Sox Annihilate Twins (7/30/25)

Before the game there was some organizational moves made. David Sandlin (the guy they got for John Schreiber) and Connelly Early were promoted to Worcester and the Salem Red Sox released Nathanael Cruz. Early and Peyton Tolle are the big time lefties in the organization right now and Sandlin was 5-4 with a 3.61 ERA for the Portland Sea Dogs. With the draft class of 2024 bumping up to Salem, everybody is moving up, down or out. The 22 year old Cruz was 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA. With some of the class of 2025 making their debuts this season, he was the odd man out.

                                                                 Bye bye Cruz

As for the game, very few wins this year have been considered easy due to the inconsistent offense or bullpen woes. This game was was a laugher and a half as the Boston bats woke up to pound Zebby Matthews and the Minnesota Twins for 16 hits and 13 runs. Masataka Yoshida, Romy Gonzalez, Jarren Duran and Trevor Story all went yard with Yoshida and Gonzalez driving in 3 runs apiece. Duran drove in four total runs as the bats feasted. On the other side of the ball, Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA) held the Twins to just 5 hits and 1 run in 7 strong innings. The Sox led 8-1 after 6 and added 5 more runs to run away with this one 13-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Ethan Page approves of the win

Matthews got the ball in the top of the first and Roman Anthony flied out to center to start. Abraham "El" Toro popped up to short and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trevor Larnach flied out to right to start. Brooks Lee grounded out to second but Kody Clemens walked. Ryan Jeffers got a base hit to left and Clemens tried to score from first. Ceddanne Rafaela threw home.....YOU'RE OUT! Clemens was out at home to end the inning.

                                                      You're out, you dummy

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Trevor Story belted his 17th home run of the season to begin. Wilyer Abreu took strike three but Romy Gonzalez got a base hit to center. Masataka Yoshida flied out to right and Rafaela lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                          Story goes yard

The lead lasted 10 seconds in the bottom of the second as Willi Castro flied out to right to start. Royce Lewis grounded out to third but Matt Wallner hit a home run all the way to Michigan to tie the game. Harrison Bader struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Home run for Wallner

Connor Wong surprised everyone with a double to right to start the top of the third and Anthony got a base hit to right to move him to third. El Toro hit a sac fly to left to score Wong to put the Sox back on top but Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                               Toro hits a sac fly

DeShawn Keirsey Jr grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third but Larnach walked. Lee flied out to center but Clemens walked on four pitches not even close. Jeffers popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Story doubled to left to start. Abreu popped up to short and Gonzalez struck out swinging, but Yoshida's strike three ball got away allowing him to make first. Story moved to third on the wild pitch and Yoshida swiped second. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. Castro grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Lewis lined out to right. Wallner grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Wong got a base hit to center to start. Anthony doubled to right but El Toro grounded out to short. Duran got a base hit to center to score both runners and chase Matthews. Justin Topa came in and Story walked, but Abreu struck out swinging. Gonzalez walked to load the bases and Yoshida singled to right to score Duran and Story. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                        Yoshida drives in a pair

Bader got a base hit in the hole at short to start the bottom of the fifth before Keirsey Jr took strike three. Larnach got a base hit to center to move Bader to third but Lee grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Noah Davis came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Wong grounded out to third to start. Anthony was hit with a pitch but El Toro lined out to short. Duran clobbered his 11th home run of the season to turn this game into a laugher. Story took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                          Duran hits one out

Clemens flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Jeffers grounded out to short. Castro lined out to short to end the inning.

Abreu flied out to center to start the top of the seventh but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Bello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Lewis grounded out to third to start. Wallner walked and Bader got a base hit to left, but Keirsey Jr took strike three. Larnach took strike three to end the inning. Bello was masterful, tossing 7 innings allowing just the 1 run on 5 hits.

                                                             Bello was great

Cole Sands came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Wong walked but Anthony struck out swinging. Keirsey made a great sliding catch to rob Toro of a hit to end the inning. Chris Murphy came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with David Hamilton now at short. Lee grounded out to third, Clemens grounded out to first and Jeffers popped up to short to end the inning.

