chris Murphy shut the door in the ninth inning. The Sox had swept the Houston Astros out of Boston with a 6-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                          Brock Lesnar approves of the win

Giolito got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jeremy Pena grounded out to third to start. Jose Altuve hit one up the elevator shaft as Jesus Sanchez doubled off the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela. Carlos Correa grounded out to second to end the inning. Valdez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to right to start. Alex Bregman was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to move Refsnyer to second and Roman Anthony grounded out to first to move Rob to third. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Christian Walker flied out to center to start the top of the second and Yainer diaz grounded out to third. Taylor Trammell walked but Mauricio Dubon grounded out to third to end the inning. Trevor Story continued his hot streak with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the hole at short. Abraham "El" Toro beat out a double play ball but Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Ramon Urias hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third and Pena took strike three. Altuve popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Connor Wong grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder grounded out to second and Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sanchez took strike three to start the top of the fourth inning but Correa hit a home run all the way to Laos to put the Astros up. Walker popped up to second and Diaz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                            Correa returns to the Astros

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Anthony doubled off the Monster to start. Gonzalez walked and the red hot Story got a base hit to right to score Anthony. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Gonzalez and move Story to third. Story scored on a balk and El Toro beat out a roller to to the mound. Abreu dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt that Valdez threw the ball away, scoring Rafaela. A passed ball moved the runners over and Wong hit a sac fly to right to score Toro, moving Abreu to third. Refsnyder grounded out to second to score Abreu with another run. Bregman lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox now led 6-1.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Trammell popped up to first to start the top of the fifth before Dubon struck out swinging. Urias flied out to center to end the inning. Anthony grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Gonzalez struck out swinging. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pena grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth before Altuve got a base hit to left. Sanchez flied out to right and Correa forced Jose at second to end the inning. Rafaela was plunked to start the bottom of the sixth before being forced at second by Toro. Toro got picked off and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning.

Walker grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Diaz grounded out to third. Trammell grounded out to second to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Wong grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Bregman walked. Anthony took strike three to end the inning.

Giolito returned for one final inning in the top of the eighth and Dubon popped up to first to start. Urias flied out to center and Pena struck out swinging. Lucas had tossed 8 innings allowing just 3 hits and a run, he was outstanding.

                                                         Big game from Giolito

Nick Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Story flied out to center but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Toro grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Altuve popped up to third to start. Cooper Hummel pinch hit for Sanchez and struck out swinging. Correa grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Lucas Giolito. He tossed 8 innings allowing just 3 hits and a single run.

                                                   Kickstart the Hero

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 3 with a hit by pitch, an rbi and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Chris Murphy pitched a scoreless ninth inning. 

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 but walked.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4, got picked off and got thrown out trying to steal, but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not only did the New York Yankees get swept by the Miami Marlins but the Toronto Blue Jays lost to put the Red Sox just 3 games behind them and the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the American League. How sad is that? The Sox have been perfectly mediocre all season and they're just 5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet have been solid all season but if Giolito continues to pitch like this, the Sox have a very good chance of making it to October. The Sox are currently 4 games ahead of the Texas Rangers who's the odd-team out at the moment. Boston has 49 games left to hold them off more or less. The Sox got all their runs in one inning today but Giolito wasn't going to let them down. The warts are still there anytime Jorge Alcala, Jordan Hicks or Walker Buehler is in the game, but otherwise the Sox have been solid down the line. They still need another bat in the lineup but for now, its not bothering them. The win improved the Sox to 62-51, 3 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Kansas City Royals and their new acquisition Mike Yastrzemski in for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM 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.

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.

Cubs Snap Streak, Drop Sox (7/18/25)

It was back to reality for the Boston Red Sox as their 10 game winning streak was snapped in pretty much the opening inning of today's game against the Chicago Cubs. Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.59 ERA) walked the first two batters on 8 pitches nowhere close and grooved a three run homer to Seiya Suzuki. The Sox bats were silenced by Colin Rea and the Chicago bullpen who allowed just 1 measly run. The play of the game came in the top of the fifth when Abraham Toro was foolishly doubled off second on a routine pop up. The Cubs scored a run off Giolito in the bottom of the sixth and the Sox never got closer. The Cubs snapped the Sox win streak and took this game 4-1 at Wrigley Field.

