Red Sox Crush White Sox (8/4/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. New additions Jake Rogers, Erik Miller and Eli White were activated for tonight's game while Romy Gonzalez was sent down to Worcester and Ryan Watson was designated for assignment. The Sox have a decision to make when Adley Rutschman is ready to either jettison Connor Wong or Rogers but in the meantime, they'll need both. Also to amend the Marcelo Mayer trade yesterday, the Sox also picked up 21 year old outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez who was hitting .271 with 9 home runs for the Single A Eugene Emeralds. Considering they never replaced James "Leroy Jethro" Tibbs, consider Carlos the replacement.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, think its time to start believing in the 2026 Boston Red Sox. After sweeping the back back to World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles the Sox picked up where they left off in demolishing the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 3.38 ERA) got his first win in 2 years by allowing 2 runs in 5 innings but the story of the game was the offense. Led by Caleb Durbin's grand slam off Chicago starter Davis Martin, a home run by Jarren Duran and two home runs by Wilyer Abreu, the BoSox exploded for 15 hits and 14 runs in this one. Erik Miller got a big out in the sixth inning before the BoSox pulled away and Brayan Bello earned his first save of the season with 3 scoreless innings. The Red Sox took a belt to the ass of the White Sox for their sixth straight win 14-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Russell Henley approves of the win

Sandoval got the ball in the top of the first inning and old pal Chase Meidroth struck out swinging to start. Munetaka Murakami took strike three but Miguel Vargas walked. Randal Grichuk flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox exploded against Martin in the bottom of the first as Nick Sogard doubled to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela was hit with a pitch and Sogard moved to third on the fly ball to center by Wilyer Abreu. Willson Contreras got a base hit to center to score Sogard and Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right to load the bases. Caleb Durbin belted a grand slam into the Monster Seats to increase the lead and Jarren Duran followed by demolishing his 15th home run of the year for back to back jacks. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit in the hole at third but Connor Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                      A grand salami for Durbin

Colson Montgomery singled off the glove of Rafaela to start the second inning but was doubled off first on a pop up to Sandoval by Joey Bart. Brenton Doyle flied out to center to end the inning. Sogard got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second but Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu walked but was thrown out at second on a fly ball to center by Contreras to end the inning.

Old farmhand Braden Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Luisangel Garcia got a base hit to right. Meidroth walked but Murakami struck out swinging. Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Yoshida popped up to third to start the bottom of the third but Durbin lashed a base hit to right. Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Grichuk doubled to start the top of the fourth but Colson Montgomery flied out to center. Bart struck out swinging but Doyle singled in the hole at short and Braden Montgomery walked to load the bases. On a 3-2 count....Acuna grounded out to second to end the inning.

Monasterio grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong grounded out to second. Sogard popped up to short to end the inning.

The White Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Meidroth got a base hit to left to start. Murakimi got a base hit to center to move Meidroth to third and Chase scored on the sac fly to left by Vargas. Grichuk grounded into a double play to end the inning with the White Sox down 6-1.

                                                       Vargas puts Chicago on the board

The Red Sox got the run back in the bottom of the fifth as Rafaela flied out to right. Abreu then clobbered his 18th home run of the season to increase the lead. Contreras took strike three and Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Abreu hits one out

Colson Montgomery walked to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Sandoval. He lasted 5 innings and allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and 4 walks, not the best command. Greg Weissert came in and promptly walked Bart. Sam Antonacci pinch hit for Doyle and forced Bart at second base to put runners at the corners. Braden Montgomery grounded out to second to score Colson and Tristan Peters pinch hit for Garcia. Erik Miller made his Sox debut by facing Peters and froze him for strike three to end the inning with the White Sox down 7-2.

