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

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

                                                                       OUT

                                                               IN

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

                                          The Dangerous Alliance approves of the win

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

                                                                 Houston strikes first

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

                                                               Gonzalez steps up

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

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

                                                       Story gets the Wally head

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

                                                               Toro gets the Wally head

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

                                                               Buehler wasn't good enough

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

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

                                                            Good start for Matz

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

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

                                                             Yerrrrr out!

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

                                                        Another rbi for Story

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

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

                                                                 Sox win

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

                                                             Hero Story

The Good:

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

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk.

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

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Justin Wilson tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Bregman, Sox Edge Dodgers (7/27/25)

The bad news was Sox closer Aroldis Chapman left the game in the eighth inning in today's Boston Red Sox game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The good news was somehow the managed to win the game. For four innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed for yet another loss in this gauntlet run of NL playoff teams as they trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. Walker Buehler was lit up for 3 early runs and didn't even make it out of the fifth inning. Then the Sox stunned Dustin May and the dodgers as a Roman Anthony rbi triple and an Alex Bregman two run bomb put the Sox ahead. Like navigating shark infested waters, the Boston bullpen hung on despite the loss of Chapman. Ceddanne Rafaela turned a crucial unassisted double play in the eighth inning and the much maligned Jordan Hicks slammed the door in the ninth. The Sox had taken 2 of 3 from the Dodgers including this one 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                               Jennifer Love-Hewitt approves of the win

After a 40 minute rain delay, Buehler got the ball to start the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short but Shohei Ohtani walked. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging and Freddie Freeman flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first as Roman Anthony was plunked to start. Alex Bregman flied out to right but Jarren Duran lashed a base hit to right to move Roman to third. Trevor Story hit a sac fly to center to score Anthony and Michael Conforto dropped a pop up by Masataka Yoshida....which Duran only went to second because he forgot there was two outs. Naturally Carlos Narvaez forced Yoshida at second to end the inning with the Sox still up 1-0.

                                                      "I don't got it" - Conforto

Andy Pages lined out to right to start the top of the second before Conforto flied out to center. Anthony made a great jumping catch against the Monster on a Tommy Edman line drive to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abraham "El" Toro forced Rafaela at second but stole second base. Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.

Dalton Rushing grounded out to second to open the top of the third before Miguel Rojas walked. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but Ohtani got a base hit to center. Hernandez walked to load the bases and Freeman walked to score Rojas. Pages lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Dodgers tie it up

Bregman took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Duran struck out swinging. Story also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Dodgers took command in the top of the fourth as Conforto hit a home run into Lake Titicaca to start. Edman grounded out to first and Rushing lined out to second, but Rojas walked. Rojas swiped second and scored on the Mr. Mookie base hit to center. Ohtani got a base hit to right to move Betts to third but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-1.

                                             A familiar sight at Fenway, a Mookie Betts rbi

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Narvaez struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Freeman took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Pages was also frozen for strike three. Inexplicably that was it for Buehler as Brennan Bernardino was brought in to face Conforto with Buehler not eligible for the win. Conforto doubled to left and Edman walked, but Rushing flied out to left to end the inning. Buehler had allowed 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

                                                   Buehler deserved to face one more batter

Right on cue the Sox struck in the bottom of the fifth. Rafaela grounded out to short to start but El Toro got a base hit to center. Anthony hit a routine pop up down the left field line but Mr. Mookie lost it in the sun for a "triple" to score Toro. Bregman then launched his 13th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Duran lined out to center and Story lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                   May doing his Matrix impression

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rojas doubled to center to start. Mr. Mookie flied out to right, Ohtani struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Jack Dreyer came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida flied out to center to start. Narvaez struck out swinging and Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Freeman flied out to left to start. Pages flied out to right but Conforto hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Edman was hit with a pitch and Will Smith pinch hit for Rushing. Smith flied out to left to end the inning. Justin Wrobleski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela lined out to left to start. Toro was hit with a pitch and it looked like Anthony beat out a double play ball, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the call anyway. The call was upheld and Anthony took second on a wild pitch. Bregman walked to load the bases but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman for whatever reason was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Rojas walked to start. Mr. Mookie walked but Ohtani flied out to left. Suddenly the trainers came out to check on Chapman and he left the game. Uh oh.....Hyeseong Kim ran for Rojas as Jordan Hicks came in to pitch. Hernandez hit a bullet but right to Rafaela who drove on second base to double off Betts....safe. But wait! Sox manager Cora challenged the call and replays showed Betts was out, inning over. What a play by Rafaela.

