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.

Sox Lose Controversial Game in Extras (7/21/25)

Legendary manager Casey Stengal once said his New York Mets invented new ways to lose you never knew you existed before. Tonight the Boston Red Sox would have made him proud. The Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies battled to a 2-2 tie going into extra innings. After the Sox once again failed to score in the top of the 10th, the Phillies loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame against Jordan Hicks. It looked like Edmundo Sosa struck out looking when home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott jumped up and down and said ballgame over. Carlos Narvaez was called for catcher's interference and the Phillies had won. The outcome ruined a great start by Walker Buehler, surviving a Zack Wheeler start and superb pitching from the bullpen as the Phillies took the game 3-2 at Citizens Bank Park.

                                       Sox fans want to borrow the ice pack after this one

Wheeler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran sent the first pitch into the stands for his ninth home run of the season. Alex Bregman grounded out to short, Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Trevor Story grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Sox strike first

Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trea Turner grounded out to short to start. Kyle Schwarber flied out to left but Bryce Harper doubled to right. Nick Castellanos grounded out to short to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Ceddanne Rafaela singled to left. Rafaela swiped second but Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging and Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third to end the inning. JT Realmuto flied out to right to open the bottom of the second before Brandon Marsh got a base hit to center. Otto Kemp grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Abraham Toro doubled to left to start the top of the third and Duran was hit with a pitch. On a 3-1 count, Bregman grounded into a double play. Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning and that was the turning point. Max Kepler singled to right to open the bottom of the third before Bryson Stott lined out to center. Turner banged into a double play to end the inning.

Story struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Abreu flied out to left. Rafaela got a base hit inside the bag at third but was thrown out at second to end the inning. The Phillies struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Schwarber took strike three to start. Harper doubled to right and Castellanos singled to left to score Bryce. A passed ball moved Castellanos to second and he scored on the Realmuto base hit to center. Marsh struck out swinging but Realmuto stole second on the play. Kemp grounded out to third to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-1.

                                                            Phillies take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Mayer struck out swinging to start. Narvaez went down hacking and El Toro flied out to center to end the inning. Kepler lined out to a running Mayer to start the bottom of the fifth. Stott grounded out to second but Turner walked. Schwarber grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Duran struck out swinging to start. Bregman got a base hit down the third base line and Anthony doubled to right. Story ripped a base hit to left to score Bregman and move Anthony to third. Abreu struck out swinging but Story swiped second base. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Story ties it

Harper grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Castellanos flied out to right. Realmuto struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tanner Banks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Mayer. Gonzalez struck out swinging before Narvaez went down hacking as well. Toro walked but Duran lined out to left to end the inning. Marsh struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Kemp grounded out to short. Kepler grounded out to first to end the inning. That was it for Buehler who allowed just 2 runs in 7 strong innings. He gave up 6 hits and a walk while striking out four.

                                                                Buehler was great

Orion Kerkering came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bregman flied out to center to start. Anthony took strike three but Story got a base hit to center. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sosa got a base hit to center to start. Turner lined out to left and Schwarber flied out to left, but Sosa moved to second on a wild pitch. Harper sturck out swinging to end the inning.

Old friend Matt Strahm came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Rafaela flied out to center to start. Gonzalez flied out to left but Narvaez walked. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Toro and struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Castellanos struck out swinging to start. Realmuto and Marsh both went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox blew the game in the top of the 10th with Refsnyder starting at second and Max Lazar now on the mound. Rather than drop down a bunt, Duran struck out swinging. Bregman grounded out to short to move Rob to third and Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning. Just terrible situational baseball. Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Marsh starting on second base. Kemp walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Hicks was intentionally walked and it looked like Sosa struck out looking, but home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott ruled catcher's interference on Narvaez. Marsh was sent home to end the game with the Phillies winning 3-2.

                                                        Imagine losing a game on this

Jackass of the Night is Carlos Narvaez. The Sox were headed for disaster but getting called for interference is inexcusable.