Griffin Jax came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Ty France coming in for Castro. Duran doubled to right and Hamilton got a base hit to right to move Duran to third. Abreu got a base hit to right to score Duran and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli said screw this game. Infielder Kody Clemens made like his father Roger and came in to pitch with Mickey Gasper taking his previous spot. Gonzalez hit a three run home run followed by Yoshida's first home run of the season. Rafaela got a base hit to center before Wong flied out to center. Anthony flied out to center and El Toro forced Rafaela at second to end the inning with the Sox up 13-1.

                     Pitcher named Clemens on the mounds....where have we seen that before?

Murphy returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and France flied out to right to start. Lewis popped up to second and Wallner grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-1.

                                                       Sox win

Hero of the Night is Brayan Bello. He dominated the Twins for 7 innings allowing just 1 run off 5 hits and 4 walks.

                                                               Bello Hero

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 2 for 5 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a home run, 4 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 total runs scored.

David Hamilton singled and scored in his only at-bat.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 3 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Chris Murphy tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Abraham Toro was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

There's only been a handful of games where you can sit back and just go ahhhhhh, this was one of them, The way Bello was pitching, the game was over in the 5th inning. It was nice to see the Sox add to the lead so the game didn't get tight. Now the bullpen is totally rested for the Houston Astros this Friday. It was nice to see Yoshida go yard even if it was against Kody Clemens. Maybe that'll help him get his power stroke back. The offense did what they had to do to win 2 out of 3 but Monday's loss is the difference between a good series and a five game win streak. The Toronto Blue Jays narrowly defeated the Baltimore Orioles so the Sox gained no ground there. Still, it was an easy win and now the Sox can rest for a day before taking on Houston. The trade deadline tomorrow and rumors are swirling that they'll make a move, that they won't make a move, etc. Either way the Sox need to do something if they want to play in October or they could trade Duran & Aroldis Chapman and play for next year. Whatever they do, Sox GM Craig Breslow better be prepared to explain either way. He can't afford to have another deadline like last year where all four pickups didn't even make it out of August while the prospects they traded made their ML debuts. The win improved the Sox to 59-51, 5 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox are back in action Friday night against the Astros when Captain TBD of the Sox takes on Hunter Brown of Houston. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outlast Twins (7/29/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. "Big" Dick Fitts was sent back to Worcester and Cooper Criswell was called up to take his place. Can't predict 3 starters being lost for the season but the Quinn Priester trade is looking REAL bad right now since all that pitching depth was supposed to prevent seeing the likes of Criswell again. Sox have 3 days to make a move or else they're going to have to go with this down the stretch.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, the Boston bats woke up for one game at least against the Minnesota Twins. The Twins called up Pierson Ohl to make his major league debut and the Sox jumped on him. Roman Anthony and Alex Bregman drove in runs before Trevor Story belted a two run home run to give the Sox a cushion. Lucas Giolito (7-2, 3.80 ERA) gave the Sox 6 much needed innings surrendering just one run in the process. Jarren Duran also went yard and Ceddanne Rafaela drove in runs but the Boston bullpen faltered again. Justin Wilson allowed a 2 run bomb to Brooks Lee but rbis from Story and Wilyer Abreu put the game away. Jorge Alcala allowed a 2 run home run in the ninth to Brooks Lee but Aroldis Chapman blew away Mickey Gasper to end it. The Sox had won the game 8-5 at Target Field.

                                                   Lindsay Lohan approves of the win

Ohl got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Alex Bregman struck out swinging and Jarren Duran had a stand up triple....but stopped at second base for no reason. Didn't matter anyway as Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins wasted no time threatening Giolito in the in the bottom of the first as Trebor Larnach walked to start. Carlos Correa singled to center but Willi Castro struck out swinging. Royce Lewis lined out to left and Kody Clemens lined out to center to end the inning.