                                                    "Are you kidding me Toro?" - CC

Rea got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Alex Bregman flied out to left and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning. Giolito got the ball and walked both Michael Busch and Kyle Tucker on 8 pitches not even close. Seiya Suzuki then hit a 3 run home run all the way to Comiskey Park to essentially end the game right then and there. To add insult to injury, Pete Crow Armstrong hit a routine pop up that Duran failed to call for, and it dropped for a "double". Carson Kelly popped up to third, Ian Happ struck out swinging and Dansby Swanson flied out to center to end the inning but the Cubs were up 3-0

                                                                 That didn't take long

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second inning as Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to start. Wilyer Abreu drew a walk but Kyle Tucker made a great catch to rob Trevor Story of a hit. Marcelo Mayer lined out to center to end the inning. Nico Hoerner struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Matt Shaw flied out to center. Busch struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to first to start. Abraham "El" Toro also grounded out to first but Duran walked. Bregman singled to right to move Duran to third and Anthony scored Jarren with a double to center. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                     10 game hit streak for Anthony

Tucker flied out to center to start the top of the third but Suzuki got a base hit to left. PCA struck out swinging and Kelly flied out to Duran at the wall to end the inning. 

Abreu struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Story grounded out to third. Mayer dumped a base hit to left but Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning. Happ grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Swanson flied out to center. Hoerner lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as El Toro got a base hit to right to start. Duran walked and Bregman hit a routine fly ball to center.....catching Toro asleep as he was doubled off second. Anthony walked but Narvaez forced him at second to end the inning. Not even little leaguers make that mistake that Toro did. 

                                                           "What an idiot" - PCA

Shaw got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth and stole second as Busch took strike three. Narvaez was called on catcher's interference to move Shaw to second but Suzuki popped up to short. PCA struck out swinging to end the inning.

Caleb Thielbar came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Abreu took strike three to start. Story popped up to second and Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning. Kelly grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Happ doubled to right. That was it for Giolito who was at 98 pitches. He went 5 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks. That first inning killed his chance at a win. Greg Weissert came in and promptly walked Swanson. Naturally Hoerner got a base hit to left to score Happ to ice the game. Shaw lined out to third and that was it for Weissert. Brennan Bernardino got Busch to ground out to first to end the inning with the Cubs up 4-1.

                                                           Not Giolito's day

Ryan Pressly came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela greeted him with a base hit to left. Toro forced Rafaela at second but Duran got a base hit to right to put the tying run at the plate. Bregman beat out a double play ball and old friend Drew Pomeranz came in to face Anthony. Roman lined out to right to end the inning. Tucker popped up to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Suzuki flied out to center. PCA flied out to center to end the inning.

Another old friend Brad Keller came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez. Yoshida struck out swinging, Abreu grounded out to first and Story grounded out to Story to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate and Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Kelly walked to start but Happ took strike three. Alcala made a great play on a grounder by Swanson to rob him of a hit and Hoerner flied out to left to end the inning.

Daniel Palencia came in to close out the top of the ninth and Mayer got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela grounded into a double play and Toro flied out to right to end the game. The Cubs had won it 4-1.

                                                                    Cubs win

Jackass of The Night is Abraham Toro. Getting doubled off second on a routine fly ball is inexcusable.

                                                                Nice going, Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 4.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4.

Lucas Giolito took the loss allowing 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. He gave up 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4.