                                                            Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Walker Bueher tossed 7 innings and allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jordan Hicks took the loss by allowing the winning run in the 10th off 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a solo home run.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Of all the ways to lose a game but the game was really lost long before that. The Sox inability to hit in the clutch has been garbage mostly all season but especially in extra innings. The Sox are now 0-7 in extra innings on the road and the killer comes from Alex Cora himself. When asked why he never plays small ball, Alex responded "We play for 2". How can you get 2 when you don't even get one? That's also an indictment on the pitchers that he doesn't trust them to hold a 1 run lead. Either Cora's gotta go or just blow the team up at this point. You wasted a great start by Walker Buehler to match Zack Wheeler and you couldn't score a run against the bullpen. All in all its just one loss after another piling up against a good team and its fairly obvious the talent divide between playoff bound teams and the Red Sox. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-38, 6 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when "Big" Dick Fitts (1-3) takes on Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Citizens Bank Park.

Crochet, Sox Stomp Cubs (7/20/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a minor league signing. Old pal Roberto Hernandez was signed as a minor league free agent after getting cut from the Scranton RailRaiders. Hernandez spent 3 years as a catcher in Worcester from 2021 to 2023 before moving on in 2024. Like mentioned yesterday, he can't possibly be any worse than Connor Wong.....right?

                                                                  Welcome back

As for the game, thank goodness for Garrett Crochet (11-4, 2.19 ERA). After the Red Sox dropped the first two games to the NL Central leading Chicago Cubs, the Sox needed a stopper. Crochet once again picked the team up on his back, tossing 6 innings and allowing just 1 run. Meanwhile for six innings the Boston Red Sox were held in check by Cade Horton. Going into the top of the seventh the Sox had scored 1 run in 24 innings. Then they exploded. Wilyer Abreu hit a 2 run bomb off Ryan Pressly in the seventh to put Boston on top. Then Alex Bregman hit a pinch hit three run home run to ice the game in the eighth. Abreu hit another home run for good measure and the Sox took the game 6-1 at Wrigley Field.

                                               Scottie Scheffler approves of the win

Horton got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Roman Anthony got a base hit to right but Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nico Hoerner greeted him with a base hit to center. Kyle Tucker struck out swinging but Hoerner swiped second. Seiya Suzuki grounded back to the mound to send Hoerner to third but Carson Kelly grounded out to first to end the inning.

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Wilyer Abreu grounded out to short. Carlos Narvaez also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Cubs struck first in the bottom of the second as Pete Crow-Armstrong doubled to right to start. Dansby Swanson got a base hit in the hole at short and PCA was thrown out at third in a rundown trying to steal. Swanson moved to second on the play and he scored on the Ian Happ base hit to right. Old pal Justin Turner flied out to right and Happ got thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Cubs up 1-0.

                                                        Cubs strike first again

Marcelo Mayer lined out to left to start the top of the third before Romy Gonzalez grounded back to the mound. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Shaw singled to center to start the bottom of the third before Duran made a sliding catch to rob Hoerner of a hit. Tucker grounded out to first and Suzuki popped up to third to end the inning.

Anthony walked to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela popped up to first. Yoshida lined out to right and Story lined out to left to end the inning. Kelly took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and PCA went down hacking. Swanson got a base hit to left but Happ flied out to left to end the inning.

Abreu walked to start the top of the fifth but Narvaez struck out swinging. It looked like Abreu had stolen second but Cubs manager Craig Counsell challenged that he was out. Sure enough, replays overturned the call and naturally Mayer got a base hit to center. Tucker then made a great diving catch to rob Gonzalez of a hit to end the inning. Turner grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth then Shaw did the same. Hoerner got a base hit to left before Tucker walked. Suzuki walked to load the bases but Kelly forced Suzuki at second to end the inning.

Duran walked to start the top of the sixth before moving to second on the grounder to third by Anthony. Rafaela grounded out to third and that was it for Horton. Caleb Thielbar struck out Yoshida swinging to end the inning. Crochet returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and PCA doubled to right to start. Swanson struck out swinging and Happ grounded out to third. A wild pitch moved PCA to third but Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Crochet had held the Cubs to just 1 run in 6 innings off 8 hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Crochet gets it done

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh against Ryan Pressly. Story walked and Abreu hit his 19th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Narvaez took strike three, Mayer flied out to center and Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-1.