                                                           Not great but it'll do

The BoSox exploded again in the bottom of the sixth as Durbin walked to start. Durbin immediately stole second and Duran got a base hit to center to move Caleb to third. That was it for Martin as Erick Fedde came in to pour gas on the fire. Duran stole second as well and Monasterio got a base hit up the middle to score both runners to ice the game. Wong flied out to right but Sogard walked. Rafaela doubled to left to score both runners and Contreras got a base hit to left to score Rafaela. Contreras took second on an error by Grichuk and he scored on the Yoshida double to center. Durbin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 13-2.

                                                             Rafaela adds to the lead

Anthony Seigler came in for Contreras and Brayan Bello came in to pitch the top of the seventh. Meidroth flied out to left and Murakami struck out swinging. Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the seventh and Monasterio grounded out to third. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Grichuk grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Colson Montgomery lined out to first. Bart grounded out to short to end the inning. The BoSox added the finishing touch in the bottom of the eighth as Sogard grounded out to first to start. Eli White pinch hit for Rafaela to make his Red Sox debut and grounded out to short, but Abreu launched his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Seigler grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 14-2.

                                                       Second home run for Abreu

Bello returned to close out the top of the ninth and Antonacci grounded out to first to start. Braden Montgomery grounded out to second and Peters grounded out to first to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 14-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His grand slam put the Sox up big the rest of the game.

                                                             Caleb Hero

The Good:

Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scord.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 home runs.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 or 4 with a home run, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Patrick Sandoval got his first win in 2 years by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball allowing 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.

Erik Miller struck out the only man he faced.

Brayan Bello earned his first save of the season with 3 hitless innings.

The Bad:

Eli White grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 1 in his only at-bat.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Greg Weissert allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox freight train keeps on rolling as they've now won six games in a row and eight of their last nine to give themselves a sizeable lead in the second wild card race. Even though the offense was supplied by the guys that have been here all along, one of the most important moments came when Erik Miller punched out Tristan Peters. That's what Chad Tracy and the Red Sox are looking for moving forward, a power lefty that can get guys out in pressure situations. Also Brayan Bello coming in to finish the game saved the the rest of the bullpen for tomorrow and with the dog days of summer approaching, guys like Bello are going to be important. Former manager Alex Cora burned the bullpen every year from 2021 to 2024 (2022 wasn't his fault) and Tracy needs to avoid that if the wants to compete come October. Its great to see the offense as a unit produce like that and they've come a long way since the end of May. Apart from Duran, no Sox starter is batting under .247, who saw that coming? Sox fans better appreciate and enjoy this run they're on because it might not last. However, if things keep going the way they are, we'll be thinking post-season matchups in about a month. The bad news was the New York Yankees won but the Cleveland Indians lost so the Sox are now five games in front of them for the second wild card. The Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the Colorado Rockies but the Sox are still THIS close to the best record in the American League and that would have seemed impossible on June 24th. The win improved the Sox to 61-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox look to make it seven straight wins and second straight against Chicago tomorrow night when Sonny Gray (13-2, 2.93 ERA) takes on Sean Burke of the White Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Knock Out A's in 10 Innings (7/29/26)

For five innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed to their second straight loss against the last place Sacramento A's. Patrick Sandoval lasted just 5 innings for the Sox allowing a Jonah Heim home run in the bottom of the second and a Lawrence Butler home run in the bottom of the fifth. The only run scored by the Sox was a Jahmai Jones home run in the top of the fifth. Then in the top of the sixth Nick Sogard drove in a run and the Red Sox bullpen stepped up big time to pitch shutout ball the rest of the way. After Aroldis Chapman (2-3, 1.77 ERA) finished the ninth, Andruw Monasterio blasted a 2 run home run in the top of the tenth to put the Sox on top. Greg Weissert struck out two of the three guys he faced to get the save and the Sox had won this one 4-2 in 10 innings at Sutter Health Park.