Greg Weissert allowed an inherited runner to score in just 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a reality check for sure for the Red Sox. It was if the 10 game streak never happened because this was April/May Sox in a nutshell. Another boneheaded blunder on the bases, not being able to hit in the clutch and a starter that can't go six innings. Giolito threw 98 pitches and had only gotten 13 outs, that's not going to cut it. Then there was Abraham Toro getting doubled off on second. Most little leaguers aren't that stupid and he managed to pull it off. The game was essentially over 3 batters into the first because the Sox just couldn't get the big hit when needed. The worst part is pitchers like Drew Pomeranz who hadn't been seen in four years and Brad Keller got the job done for the Cubs. Now the Sox have Shota Imanaga looming for tomorrow's game. This road trip coming out of the All-Star break is going to make or break them going into the trade deadline. Games like this just gives John Henry all the ammo in the world to tell Craig Breslow to sell off Arolids Chapman, Duran, etc. The loss dropped the Sox to 53-46, 4 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (6-3, 3.14 ERA) takes on Cubs ace Shota Imanaga. The game begins at 7:15 PM Eastern time at Wrigley Field.

Sox Rout, Sweep Rockies (7/9/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Masataka Yoshida was finally removed from the Injured List to make his season debut. Nate Eaton was sent down to Worcester to clear room for Yoshida. Eaton had a couple of good hits during this recent stretch so thanks for the contributions.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Sox did what they had to do. They had 10 games against the Cincinnati Reds, Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies staring them in the face...and won 9 of them. Tonight the Sox swept the hapless Rockies on the back of another late inning offense surge and shutdown pitching by Lucas Giolito (6-1, 3.36 ERA). Giolito held the Rockies to just 4 hits in six shutout innings. Meanwhile the Sox beat up Antonio Senzatela and the Rockies bullpen for 15 hits and 10 runs. Carlos Narvaez set the tone with a second inning home run and Masataka Yoshida made his reutrn with an rbi in the fourth. The floodgates opened as Wilyer Abreu hit a two run shot, Romt Gonzalez hit a two run home run and Jarren Duran hit another 3 run bomb. The only blip was Isaiah Campbell giving up a two run jack to Kyle Farmer. It all added up to winning 9 out of 10, 6 in a row and tonight's game 10-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Happy fans

Giolito got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tyler Freeman grounded out to second to start. Jordan Beck singled to left but Ryan McMahon struck out swinging. The alert Carlos Narvaez gunned down Beck trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the first against Senzatela as Jarren Duran's routine grounder up the middle turned into a double and an error by Yanquiel Fernandez to move Jarren to third. Roman Anthony was hit with a pitch but Trevor Story struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Michael Toglia struck out swinging to open the top of the second inning and Brenton Doyle flied out to right. Orlando Arcia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Carlos Narvaez belted his 8th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Masataka Yoshida got his first at-bat since September 2024 and got a base hit to center. Romy Gonzalez flied out to center and Marcelo Mayer forced Yoshida at second. David Hamilton lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Home run Narvaez

Fernandez grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Kyle Farmer grounded out to short. Austin Nola struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the third but Anthony lined out to right. Story banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox defense came up big in the top of the fourth as Freeman got a base hit to center to start. Beck flied out to center and McMahon did the same, but Toglia doubled off the Monster. Duran fired the ball back to Story who gunned down Freeman at home to end the inning.

                                                        YERRRR OUT!!!

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu lined out to center to start. Narvaez doubled to right and took third on a balk. Yoshida tied Connor Wong for his season total in rbis with a base hit to right to score Carlos. Gonzalez struck out swinging but Mayer got a base hit to center. Hamilton flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Happy Sox

Doyle struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Arcia took strike three. Fernandez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck in the bottom of the fifth as Duran struck out swinging to start. Anthony got a base hit to left but Story popped up to third. Abreu mashed his 18th home run of the season to double the lead, but Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                Sox bullpen loved the Abreu home run

Farmer grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Nola lined out to center. Freeman got a base hit past Giolito but Beck struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Giolito who tossed shutout ball through six innings allowing just 4 hits while striking out six.

                                                                 Giolito gets it done

Ryan Rolison came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Gonzalez walked and moved to second on the grounder to first by Mayer. Hamilton stepped up with a base hit to right to score Romy with another run. Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-0.

                                                           Big RBI for Hamilton

Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McMahon popped up to short to start. Toglia struck out swinging and Doyle grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tyler Kinley came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Anthony lined out to left to start. Story doubled to left but Abreu struck out swinging. Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rockies struck back against Isaiah Campbell making his season debut in the top of the eighth. Arcia grounded out to third before Fernandez got a base hit to left. Farmer hit a home run all the way to Brazil to cut the lead. Nola flied out to right and Freeman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rockies down 5-2.