                                                      Boston takes the lead

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock took over for the bottom of the seventh and Michael Busch pinch hit for Shaw. Busch struck out swinging but Rafaela booted a grounder by Hoerner for an error. Tucker grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Drew Pomeranz came in for the top of the eighth and Duran walked to start. Anthony singled to center but was forced at second by Rafaela. Alex Bregman pinch hit for Yoshida and blasted his 12th home run of the season to ice the game. That was it for Pomeranz as Ethan Roberts came in to pitch. Story flied out to center but Abreu launched his 20th home run of the season for good measure. Narvaez doubled to center but Mayer flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                       THAT'S how you pinch hit

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Suzuki took strike three to start. Kelly lined out to left and PCA popped up to short to end the inning.

Brooks Kriske came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Duran flied out to right and Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning. Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Swanson struck out swinging to start. Happ flied out to right and Turner lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wilyer Abreu. His two run home run put the Sox ahead and he hit another one for good measure.

                                                             Home run Hero

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Alex Bregman hit a pinch hit 3 run home run.

Garrett Crochet got the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

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

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Better late than never. Going into the seventh inning the Sox had scored just 1 run in 24 innings this series. Then with a snap of a finger Abreu and Bregman go off and the Sox never look back. Crochet did a good job but kudos to Whitlock and the others for holding the fort as well. Anthony continues to look like he belongs and if Bregman ever gets healthy, good things will happen. Crochet continues his march toward the AL Cy Young Award, hopefully he can stay upright the next two months as well. The Sox are running into a gauntlet and need a strong showing against Philadelphia and Los Angeles if they want to keep their spot in the wild card race. The Tampa Bay Rays lost as well so the Sox at least gain a game on them. The win improved the Sox to 54-47, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Philadelphia to play Dave Dombrowski's Phillies. Tomorrow night Walker Buehler takes on Phillies ace Zack Wheeler. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Citizen's Bank 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.

Bello, Sox Sweep Rays For 10th Straight (7/13/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Blake Sabol was traded to the Chicago White Sox for a big brown sack full of money. After Carlos Narvaez broke out, Sabol was expendable. Since Sox brass refuses to cut Connor Wong because he's last man standing from the Mookie Betts trade, Sabol was the one sent to Chicago. The Sox have Nathan Hickey in AAA in case someone else gets hurt or they finally tell Wong to beat it.

                                                                           OUT

As for the game, say hello to the hottest team in baseball heading into the All-Star break. The Boston Red Sox had swept the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies coming into this series with the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox won three straight games and needed one more to win 10 games in a row. They got it as timely hitting and great pitching by Brayan Bello (6-3, 3.14 ERA) kept the Sox in the game. An obstruction call on Marcelo Mayer and a Trevor Story rbi put the Sox ahead before Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two run shot to put the game away. Bello gave way to Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman to slam the door. Chapman blew away the side in the ninth as the Sox won 10 straight games and this one 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Freya Von Doom approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first and Chandler Simpson grounded out to short to start. Jonathan Aranda took strike three and Yandy Diaz lined out to right. Pepiot got the ball in the bottom off the first inning and Jarren Duran singled to center to start. Alex Bregman popped up to third and Duran got promptly picked off. Roman Anthony grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jake Mangum grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Josh Lowe grounded out to second. Junior Caminero singled to left but Matt Thaiss flied out to right to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Trevor Story flied out to right. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rays goofed in the top of the third as Ha-Seong Kim flied out to right to start. Taylor Walls flied out to left but Story bobbled a grounder by Simpson for an infield single. Aranda was hit with a pitch but Diaz lofted a ball to Rafaela. Ceddanne dove and it looked like he made the catch, but he dropped it. Simpson pulled up thinking the ball was caught but then realized it wasn't. Before he could cross home plate, Aranda was thrown out at third to end the inning.