                                                                 Its a game of inches

Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hicks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Freeman struck out swinging to start. Pages grounded out to short but Conforto walked. Esteury Ruiz ran for Conforto and swiped second base. Edman grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                          Red sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His unassisted double play killed the Dodgers rally and kept the Sox on top.

                                                 "Ceddy ya sonovagun" - Cora

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with an rbi, 2 runs scored and a hit by pitch.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Rob Refsnyder singled as a pinch hitter.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino got the final out of the fifth inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks earned his second save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Walker Buehler allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 5 walks.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Aroldis Chapman retired just one of the three batters he faced.

Final Thoughts:

Reports were Aroldis Chapman was throwing up in the bullpen and dealt with a bad back, at least his arm is fine. Otherwise, the Sox pulled out a gutty win against the world champs. Alex Bregman got the big time home run but the warts are beginning to show. The Sox bats have been relatively silenced since the All-Star break with Story, Rafaela and pretty much everyone but Anthony and Bregman slumping. Not only that, the bullpen was depleted with Cora inexplicably pulling Buehler with one out to go in the fifth inning. With Chapman down, Cora can't be going April/May mode or else the bullpen is going to be gassed again. Still, a good win is a good win and the Sox earned this one. The win improved the Sox to 57-50, 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row when they travel on the road to face the Twins tomorrow night. "Big" Dick Fitts (1-4, 4.86 ERA) takes on Simeon Woods-Richardson of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

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.

Sox Rally Past Rays (7/10/25)

Looks like the Boston Red Sox recent run wasn't just taking advantage of bad teams. Tonight the Sox brought their six game win streak and took on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox fell behind 3-1 after 6 innings as Taj Bradley held the Sox to just 1 run off a Roman Anthony rbi. Walker Buehler was tagged for a two run home run by Ha-Seong Kim and a Junior Caminero solo shot in 6 solid innings. Then in the bottom of the seventh the Sox sprang to life. Marcelo Mayer doubled home Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in both Mayer and Romy Gonzalez. The rested Boston bullpen of Chris Murphy (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door on the Rays in the final three innings. The Sox had just their 3rd win all season when trailing after 6 innings as they beat the Rays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Colin Morikawa approves of the win

Buehler got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz lined out to center to start. Jonathan Aranda got a base hit to right but Junior Caminero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Abraham "El" Toro popped up to short to end the inning.

Josh Lowe lined out to center to start the top of the second before Ha-Seong Kim grounded out to short. Chandler Simpson got a base hit to second then took third when Carlos Narvaez threw the ball away for an error. Christopher Morel walked and promptly stole second, but Matt Thaiss was retired on a squibber to end the inning. Narvaez took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Trevor Story popped up to second and Romy Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning.

Taylor Walls flied out to center to start the top of the third before Diaz flied out to right. Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Marcelo Mayer grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to left and took second on a wild pitch. Duran struck out swinging but Anthony got a base hit to right to score Rafaela. Anthony swiped second base and El Toro walked, but Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Another RBI for Anthony

The lead lasted about 10 seconds in the top of the fourth as Caminero was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Lowe walked and Kim hit a home run all the way to South Korea to put the Rays on top. Simpson grounded out to short and Morel lined out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 2-1.

                                                              Rays take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu grounded out to second to start. Story popped up to second and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Thaiss grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth before Walls grounded out to first. Diaz got a base hit to right but Aranda flied out to left to end the inning. Mayer grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fifth before Rafaela lined out to center. Duran walked and Anthony was retired on a squibber to end the inning.

The Rays iced the game in the top of the sixth as Caminero hit a home run all the way into the Nile River to start. Lowe walked but Kim struck out swinging. Simpson grounded back to the mound and Morel lined out to short to end the inning but the Rays were up 3-1. That was it for Buehler who turned in a "quality" start by going 6 innings and allowing 3 runs. Too bad the Sox couldn't score runs.