                                                      Rockies get closer

The Sox blew the game open against Seth Halvorsen in the bottom of the eighth as Yoshida hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Gonzalez then pounded his fifth home run of the season to get the five run lead back. Mayer singled to left, Hamilton walked and Duran clobbered his 8th home run of the season to put the game out of reach. That was it for the incompetent Halvorsen as Jimmy Herget got the ball. Anthony got a base hit to right but Story struck out swinging. Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                    "Right to the bitter end" - Rockies fan

Beck got a base hit to left to start the top of the ninth but McMahon grounded into a double play. Toglia singled to left but Doyle lined out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Lucas Giolito. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits while striking out six batters.

                                                          "I'm the Hero" - Giolito

The Good:

Jarren Duram was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 3 run home run.

Roman Anthony was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Mastaka Yoshida was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk, a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Isaiah Campbell allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had to beat up on the bad teams and they did just that. They've won 9 out of 10 games to get back in the race but now they are staring at the Tampa Bay Rays with third place on the line heading into the all-star break. The Sox took advantage of bad teams but at least they built momentum the last two weeks. The Sox have Walker Buehler, Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet lined up for Tampa with a wild card on Friday night. It might be Hunter Dobbins, it might be Cooper Criswell, it might even be Jordan Hicks. Still, Giolito continues to be everything they could have asked for out of a fourth starter and hopefully his arm holds up the rest of the season. The offense was great but....its Colorado. Now the hard part starts and we'll see what the Sox are made of. The win improved the Sox to 49-45, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have four huge games with the Rays before the All-Star break. Taking 3 of 4 would vault them into the second wild card. Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.25 ERA) has to step up tomorrow night against Taj Bradley of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Giants Rally Past Sox (6/22/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Hunter Dobbins was placed on the Injured List with an elbow strain and the Sox called up "Big" Dick Fitts to take his place. Hope Dobbins isn't out for too long.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, what an unmitigated disaster by the Red Sox. The Sox looked like their April/May selves as they dropped the game and the series to the San Francisco Giants. The Giants took a 2-1 lead on Lucas Giolito and the Sox but home runs by Rob Refsnyder and Romy Gonzalez put the Sox on top. A pair of home runs by Casey Schmitt and Mike Yastrzemski tied the game but Ceddanne Rafaela homered in the top of the sixth. Then it all fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as a routine grounder by Yaz turned into a go-ahead run scoring error by Gonzalez. Heliot Ramos cracked a 2 run double off Greg Weissert to ice the game. Willy Adames hit a home run for good measure as the Giants beat the Red Sox 9-5 at Oracle Park.

Giants starter Robbie Ray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to third to start. Roman Anthony walked but Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging. Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to left and Giants catcher Patrick Bailey failed to reach the mound on a routine throw, allowing Anthony to reach third. Jarren Duran popped up to Heliot Ramos who dropped the ball for an error, allowing Anthony to score. Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

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

Giolito got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Yastrzemski grounded back to the mound to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging on a high fastball and Ramos popped up to Nate Eaton at third to end the inning.

Abraham "El" Toro popped up to second to start the top of the second before Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center. Nate Eaton beat out a hustle single after a great stab by Casey Schmitt but Refsnyder popped up to Yaz to end the inning. Wilmer Flores lined out to right to start the bottom of the second before Jung Hoo Lee popped up to third. Willy Adames struck out swinging to end the inning.

Anthony struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Gonzalez watched strike three go by. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Schmitt lashed a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third and Duran ran into Eaton on a pop up by Patrick Bailey for an error on Eaton. Tyler Fitzgerald moved the runners over with a sacrifice bunt but Yaz hit a bullet to Toro at first. Giolito fell asleep at the wheel and Devers walked on a pitch clock violation to load the bases. Ramos dumped a base hit to left to score Schmitt and Bailey but Devers was caught in a rundown by Eaton to end the inning with the Giants up 2-1.