The Sox caught another break in the bottom of the third as Marcelo Mayer doubled to the bullpen wall to start. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third and Connor Wong grounded out to second to move Mayer to third. Mayer looked like he was picked off, but third base umpire Scott Barry ruled that Caminero obstructed Mayer with his right leg so Marcelo was allowed to score. Duran walked but Bregman popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         "He's safe" - Barry

The lead lasted 8 seconds as Mangum doubled to left to start the top of the fourth. A wild pitch moved Mangum to third and he scored on the liner to right by Lowe. Caminero grounded out to third and Thaiss grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                          Lowe ties the game

Anthony flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth before Yoshida grounded out to first. Story got a base hit to left but Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox bad defense reared its ugly head as Kim popped up to first to start the top of the fifth. Walls got a base hit to center and Bello booted a grounder by Simpson for an error. Aranda struck out swinging and Diaz popped up to right to end the inning. Mayer grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth before Gonzalez grounded out to third. Somehow Wong got a seeing eye single into right but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mangum struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Lowe golfed a pop up to center. Caminero struck out swinging to end the inning. Bregman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Anthony doubled off the top of the Monster. Anthony moved to third on the Yoshida grounder to first and scored on the Story line drive single off the Monster. Story promptly stole second and Rafaela smashed a home run that hit the top of the Monster and bounced into the seats. Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                        Rafaela gets the Wally Head

Bello returned for the top of the seventh and naturally Thaiss sliced a base hit to left to start. Kim managed to foul balls off both his legs before taking strike three. That was it for Bello who pitched a hell of a game, going 6 2/3 innings allowing 1 run without walking anyone. Justin Wilson came in and Walls grounded out to short to move Thaiss to second. Simpson grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                            "Bello ya sonovagun, good game" - Cora

Ian Seymour came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Curtis Mead coming in for the beat up Kim. Gonzalez grounded out to short, Wong took strike three and Duran flied out to center to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Aranda was called out on strike three on the outside corner to start. Diaz lined a base hit past Mayer and Mangum beat out an infield single to short. Lowe forced Mangum at second to put runners at the corners but Caminero struck out swinging to end the inning. Bregman got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but was forced at second by Anthony. Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Christopher Morel pinch hit for Thaiss. Morel struck out swinging on a hanging slider and Chapman blew away Mead. Walls also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had swept the series, won 10 straight and took the game 4-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brayan Bello. He held the Rays to just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings allowing 6 hits and no walks while striking out 5.

                                                           Hero Bello

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Justin Wilson got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 17th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4.

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

Final Thoughts:

The Sox are absolutely rolling heading into the All-Star break after winning 10 in a row. The pitching has been lights out and credit Alex Cora for finally letting the starters go longer. Bello going the distance last game and into the seventh today shortens the game tremendously. If and when Justin Slaten comes back, this bullpen might be one of the best in the game. Ceddanne Rafaela and Trevor Story have stepped up in the wake of Rafael Devers getting traded and the returns of Alex Bregman and Masataka Yoshida will give them two more contact hitters. The Sox are starting to develop an identity on offense and if they can avoid any more key injuries, they can come out of the gate firing this Friday in Chicago. The Sox were pretty much dead on June 29th but winning 13 out of 14 brought them back into the thick of things. There's still rumors of the Sox dealing Duran, Chapman and possibly Bregman, but winning cures everything. If the Sox come out of the break continuing to win, they might be buyers at the trade deadline in a few weeks. All in all it was a great win today and the Sox did what they had to do to get back in the race. The win improved the Sox to 53-45, 3 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. The Sox come out of the break this Friday taking on the Chicago Cubs in Chicago. Lucas Giolito (6-1, 3.36 ERA) takes on Colin Rea of the Cubs. The game begins at 2:20 PM at Wrigley Field.

Crochet, Sox Blank Rays (7/12/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unfortunate roster mover. The MRI showed Hunter Dobbins tore his ACL and would be out for the rest of the season. He was placed on the Injured List and "Big" Dick Fitts was called up to replace him. With Quinn Priester gone and Kutter Crawford already out for the season, pitching depth was becoming an issue. Now with Dobbins out, they either need to trade for another starter or ride with a 3-4-5 of Brayan Bello, Walker Buehler and Fitts. Sox GM Craig Breslow has 3 weeks to make a choice.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, you can say the Red Sox got little for the Quinn Priester, Chris Sale and Rafael Devers trades but one that did work out was getting Garrett Crochet (10-4, 2.23 ERA). The ace of the Sox stepped up big to run their win streak to nine straight games when he shut down the Tampa Bay Rays. After having two weeks of non-stop offense, the Sox bats were held to just 5 hits and a run by Shane Baz and Edwin Uceta. A Carlos Narvaez rbi in the fourth would be Boston's only run of the game. Turns out that's all they needed as Crochet pitched a complete game, 3 hit shutout for the first time in his career.  Garrett didn't walk anyone and the defense made no errors so Tampa didn't have a chance at all the entire game. The Sox found a way to win a one run game, 3 in a row against Tampa and 9 straight overall as they blanked the Rays 1-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Krosis approves of the win