                                                       Not great but it'll do

The Sox continued their ineptitude in the bottom of the sixth with Jake Mangum now in left. El Toro grounded out to second, Narvaez popped up to second and Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Taj Bradley came into the game with an ERA near 5 and allowed just 2 hits and a run, pathetic.

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Thaiss grounded back to the mound to start. Walls singled to right but Diaz forced him at second. Aranda grounded out to second to end the inning. Bryan Baker came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and suddenly the Sox sprang to life. Story walked to start then promptly stole second. Gonzalez walked and Mayer doubled to left to score Story. Rafaela stepped up with a base hit to center to score both runners to put the Sox back on top. Rafaela stole second but Duran popped up to second. Anthony grounded out to second to move Ceddanne to third but El Toro struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                      Sox surge ahead

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Caminero struck out swinging to start. Lowe grounded out to short and Kim went down hacking to end the inning. Mason Englert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Narvaez grounded out to short to start. Abreu flied out to right and Story did the same to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with David Hamilton taking over for Toro to start. Simpson flied out to center to start but Mangum singled to center. Old pal Danny Jansen pinch hit for Thaiss and struck out swinging. Walls struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His 2 run single put the Sox up for good.

                                                               Our Hero

The Good:

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Walker Buehler tossed 6 innings allowing 3 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks.

Chris Murphy got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman got his 16th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and stole a base.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 wit a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but walked.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

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

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

The 7 game win streak and the monumental collapse by the Seattle Mariners tonight leaves the Sox all alone in the third wild card slot, a half game behind the Rays for the second and 3 games behind the New York Yankees for the first. The Sox have a chance to jump ahead of the Rays if they win two of the next three games. It'll be a tall order but not impossible with Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello due to pitch the first half finale. Buehler pitched better tonight and the Sox had only two wins all season when trailing after six. Mayer and Rafaela got the Sox ahead the rested bullpen locked it down. Big shoutout to Isaiah Campbell and Jorge Alcala for making that possible with last night's effort. The Sox are rolling right now and hopefully it carries over to the final three games before the all-star break. The good news is Alex Bregman returns tomorrow night but who comes out? David Hamilton or Marcelo Mayer is headed down to Worcester and it looks like Hunter Dobbins will be activated to start tomorrow night's game. Either Chris Murphy or Isaiah Campbell is gone. All in all tonight was a good win and Sox fans have hope for the first time since the three game sweep of the Yankees. The win improved the Sox to 50-35, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it eight wins in a row tomorrow night when Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 4.10 ERA) takes on Tampa's best, Drew Rasmussen at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Mariners Rout, Blank Sox (6/17/25)

So much for the post-Rafael Devers Boston Red Sox. After winning six straight games primarily due to their pitching, everything fell apart in tonight's game against the Seattle Mariners. The Mariners offense pulverized Walker Buehler (5-5, 5.95 ERA) for eight runs in just four innings to put the game away early. On top of that, the punchless Sox offense were shutout by Bryan Woo and the Mariners bullpen. Woo held the Sox to just one measly hit through seven innings and the Sox as a team struck out ten times. The feel good weekend turned into reality as the Mariners won the game 8-0 at T-Mobile Park. How many runs did the Sox get, John Cena?

Woo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Abraham Toro was hit with a pitch but Roman Anthony flied out to left. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and JP Crawford grounded out to first to start. Julio Rodriguez grounded out to second and Cal Raleigh singled to right. Jorge Polanco walked but Randy Arozarena forced him at second to end the inning.

Marcelo Mayer flied out to the centerfield wall to start the top of the second before Trevor Story struck out swinging. David Hamilton grounded out to short to end the inning. The Mariners exploded in the bottom of the second as Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez got a base hit to center to begin. Dominic Canzone flied out to center and somehow Tellez swiped second. Ben Williamson walked and Cole Young doubled to center. Tellez scored easily but Williamson was thrown out at home. Crawford and Rodriguez walked to load the bases and Raleigh iced the game early with a grand slam all the way to Oregon. Polanco grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-0.

                                                               This one's over

Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Arozarena flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Tellez took strike three. Canzone doubled to right and Williamson took strike three to end the inning.

El Toro grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Anthony struck out swinging. Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Mariners finished off Buehler in the bottom of the fourth as Young got a base hit to right to start. Crawford got a base hit to right to move Young to third and promptly stole second. Rodriguez grounded out to first but Raleigh doubled to right to score both runners. That was it for Buehler who would be charged with 8 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Zack Kelly came in and Raleigh stole third base easily. Polanco hit a sac fly to score Raleigh and Arozrena struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 8-0.