                                                             Sapphire approves of the win

Lopez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jahmai Jones walked to start Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu popped up to third, but Willson Contreras walked. Caleb Durbin popped up to third to end the inning. Sandoval got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson flied out to center to start. Nick Kurtz was hit with a pitch and moved to second on the Tommy White grounder back to the mound. Tyler Soderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jeff McNeil came in for Kurtz to start the top of the second and Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to right and Nick Sogard struck out swinging. Connor Wong popped up to second to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second as Jonah Heim hit a home run all the way to Washington DC to start. Colby Thomas struck out swinging but Henry Bolte walked. Bolte was thrown out at second trying to steal but Lawrence Butler walked. Alika Williams forced Butler at second to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                      Heim jacks one

Jones struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abreu lined out to left and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Wilson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and McNeil lined out to center. White struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Gonzalez popped up to short. Monasterio got a base hit to left and Sogard got a base hit to right to load the bases. Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning. Soderstrom struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Heim singled to right. Thomas popped up to second and Bolte struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Jones smashed his fourth home run of the season to start. Rafaela struck out swinging and Abreu did the same. Contreras went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Jones ties it up

The A's finished off Sandoval in the bottom of the fifth as Butler hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to start. Williams lined out to left but Wilson got a base hit to center. McNeil got a base hit to right but White struck out swinging. Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning with the A's up 2-1. Yeoman's effort from Sandoval to hold the A's to 2 runs in 5 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Sandoval goes five innings

The Sox fought back in the top of the sixth as Durbin got a base hit to left to start. Gonzalez flied out to right and that was it for Lopez. Hayden Juenger came in to pitch and Monasterio popped up to short. Sogard got a base hit to center to score Durbin to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Wong and grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Sogard drives in the tying run

Carlos Narvaez took over behind the plate with Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Heim popped up to third to start and Carlos Cortes pinch hit for Thomas. Cortes struck out swinging and Thomas grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jarren Duran pinch hit for Jones to start the top of the seventh and flied out to center. Rafaela doubled to center then moved to third on the Abreu grounder to first. Contreras walked to chase Juenger. Elvis Alvarado came in to pitch and Durbin walked to load the bases. Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Butler lined out to left to start. Donovan Walton pinch hit for Williams and flied out to center. Monasterio threw a ball away by Wilson for an error and McNeil singled to right to move Wilson to third. McNeil stole second but White struck out swinging to end the inning.

Monasterio was plunked to start the top of the eighth and took second on a balk. Sogard and Narvaez both struck out swinging to chase Alvarado. Brady Basso came in to get Duran to ground out to first to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Soderstrom flied out to left to start. Heim got a base hit to center but Cortes took strike three. Bolte forced Heim at second to end the inning.

Rafaela took strike three to start the top of the ninth and Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras singled to left and Durbin did the same. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Butler doubled to center to start. Walton dropped down a bunt to move Butler to third but Wilson struck out swinging. McNeil struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jose Suarez came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Gonzalez starting at second base. Monasterio clobbered his sixth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Sogard popped up to second, Narvaez flied out to center and Duran lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                           Sox take the lead

Greg Weissert came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with McNeil starting at second base. White took strike three, Soderstrom struck out swinging and Heim flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Andruw Monasterio. His 2 run home run put the Sox ahead for good.

                                                               Hero Monasterio

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Caleb Durbin was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Patrick Sandoval allowed just 2 runs in 5 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Greg Weissert earned his first save of the season with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

This has been a hell of a month and Sox fans don't want it to end. Just one month ago if other teams had the lead after 5 innings the game was over. Now they win games no matter what inning it is. Not only that, entrusting Greg Weissert with a man on base was suicide and now he gets them 1-2-3. The Sox with Weissert, Whitlock, Chapman, Slaten and Guerrero are five men deep and if Chad Tracy lets the starters go past 6 innings with a lead, the game is essentially over. Alex Cora used to burn the bullpen every single season by yanking guys after 5 and using the same 2 or 3 guys until they had nothing left. If Tracy wants to avoid a similar collapse (2021, 2023, 2024), he needs to trust his starters and rotate the bullpen. As for this game, 2 months ago everyone wanted Sox GM Craig Breslow fired for trading Kyle Harrison for Anthony Seigler, Durbin and Monasterio (and Owen Hull). Now Monasteiro is getting big hits in the later innings and Durbin went from hitting .166 on May 17 to .244 tonight. The team believes they can win and they're locked in. The bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays won but the good news is the New York Yankees lost. The Sox trimmed a 15 game lead on June 24 down to 4.5 and Yankee fans are starting to get rattled. This would be hilarious if the Sox pulled a reverse 1978. Hopefully the Sox can pull that off. The win improved the Sox to 56-51, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow night against the A's when Sonny Gray (12-2) takes on Mason Barnett of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM at Sutter Health Field.