More ineptitude in the top of the second as Harrison Bader outright robbed Wilyer Abreu of a home run. Carlos Narvaez popped up to second and Abraham "El" Toro flied out to center to end the inning. Ty France grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Matt Wallner got a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved Wallner to second but Harrison Bader struck out swinging. Christian Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Brooks Lee had to come in for Carlos Correa to start the top of the third and the Sox struck. David Hamilton grounded out to first but Ceddanne Rafaela tripled into the centerfield gap. Anthony struck a base hit to center to score Rafaela and Bregman drove a line drive to left, misplayed by Castro. Anthony scored and Bregman got a "double". Duran struck out swinging but Story belted his 16th home run of the season to increase the lead. Abreu walked but Narvaez lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                            Story gets the Wally head

Larnarch popped up to third to start the bottom of the third before Lee grounded out to first. Castro was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

Michael Tonkin came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Toro was hit with a pitch to start. Hamilton lined out to left, Rafaela lined out to center and Anthony grounded out to second to end the inning. Lewis grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Clemens flied out to right. France lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another one in the top of the fourth although Bregman flied out to right to start. Duran clobbered his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead but Story struck out swinging. Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                       Duran causing some turbulence

The Twins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Wallner flied out to center to start. Bader got a base hit and Vazquez was hit with a pitch, but Larnach struck out swinging. Lee got a base hit to center...under the glove of Rafaela. Bader scored and the runners moved into scoring position. Castro grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins down 5-1.

                                                     Twins get a run back

The Sox got that run right back in the top of the sixth against Kody Funderburk. Narvaez singled to left but Toro pounded a ground rule double down the right field line. Hamilton struck out swinging and Rafaela hit a sac fly to center to score Narvaez. Anthony walked but Bregman popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Lewis popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Clemens popped up to second. France got a base hit to center and Wallner walked, but Bader went down hacking to end the inning. Giolito tossed 6 solid innings allowing 1 run off 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                          Good work by Giolito

Duran walked to start the top of the seventh and promptly stole second. Story grounded out to short and Abreu grounded out to second to move Duran to third. Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to vomit up his intestines in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez flied out to left to start. Ryan Jeffers pinch hit for Larnach and got a base hit to center. Lee then hit a home run all the way to Aruba to cut the lead. Rafaela absolutely robbed Castro of a sure triple with a diving catch and Lewis struck out to end the inning with the Twins down 6-3.

                                                           Great catch by Rafaela

Cole Sands came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Toro grounded out to first to start. Hamilton flied out to right and Rafaela grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Clemens got a base hit to right. France struck out swinging, Wallner struck out swinging and Bader popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance in the top of the ninth with Louis Varland on the mound. It looked like Anthony had beaten out a grounder to first, but the Twins challenged the call. Replays ruled Anthony out but Lewis booted a grounder by Bregman. Duran flied out to left but Story doubled to right to score Bregman. Abreu doubled to right to score Story and Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                Abreu's turn to cause some turbulence

Jorge Alcala was brought in to close out the bottom of the ninth and failed. Vazquez flied out to center but Story booted a grounder by Jeffers. Lee hit yet another home run all the way to New Mexico, but Castro struck out swinging. Lewis got a base hit to left and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. Aroldis Chapman was summoned to finish it and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Clemens. Chapman blew away Gasper on 3 pitches to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Lucas Giolito. The Sox desperately needed a good start to save the bullpen and he went 6 innings allowing just the 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 5.

                                                             Gio-Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run, a stolen base, and a walk.

Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 19th save by striking out Gasper to end it.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Wilson allowed a 2 run home run in the seventh.