                                                   "I sucked today" - Buehler

Mayer got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth before Story popped up to first. Hamilton walked but Refsnyder struck out swinging. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. Tellez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Canzone grounded out to short. Williamson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to first to open the top of the sixth before El Toro grounded out to second. Anthony took strike three to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Young struck out swinging to start. Crawford walked and Rodriguez got a base hit to center, but Raleigh popped up to second. Polanco flied out to right to end the inning.

Narvaez walked to start the top of the seventh but Mayer grounded into a double play. Kristian Campbell pinch hit for Story and grounded out to short to end the inning. Nate Eaton came in for Duran in left with Jorge Alcala making his Sox debut in the bottom of the seventh Moore popped up to first, Tellez struck out swinging and Canzone grounded out to short to end the inning.

Miles Mastrobuoni took over for Rodriguez with Casey Lugumina in to pitch the top of the eighth. Hamilton grounded out to short, Refsnyder struck out swinging and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Luis Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Williamson grounded out to second to start. Young walked but Crawford lined out to right. Mastrobuoni flied out to right to end the inning.

Andres Munoz came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Eaton lined a base hit to center to start. El Toro struck out swinging, Anthony watched strike three go by and Narvaez forced Eaton at second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 8-0.

                                                        Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Walker Buehler. He got rocked for 8 runs in 3 1/3 innings off 8 hits and 4 walks.

                                                                Jackass Buehler

The Good:

Nate Eaton was 1 for 1 at the plate.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3.

Zack Kelly tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless inning.

Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless inning.

Luis Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3.

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

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

David Hamilton was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That game was an unmitigated disaster and its uncanny how Buehler is either one of the best in the game or straight batting practice with almost no in-between. He had no command of any of his pitches early in the game and when hitters figured out all he had was his fastball, they timed it. Still, even if Buehler pitched a shutout it wouldn't have mattered since the Sox got just TWO hits in the game. Nate Eaton off the bench got one of them. The loss of Rafael Devers looms large because with Triston Casas out for the season along with Wilyer Abreu and Alex Bregman still on the Injured List, the Sox have a severe lack of offense. They can't rely on utility players like Romy Gonzalez, Toro and Refsnyder for too long before a pitching slump dooms them. The only encouraging sign was the bullpen hasn't allowed a run in the series yet so....there's that. The loss dropped the Sox to 38-37, 5.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Mariners when Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.24 ERA) takes on Luis Castillo of Seattle. The game begins at 4:10 PM at T-Mobile Park.

Buehler, Mayer Key Victory Over Rays (6/11/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a trade. The Sox sent 21 year old shortstop Andy Lugo to the Minnesota Twins for relief pitcher Jorge Alcala. Lugo was hitting .265 with 4 home runs for the Greenville Drive while Alcala has an 8.88 ERA for the Twins this year. The hope is Alcala can rediscover the form he had last year when he posted a 3.24 ERA....but chances are, that was his one good year. At least they didn't trade three major league prospects for him this time.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                        IN

Don't look now but the last week or so, the Boston Red Sox have looked like a major league team for the first time all season. Tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays they played flawless defense with some big plays to keep the Rays off the board when the game got tight. "War Pig" Walker Buehler (5-4, 5.01 ERA) was a big help going 7 innings and allowing just 3 runs. The Sox woes with runners in scoring position continued but they had no problem hitting the ball out of the yard. Jarren Duran hit the first pitch old friend Zack Littell threw for a solo shot. Abraham "El" Toro added a solo shot of his own but the hero was Marcelo Mayer with not one but two solo blasts to keep the Sox in front. Greg Weissert escaped a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth for a big 4-3 victory over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                       Tiffani Chance approves of the win

Buehler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Josh Lowe flied out to center to start. Brandon Lowe doubled to right before moving to third on the Yandy Diaz grounder to second. Jonathan Aranda was hit with a pitch but Junior Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Littell when Jarren Duran crushed the first pitch he saw out of the yard for his fifth home run of the season. Rafael Devers was hit with a pitch and Abraham Toro got a base hit to left, but once again with runners in scoring position Carlos Narvaez forced Toro at second. Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Trevor Story flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Duran puts the Sox up early