Sox Edge Jays Late (7/24/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization made some roster moves. The Florida Complex Red Sox season ended and the Sox released three guys as soon as the final game was over. Venezuelan right handed pitchers Denison Sanchez and Yoelvin Chirino was released as well as 2025 14th round pick, right handed pitcher Carter Rasmussen. Chirino allowed 25 runs in 33 innings for the Complex Sox last year and 37 runs in 23 innings this year. That wasn't going to get it done. Sanchez at least had one moment in the sun when he was apart of a combined no-hitter but still allowed 24 runs in 21 innings. The 6 foot 5 Rasmussen was a head scratcher as he was AWFUL at Brown University when the Sox drafted him and he allowed 27 runs in 16 innings for the FCS. Goes to show Sox GM Craig Breslow can't turn everyone that's over 6'4 into a stud. Apart from a wasted draft pick, no big loss.

                                                                       OUT

As for the game, rarely this season are games considered "must win" but this was certainly one of them for the Red Sox. The Sox win streak was snapped on Wednesday night and contrarian Sox fans and radio hosts spent all of Thursday saying to sell the team, trade all the stars and blow up Fenway Park. Coming back against the Toronto Blue Jays was a must tonight, and they nearly blew it. Patrick Sandoval lasted just 4 2/3 innings but the Sox built a 4-0 lead. Anthony Seigler hit a leadoff home run off Trey Yesavage and two innings later Ceddanne Rafaela went yard. Andruw Monasterio hit a sac fly and things looked great with one out in the seventh inning....and it fell apart. Greg Weissert allowed a 3 run home run to Kazuma Okamoto in the seventh and Garrett Whitlock allowed the tying run to score in the eighth. Game over right? WRONG! Romy Gonzalez came off the bench to knock in a run and Seigler drove in yet another run to give the Sox the lead back. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had gotten back on the winning track with a 6-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                          Smarty Pants approves of the win

Sandoval got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ernie Clement immediately reached on an error by Patrick to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr flied out to left and Kazuma Okamoto took strike three. Clement took second on a wild pitch, George Springer walked and both runners moved over on a passed ball. Alejandro Kirk walked to load the bases but Davis Schneider took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Yesavage in the bottom of the first as Anthony Seigler smashed his third home run of the season to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu lined out to left, but Willson Contreras beat out a roller to old pal Luis Urias. Contreras stole second and Masataka Yoshida walked, but Caleb Durbin struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                         Seigler is fired up for this one

Daulton Varsho beat out a roller to second to start the top of the second but Urias struck out swinging. Myles Straw lined out to right and Clement lined out to short to end the inning. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Andruw Monasterio did the same. Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning.

Guerrero Jr popped up to first to start the top of the second and Okamoto grounded out to short. Springer flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Seigler got a base hit to left to start. Rafaela blasted his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras struck out swinging and Yoshida lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                         Rafaela gets a piece of one

Kirk got a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth but Schneider forced him at second. Varsho got a base hit to center but Urias popped up to first. Straw lined out to left to end the inning. Durbin took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Duran grounded out to first. Monasterio got a base hit to right but Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Clement grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth inning but Guerrero Jr got a base hit to left. Naturally Okamoto doubled to left but Springer hit one up the elevator shaft. That was it for Sandoval as Sox manager wasnt going go take any chances with a rested bullpen. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings but allowed no runs off 5 hits and 2 walks. Tyron Guerrero came in and Kirk flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                             Not great but it'll do