Jorge Alcala allowed a 2 run home run in the ninth.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and sored a run.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored two runs.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Once again this game was a half glass empty or full situation. The Sox bats woke up but pessimists can say they beat up a rookie making his debut and a bad bullpen. Still, you HAVE to win games like this and they got the job done. Now that the story has come out, the whole airplane thing and part of the bullpen woes came from the plane ride to Minnesota from Boston. Apparently the plane damn near crashed and the turbulence caused motion sickness to both Chapman and Whitlock. The Sox used it as a rallying cry any time they got on base tonight. Also explains why Whitlock and Chapman were absent last night. Fans were expecting the worse then Chapman left with a bad back on Sunday but he looks okay now. The most important part was the Sox built the lead rather than sit on it for once. They might have beat up on a bad team, but hopefully it woke them up. The Baltimore Orioles swept a doubleheader against the Toronto Blue Jays so the Sox gained some ground on the Jays. The Detroit Tigers also have been inconsistent lately so believe it or not, the Sox are literally 5 games out from the best record in the American League. This year is wide open and the Sox can blow the doors off the hinges by adding another starter at the trade deadline. Peyton Tolle and Connelly Early tore up Portland this season and Kyson Witherspoon might be a stud, but if the Sox want to win now, one of them must go. Unless they hope that Patrick Sandoval can magically appear out of thin air and save the season. They have 3 days left to figure it out. The win improved the Sox to 58-51, 5 games behind the Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) takes on Zebby Mathews of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:10 Eastern time at Target Field.

Sox Drop Game To Mother Nature, Twins (7/28/25)

Of all the ways to lose a game, the Boston Red Sox were upended by not only the Minnesota Twins but mother nature as well. Mostly it was due to Alex Cora's pure stupidity but the facts are the Sox were trailing 2-0 when "Big" Dick Fitts escaped a bases loaded jam in the fourth. Despite being down Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, Sox manager Alex Cora still yanked him after four and after the bullpen tossed nearly 5 full innings yesterday. Alex Bregman put the Sox on top with a 3 run bomb in the fifth but Cora had Jorge Alcala pitch the sixth, where the Twins tied the game. The Sox took the lead in the top of the ninth on a Roman Anthony rbi single, but then the rains came. 90 minutes later Jordan Hicks was thrust into the closer's role and he fell apart. Brooks Lee drove in the winning runs to win the game 5-4 at Target Field.

                                                      "CORAAAAAA!!!!"

The Sox blew a rally immediately in the top of the first against Woods-Richardson as Roman Anthony singled off of Simeon. Woods threw the ball away allowing Roman to take second and Anthony took third when Alex Bregman lined one off of Woods as well. Jarren Duran had a 3-0 count but struck out swinging and Trevor Story popped up to left. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Fitts got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trevor Larnach lined out to short to begin. Willi Castro lined out to right and Carlos Corrrea lined out to short to end the inning with Fitts throwing just 6 pitches.

Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third to start the top of the second before Wilyer Abreu flied out to left. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning. Kody Clemens got a base hit to right to begin the bottom of the second but Royce Lewis flied out to center. Matt Wallner struck out swinging and Ty France forced Clemens at second to end the inning.

Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Anthony walked. Bregman popped up to second and Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Naturally the opposing team scored first as old pal Christian Vazquez walked to start the bottom of the third. DaShawn Keirsey Jr then hit a home run all the way to Seattle to put the Twins up. Larnach walked but Castro forced him at second. Correa grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                          Twins strike first

Story struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Yoshida got a base hit to center. Narvaez lined out to left but Abreu got a base hit to right to move Yoshida to third. Abreu stole second but Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Fitts got in trouble in the bottom of the fourth as Clemens walked to start. Lewis got a base hit to left and Wallner singled to center to load the bases with nobody out. France struck out swinging and Vazquez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Fitts pulled the Houdini but was out after just 4 innings and 2 runs allowed.

                                                            Fitts pulls the Houdini

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as El Toro singled to center to start. Anthony walked and Bregman pulverized his 14th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Duran doubled to center but Story struck out swinging. Yoshida grounded out to second to move Duran to third and Justin Topa came in to face Narvaez. Carlos grounded out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                           Another Breggy Bomb

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Keirsey Jr took strike three to start. Larnach grounded out to third but Castro was hit with a pitch. Castro swiped second but Correa struck out swinging to end the inning.