The lead lasted exactly one second as Jake Mangum got a base hit to left to start the top of the second. Matt Thaiss got a base hit to right to move Mangum to third and Kameron Misner walked to load the bases with nobody out. Taylor Walls flied out to right. Josh Lowe just barely beat out a double play ball to score Mangum with the tying run. Josh stole second base but Brandon Lowe grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                Rays tie it

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Marcelo Mayer crushed his first Fenway Park home run to put Boston back on top. Kristian Campbell grounded out to short but Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to right. Once again with a runner in scoring position, Duran flied out to left and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox led 2-1 but was 0-4 with runners in scoring position.

                                                           First Fenway homer

Buehler settled down in the top of the third as Diaz lined out to center to start. Aranda popped up to short and Caminero struck out swinging to end the inning. Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Narvaez grounded out to short. Anthony grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Mangum grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Thaiss was rung up for strike three. Misner struck out swinging to end the inning. Story grounded out to second to open the bottom of the fourth before Mayer belted his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Campbell struck out swinging but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Rafaela stole second but once again with a runner in scoring position, Duran struck out swinging. The Sox led 3-1 but was now 0 for 5.

                                                           Mayer gets the Wally Head

The lead once again evaporated in record time in the top of the fifth as Walls got a base hit to center to start. Josh Lowe struck out looking and Walls was thrown out at second trying to steal. Brandon Lowe beat out a roller to Buehler and Diaz hit a home run all the way into the Charles River to tie the game. Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                          Rays tie it

The Sox wasted no time getting the lead back in the bottom of the fifth. Devers struck out swinging but El Toro launched his fifth home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Narvaez popped up to short and Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                          El Toro gets the Wally Head

The Sox got a big lift on a hell of a play by Story to rob Caminero of a base hit to start the top of the sixth. Mangum grounded out to first and Thaiss struck out swinging to end the inning. Story flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Mayer struck out swinging. Campbell doubled to right to put another runner in scoring position......and Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning. 0 for 6 and counting.

Buehler returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Misner struck out swinging. Walls popped up to second and Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning. Apart from the one mistake to Diaz, Buehler was great. He held the Rays to 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

                                                          Buehler gets the job done

Mason Montgomery came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Devers grounded back to the mound and Toro grounded out to short to end the inning.

David Hamilton took over at second base for Campbell with Justin Wilson now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Brandon Lowe flied out to left but Diaz got a base hit to right. Jose Caballero ran for Diaz and Aranda was hit with a pitch to chase Wilson. Greg Weissert came in to put the fire out and got a boost when the alert Narvaez gunned down Caballero trying to steal third. That proved big when Caminero walked and Mangum singled off the glove of Greg to load the bases. Weissert punched out Thaiss swinging to end the inning.

                                                Weissert with the big strikeout

The Sox completed their situational hitting ineptitude in the bottom of the eighth with Eric Orze on the mound. Narvaez doubled to center and Anthony moved him to third with a grounder to first. Naturally both Story grounded out to third and Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning. 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position....yikes.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Christopher Morel punch hit for Minser. Morel grounded out to third before Walls struck out swinging. Josh Lowe also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Marcelo Mayer. His two solo home runs were the difference in the game.

                                                       Trevor story salutes our Hero

The Good:

Abraham Toro was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Kristian Campbell was 1 for 3.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a stolen base.

Walker Buehler got the win by tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

Justin Wilson got the first out of the eighth inning.

Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 but threw out a runner.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Amazing what happens when the Red Sox defense doesn't throw up on themselves. The Sox looked like a real team this week against the Rays and New York Yankees and taking 2 of 3 from both at least gives them something to build on. They still went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position but the pitching and defense held up. Story's throw to first, Narvaez throwing out a runner, Weissert striking out Thaiss, all of it played into the win. Buehler going 7 with one mistake to Diaz was also a big help. The problem this season is they just can't seem to build momentum. They got a chance to get back in the AL East race and so far they've taken 4 of 6 from New York and Tampa. They got another series with New York coming up on Friday and its very important they don't stink this weekend. The win improved the Sox to 34-36, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox get another crack at the Yankees on home soil. "War Pig" Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA) will be waiting against Captain TBD of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.