Mason Fluharty came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Seigler flied out to right to start. Rafaela and Abreu both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Nathan Lukes pinch hit for Schneider to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging. Rafaela made a great diving catch to rob Varsho of a hit and Urias grounded out to third to end the inning. Braydon Fisher came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Contreras struck out swinging to start. Yoshida walked, Durbin was hit with a pitch and Duran beat out a roller to short to load the bases. Monasterio hit a sac fly to center to score Yoshida to increase the lead and Wong got a base hit to left. Unfortunately Durbin was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                             Monasterio drives in a run

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yohendrick Pinango pinch hit for Straw. Pinango took strike three but Clement was hit with a pitch. Naturally Guerrero Jr got a base hit to center and Okamoto hot a home run all the way to Finland to cut the lead. Springer flied out to right and Kirk grounded out to short to end the inning but the Jays were back in it down 4-3.

                                                           Dammit

Jeff Hoffman came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Seigler doubled to left to start. Naturally Rafaela failed to get him over by grounding out to short but Abreu walked. Contreras flied out to center but Yoshida reached on an error by Guerrero to load the bases. Naturally Durbin grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The inevitable happened as Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock got tagged in the top of the eighth as Lukes doubled to left to start. Varsho got a base hit to right to move Lukes to third and Andres Gimenez pinch hit for Urias. Gimenez hit a sac fly to center to score Lukes to tie the game but Pinango struck out swinging. Clement flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                                Blue Jays tie it

CJ Van Eyk came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran got a base hit to left to start. Monasterio popped up to Guerrero and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Wong. Gonzalez doubled into the left field corner to score Duran to give the Sox the lead. Seigler doubled off the Monster to score Gonzalez and Rafaela got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. That was it for Van Eyk as Adam Macko came in to face Abreu. Abreu popped up to Clement and Contreras was intentionally walked to load the bases to get to Yoshida. Sox manager Chad Tracy countered by sending in Jahmai Jones to pinch hit. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                            Sox take the lead

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with Carlos Narvaez now behind the plate. Naturally Guerrero Jr walked but Okamoto struck out swinging. Springer flied out to center but Guerrero took second on defensive indifference. Kirk struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 6-4.

                                                              Sox win
                                                         

Hero of The Night is Romy Gonzalez. He came in ice cold off the bench and delivered the rbi to put the Sox up for good.

                                                                 Hero Gonzalez

The Good:

Anthony Seigler was 4 for 5 with a home run, 2 rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Patrick Sandoval tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings allowing 5 hits and 2 walks.

Tyron Guerrero tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 24th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Greg Weissert allowed a 3 run home run in the seventh.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and stole a base.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Honorable Mention:

Carlos Narvaez caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Talk about going from an easy victory to a potential heartbreaking loss to a gutty win. The Sox had this game in the bag with the bases empty and one out in the seventh inning and found a way to blow it. Between April and June you could have penciled in a ninth or tenth inning loss but these days the Sox find way to get it done. Romy Gonzalez comes in ice cold to deliver the big hit and a guy who slumped for 3 weeks getting the insurance knock wasn't happening 2 months ago. Too bad Sandoval couldn't go longer but like mentioned before, this was a must win game. Pundits and critics were saying for 48 hours that the Sox crashed back to earth and another loss might have justified their absurdity. Instead the Sox claw their way back to victory to shut them up. The bad news was both the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees lost so the Sox gained no ground on them, but the good news was Tampa beat Cleveland. Mostly due to games in hand, the Sox are now currently in possession of the second wild card even though the Indians have one more win than they do. The funny thing is the Sox have a better record than the AL West front runner Texas Rangers and are one game behind the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. Somehow in one calendar month the Sox went from one game in front of the Colorado Rockies for the worst record in baseball to the fourth best record in the American League. The Sox still have a lot of work to do and we're still one week from the trade deadline. Craig Breslow has to make a choice of doing nothing at the deadline and banking on the injured players coming back or sacrificing prospects to make a trade for a big bat. Either way things will work itself out in the next week or so. The win improved the Sox to 53-49, 6.5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays tomorrow afternoon in a battle of aces. Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) takes on Dylan Cease of Toronto. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Rays for 12th Straight Win (7/18/26)