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first and Yandy Diaz took strike three to start. Ha-Seong Kim struck out swinging but Jake Mangum grounded out to third to end the inning. Baz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran popped up to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to center then promptly stole second. Roman Anthony walked but Carlos Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Junior Caminero struck out swinging to begin the top of the second but Christopher Morel flied out to right. Curtis Mead got a base hit to right and Danny Jansen flied out to left to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Trevor Story flied out to right. Wilyer Abreu was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Jose Caballero struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Taylor Walls lined out to center. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third but Marcelo Mayer walked. Duran flied out to right and Mayer was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Kim grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Mangum lined out to Rafaela. Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Rafaela grounded back to the mound to start. Anthony doubled to right and Navarez hit a seeing eye single into left to score Roman. Yoshida hit a bullet right to Kim who doubled off Narvaez to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Narvaez drives in a run

Morel grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Mead did the same. Jansen struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Story doubled to right to begin. Abreu struck out swinging, El Toro popped up to third and Mayer flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rays only threat came in the top of the sixth when Caballero popped up to short to start. Walls got a base hit to right and Diaz got a base hit to center to move Walls to third. Kim then tried a suicide squeeze bunt to first and El Toro came home instead of get the easy out......YERR OUTTA THERE! Rays manager challenged that Walls was safe but the call was upheld. Mangum grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                                   OUT!

Duran doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Rafaela popped up to first. Anthony grounded out to short and Caballero made a great catch to rob Narvaez of a hit to end the inning.

Caminero struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Story made a great diving stab on a Morel liner. Mead struck out swinging to end the inning. Yoshida was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the seventh but Story struck out swinging to end Shane Baz' day. Edwin Uceta struck out Abreu swinging but Yoshida stole second. El Toro struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jansen struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth and Caballero was rung up for strike three. Walls grounded out to short to end the inning. The only question now was would Sox manager Alex Cora go with Crochet to finish it or go with Aroldis Chapman? Mayer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth but Duran drew a walk. Rafaela struck out swinging but Duran swiped second base. Anthony grounded out to second to end the inning.

Crochet returned to complete the game in the top of the ninth and Diaz grounded back to him to start. Kim was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Abreu snared a liner by Mangum to end the game. Crochet had gone the distance and the Sox held on to win 1-0.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is Garrett Crochet. He tossed a complete game, 3 hit shutout with no walks and striking out 9 batters.

                                                             Garrett Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

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

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a walk but stole a base.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Things are firing on all cylinders right now and the Sox in this epic win streak have found ways to win that they weren't for much of April and May. Rallying to beat the Rays twice and then winning a one run game like this one weren't happening. The Sox still make errors but today was as flawless as it got. Story with the big stab, Toro coming home to preserve the shutout and some difficult catches were made. The Sox bats went silent for the first time in two weeks but still found a way to win. Crochet is definitely making a march on the AL Cy Young Award and more importantly, the Sox took another baby step toward October. Even though this is a July regular season game, The Sox will very likely match up against the other team's ace in Game 1 of the playoffs if they make it that far. Having Crochet pitch games like this gives them a chance to beat anyone whether its the AL leading Detroit Tigers or the Seattle Mariners who bumped Tampa out of the third slot. The Sox bats were due for a let down but Crochet picked them up big time. Better yet, the complete game saved the bullpen for tomorrow's finale so a four game sweep and 10 wins in a row is on the table. The Sox looked dead in the water and sellers at the trade deadline when they were 41-44 and coming off a 4-8 stretch after the Devers trade. Since then they've won 12 of their last 13 and today's win improved them to 52-45, 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the series and win 10 games in a row tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (5-3, 3.27 ERA) takes on Ryan Pepiot of Tampa. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.