                                                          Giants take the lead

Duran flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Story struck out swinging. Toro got a base hit to center but was thrown out at home on a Rafaela double to right to end the inning. Flores walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Lee flied out to left. Adames grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Eaton singled to center to start. Refsnyder belted his 5th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Anthony struck out swinging but Gonzalez pounded his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Narvaez doubled to center but Duran flied out to center. Story flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Gonzalez gets the Wally head

The lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the fifth as Schmitt hit a home run all the way to San Diego to start. Bailey took strike three and Fitzgerald flied out to left, but Yaz hit a home run into the Pacific Ocean to tie the game. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                           Yaz ties it up

The Sox took the lead in the top of the sixth against Spencer Bivens. Toro grounded out to first but Rafaela crushed his eighth home run of the season to put the Sox back on top. Eaton took strike three and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                             Rafaela gets the lead back

Giolito returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Ramos struck out swinging to start. Flores went down hacking and Lee grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Giolito who tossed 6 innings allowing 4 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                     Not great but left with the lead

Erik Miller came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Anthony grounded back to the mound to start. Gonzalez walked but Narvaez flied out to center. Gonzalez got picked off to end the inning. Suddenly the Giants erupted against Greg Weissert in the bottom of the seventh and Adames singled to left to start. Schmitt doubled to right but Bailey grounded back to the mound. Fitzgerald dropped down a safety squeeze bunt to score Adames to tie the game despite getting thrown out at first. That was it for Weissert as Justin Wilson came in. Yaz hit a routine grounder to Gonzalez who booted it for an error to score Schmitt with the go-ahead run. Devers got a base hit to right and Ramos doubled home both runners to ice the game. That was it for Wilson as Zack Kelly got Flores to fly out to right to end the inning with the Giants up 8-5.

                                                              Giants take the lead

Tyler Rogers came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox lost their cool. Duran looked like he had a double when he slid into second base on a line drive to right, but was called out. The Sox challenged and replays showed he beat the tag.....but inexplicably the call was upheld. Both Duran and Cora chased second base umpire Doug Eddings around the infield throwing whatever they could find at him, both getting ejected. Story grounded back to the mound but Toro got a base hit to center which would have scored Duran. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                            "Yeah him, that umpire there. He SUCKS" - Cora

Marcelo Mayer took over for Duran for the bottom of the eighth and Lee flied out to center to start. Adames hit a home run all the way to New Zealand to increase the lead. Schmitt got a base hit to right and Bailey got a base hit to center. Fitzgerald beat out a double play ball and Yaz flied out to left to end the inning with the Giants up 9-5.

                                                             Adames with another home run

Randy Rodriguez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hamilton took strike three to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to left and Anthony walked. Wilyer Abreu punch hit for Gonzalez and Abreu popped up to third. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the game. The Giants had won it 9-5.

                                                             Giants win

Jackass of the Night is Romy Gonzalez. His error led to the Giants scoring 4 runs and putting the game away.

                                                          Nice error Jackass

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 5.

Abraham Toro was 2 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Nate Eaton was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Greg Weissert took the loss by allowing 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.

Justin Wilson was charged with 2 runs without getting an out.

Zack Kelly allowed 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with an error before he was ejected.

Lucas Giolito allowed 4 runs in just 6 innings but only 2 were earned. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks.

Honorable Mention:

Marcelo Mayer played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The key to the game was the Sox once again went 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position and leaving 8 men on base. The April/May Sox returned with a comedy of errors and failing to hit in the clutch. Only 4 of the 9 runs were earned and this was an unmitigated disaster. Duran was safe at second but him getting called out is a microcosm of this season where nothing goes right. For the first time since the Devers trade, the trade isn't looking too good since the Sox bats couldn't get a clutch hit. Maybe Devers gets one if he was here, who knows. The Sox have a chance to shake it off in the next week or so but could be getting ready to sell if they get their brains beat in. Giolito deserved better than this garbage effort by the defense. The Sox aren't going to beat the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays by booting the ball around like a little league team. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-39, 6 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Anaheim for a set with the Los Angeles Angels. Walker Buehler takes the ball against John Kochanowicz of the Angels. The game begins at 9:38 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.