In 1988 the Boston Red Sox won 12 straight games after Joe Morgan was named interim manger and 22 straight at Fenway Park. Well this year its Tracy's Turnaround as the Boston Red Sox went from 14 games out, last place and a 32-46 record to winning 17 out of 19, 12 straight and are just 7 games behind first place. The Sox made it three straight wins against the first place Tampa Bay Rays in one of the most exciting games of the year. The Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Patrick Sandoval and the Red Sox only for Jahmai Jones to get his first Fenway Park hit in the form of a game tying 2 run home run. A Wilyer Abreu home run put Boston ahead but the Rays rallied for 3 runs against Sandoval and 1 more against Ryan Watson (1-0, 4.62 ERA) to give the Rays a 6-3 lead. The Sox were 0-43 when trailing by 3 runs but tonight the Sox rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the seventh with Abreu hitting the 2 run killshot. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Rays 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Dallas Rea approves of the win

Sandoval got the ball in the top of the first inning after an hour long rain delay and Yandy Diaz walked to start. Jonny DeLuca struck out swinging and Junior Caminero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Ian Seymour got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Anthony Seigler struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to first but Wilyer Abreu walked. Willson Contreras flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Ryan Vilade doubled to left to start. Chandler SImpson hit a routine grounder to Seigler....thrown away for an error to allow Vilade to score. Ben Williamson struck out swinging and Victor Mesa Jr flied out to right, but Nick Fortes got a base hit to right to score Simpson. Richie Palacios grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rays up 2-0.

                                                         Rays strike first

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Romy Gonzalez grounded out to second to start. Caleb Durbin took strike three but Andruw Monasterio used ABS to change strike three to ball four. Jahmai Jones got his first hit with the Red Sox when he smashed his third home run of the season to tie game. Carlos Narvaez took strike to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                          Welcome to Boston

Diaz popped up to second to start the top of the third and Rafaela made a great diving catch to rob DeLuca of a triple. Caminero singled to right but Vilade struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the third as Seigler took strike three to start. Rafaela popped up to short but Abreu clocked his 14th home run of the season to put Boston ahead.

                                                              Abreu watches it go

The Rays struck back in the top of the fourth as Simpson doubled to center to start. Narvaez threw the ball away on a steal attempt and Simpson came home to tie the game on an error. Williamson grounded out to short but Mesa hit a home run into the Charles River to put Tampa ahead. Fortes struck out swinging but Palacios doubled to left. A passed ball moved Palacios to third and Richie scored on the Diaz base hit to left. DeLuca doubled to center but Diaz was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Rays up 5-3. 

                                                  Rays take command

Kevin Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Gonzalez was hit with a pitch to start. Durbin struck out swinging but Gonzalez stole third....only to get up from the slide and keep going where he was thrown out at third. That proved costly as Monasterio hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Jarren Duran pinch hit for Jones. Duran popped up to third to end the inning.

Sandoval returned for one final inning in the top of the fifth and Caminero grounded out to third to start. Vilade did the same and Simpson took strike three to end the inning. Sandoval got rocked for 5 runs in 5 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

                                                       He wasn't good enough

Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seigler grounded out to first. Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Williamson grounded out to first to start. Mesa Jr flied out to left and Fortes struck out swinging to end the inning. Casey Legumina came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left to start. Contreras was hit with a pitch but Gonzalez flied out to right. Durbin also flied out to right to end the inning.

The Rays struck again in the top of the seventh as Palacios struck out swinging to start. Diaz grounded out to short but DeLuca hit a home run all the way to Skyrim to increase the lead. Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays up 6-3.

                                                                The game looked over

Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the seventh as Monasterio doubled to left to start. Cole Sulser came in to pitch and Vilade threw a grounder away by Duran for an error to move Andruw to third. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez and grounded out to short to score Monasterio. Seigler struck out swinging but Rafaela doubled to center to score Duran. Garrett Cleavinger came in to pitch to Abreu and Wilyer responded by smashing his 15th home run of the season to put Boston ahead. Contreras walked but Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                          Sox jump in front

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Connor Wong behind the plate. Jonathan Aranda pinch hit for Vilade and flied out to left to start. Simpson lined out to left and Williamson grounded out to short to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Durbin popped up to first to start. Monasterio lined out to center and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Mesa Jr popped up to third to start. Fortes grounded out to third but Palacios walked. Taylor Walls ran for Palacios and immediately stole second. Diaz walked and Cedric Mullins ran for him. Both runners pulled off a double steal but DeLuca grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won their 12th straight game, 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Wilyer Abreu. He launched two home runs and the second put the Sox up for good.

                                                               Abreu Hero

The Good:

Willson Contreras was hit with a pitch and walked in four plate appearances.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jahmai Jones hit a 2 run home run in his only at bat.

Masataka Yoshida drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Patrick Sandoval allowed 5 runs in 5 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

The Ugly:

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

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Ryan Watson allowed a run but earned the win in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Are you a believer now? The last two weeks the Sox have been winning games in the fashion they weren't the first two months of the season. Yesterday Lou Merloni said a 2-0 lead for Tampa meant the game was over in April and May and the last two days the Sox rallied to win. This one was even bigger as the Sox hadn't won a game all year when trailing by three and they did it. The offense has finally come around even if today was simply the Wilyer Abreu & Andruw Monasterio show. Patrick Sandoval disappointed but he's still rusty after not pitching since 2024. If the Sox can survive his starts until he gets his wind back....or until Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early come back, they'll be in good shape. Jones showed why the Sox picked him up when he hit his home run off a lefty. Better late than never to replace Rob Refsnyder. Speaking of better late than never, Wilyer Abreu turned into 1967 Carl Yastrzemski the past few days and that's not going to last, but its been fun to watch. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles both won so the Sox didn't gain any ground on them, but they're already ahead of them anyway. This has been a hell of a run to get back in contention and if the Sox can get good pitching with even just this mediocre offense, they'll be contenders in the second half of the season. The win improved the Sox to 49-48, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep and 13th win in a row tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54 ERA) takes on Tampa's ace Shane McClanahan. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Edge White Sox For Sweep (7/9/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Ranger Suarez was put on the Injured List with a pulled groin and the Sox activated recently acquired infielder Brett Harris to take his spot. The Sox have just four games left until the all-star break so the Sox are going to limp toward the finish line so to speak. Willson Contreras also started serving his suspension so he's gone for five games.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                         IN

The bad news was without Willson Contreras the Red Sox offense reverted to April/May form scoring just 2 measly runs off 4 hits leaving 5 men on base. The good news was the returning Patrick Sandoval and the Boston bullpen held the Chicago White Sox to one lone run. Caleb Durbin hit a 2 run shot off Chicago starter Anthony Kay and Sandoval was superb through four innings. The White Sox rallied for a run off Sandoval but Tyron Guerrero (1-1, 2.45 ERA) snuffed it out in the fifth. Four relief pitchers shut the door with Aroldis Chapman locking it down in the ninth inning. The Red Sox swept the White Sox out of Chicago with a 2-1 win at Comiskey Park.

                                                     Jada Stevens approves of the win 

Kay got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to short but Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to center. Romy Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning. Sandoval made his Sox debut in the bottom of the first and Chase Meidroth popped up to short to start. Randal Grichuk popped up to first and Miguel Vargas took strike three to end the inning. 

Caleb Durbin lined out to right to start the top of the second and Andruw Monasterio took strike three. Nate Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning. Colson Montgomery singled to right to start the bottom of the second but Junior Perez struck out swining. Sam Antonacci struck out swinging but Braden Montgomery singled to center. Luisangel Acuna grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Brett Harris made his Sox debut by getting hit with a pitch to start the top of the third. Connor Wong beat out a roller to first and Seigler dropped down a bunt to advance the runners. Unfortunately Rafaela grounded out to short and Abreu lined out to left to end the inning. Drew Romo popped up to second to start the bottom of the third but Meidroth got a base hit to left. Grichuk struck out swinging and Vargas flied out to center to end the inning. 

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez walked to start. Durbin then launched his 9th home run of the season to put Boston ahead. Monasterio grounded out to short but Eaton walked. Harris grounded into a double play to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Durbin goes yard

Colson Montgomery got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Perez went down hacking. Antonacci flied out to center and Braden Montgomery flied out to right to end the inning. 

Wong grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Seigler popped up to short. Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. Acuna got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Romo popped up the bunt to first. A wild pitch moved Acuna to second and he stole third. Meidroth walked and that was it for Sandoval after just 65 pitches. Ge would be charged with a run in 4 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk. Tyron Guerrero came in amd Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Grichuk. Benintendi beat out a swinging bunt to score Acuna but Vargas flied out to center. Colson Montgomery popped up to third to end the inning with the ChiSox down 2-1.

                                                           Welcome back Sandoval

Abreu grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth but Gonzalez got a base hit to center. That was it for Kay as Jordan Hicks came in to pitch to Durbin. Caleb lined out to left and Monasterio did the same to end the inning. Tristan Peters pinch hit for Perez to start the bottom of the sixth and naturally got a base hit to right. Antonacci flied out to center and Braden Montgomery forced Peters at second. Jacob Gonzalez pinch hit for Acuna and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jarren Duran pinch hit for Eaton to start the top of the seventh and naturally struck out swinging. Harris grounded out to second and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Kyle Teel pinch hit for Romo. Teel took strike three and Meidroth did the same. Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning.

Grant Taylor came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Seigler walked to start. Rafaela forced Seigler at second and Abreu lined out to right. Gonzalez forced Rafaela at second to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran made a great sliding catch to rob Vargas of a double. Colson Montgomery grounded out to second and Peters took strike three to end the inning. 

Tyler Davis came in to pitch the top of the ninth ans Durbin popped up to short to start. Monasterio flied out to left but Duran walked. Duran was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Antonacci grounded out to second to start. Rafaela made a great diving catch to rob Braden Montgomery of a double and Gonzalez flied out to left to end the game. The BoSox had won it 2-1.

                                                              Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His 2 run home run was the difference in the game.

                                                                 Hero Durbin

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Nate Eaton walked in 2 plate appearances.

Jarren Duran walked in 2 plate appearances.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Patrick Sandoval allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning. 

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4.

Brett Harris was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Tyron Guerrero allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

The offense was stagnant but the pitching held the fort. The Sox are going to struggle the next four games with Contreras out but for now, things worked out in their favor. Sandoval was handled with kid gloves but still was only charged with one run. The three headed monster of Slaten, Whitlock and Chapman harken back to the days of Jeff Nelson, Mike Stanton and Ramiro Mendoza of the old New York Yankees. If the Sox can get to those three with the lead, the game is as good as over. Hopefully next time Sandoval can last longer. They're going to need him with 3/5 of the opening day rotation out. Hopefully the offense will be a bit better in the final three games before the break. The New York Yankees beat the the Tampa Bay Rays and the Toronto Blue Jays were off, so the Sox are technically tied with Toronto for third place. Its a small victory, but better than the alternative. The win improved the Sox to 43-48, 11 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to New York for a three game set against the struggling Mets. Sonny Gray (10-1, 2.61 ERA) takes on Nolan McLean of the Mets. The game begins at 7:15 at Citi Field.