Abreu got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the Rafaela grounder to third. Toro grounded out to second to move Abreu to third but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Clemens flied out to center to start. Lewis got a base hit to center and Harrison Bader pinch hit for Wallner. Rather than let Murphy finish, Cora brought in Jorge Alcala to face him. A wild pitch and a passed ball moved Lewis to third and Bader walked. Bader stole second and France walked to load the bases. Vazquez hit a sac fly to center to score Lewis but Keirsey Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                          Vazquez ties it

Griffin Jax came in to dominate the top of the seventh as Bregman struck out swinging to start. Duran struck out swinging and Story grounded out to third to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and old pal Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Larnach. Gasper walked but Castro flied out to left. Correa got a base hit to left and Brooks Lee pinch hit for Clemens. Lee struck out swinging and once again Cora overmanaged by bringing in Greg Weissert. Lewis popped up to first to end the inning.

Brock Stewart came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Narvaez struck out swinging but Lewis missed a pop up by Abreu for a "double". Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Bader popped up to first to start the bottom of the eighth before France flied out to center. Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jhoan Duran came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Toro walked to start. David Hamilton ran for Toro and stole second. Hamilton stole third and Anthony drilled a base hit to center to score him to put Boston on top. All of a sudden it started raining and Bregman flied out to center. Anthony was thrown out at second trying to steal and Duran walked. Duran stole second but Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3. Then it started raining....and raining....

                                                            Anthony drives in a run.

After nearly a ninety minute long rain delay, Jordan Hicks came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Romy Gonzalez now in for Anthony. Naturally Keirsey Jr got a base hit to right to start and Gasper was hit with a pitch. Castro was hit with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out, but Correa forced Keirsey Jr at home on a grounder to third. Lee did the honors with a 2 run single to walkoff the Red Sox 5-4.

                                                             Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Jordan Hicks. He got shelled in the ninth inning to lose the game.

                                                             Jordan Jackass

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Alex Bregman was  for 5 with a 3 run home run.

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a stolen base.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Hamilton stole two bases and scored a run as a pinch runner.

Brennan Bernardino got the first two outs of the seventh inning.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Murphy was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dick Fitts allowed just 2 runs but in just 4 innings of work.

Jorge Alcala allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Romy Gonzalez played first base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

This one was on Cora as it was the bullpen. The Sox were down Aroldis Chapman (bad back) and Garrett Whitlock (stomach bug) and Cora STILL pulled Fitts after 4 and asked his depleted bullpen to throw another 5 innings. Jorge Alcala and Jordan Hicks failing isn't surprising because that's why they had ERAs over 6. The injury to Justin Slaten and the ineffectiveness of Luis Guerrero has Alcala in this position even if its unfair. Some fans are saying Hicks getting up and down to warm up multiple times due to the rain delay screwed up his rhythm but still, he couldn't find the plate at all. The offense is still lost apart from Bregman and Anthony but this was a very winnable game. That's the difference in winning another series 2 out of 3 and a five game win streak. Bottom line is Cora can't be blamed for trying to make due with the roster of backups and cheap relief options, but managing every game like its Game 7 of the world series is not sustainable. The Sox better make some moves at the deadline because this team is going to crash and burn if they don't. The loss dropped the Sox to 57-51, 6 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when Lucas Giolito (6-2, 3.97 ERA) takes on rookie Pierson Ohl making his ML debut. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

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.

Crochet Outduels Kershaw, Sox Beats Dodgers (7/26/25)

Now that's more like it. After the Boston Red Sox got throttled by the Los Angeles Dodgers last night, the Sox turned the tables in tonight's highly anticipated pitching matchup of aces. Clayton Kershaw was beaten by Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23 ERA) as Garrett held the Dodgers to just 2 runs in 6 strong innings. Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernandez hit two first inning home runs but a Jarren Duran triple and an Abraham Toro sac fly put the Sox on top in the second inning. The game remained tight although the Sox got an insurance run when Roman Anthony doubled in a run in the fifth. After Crochet left, Justin Wilson, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door on LA. The Sox had taken the monster match 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                       The late Hulk Hogan approves of the win

The Dodgers wasted no time in the top of the first as Shohei Ohtani hit the first pitch of the game into the Charles River to put the Dodgers up just like that. Will Smith struck out swinging but Teoscar Hernandez then launched a home run over the Mass Pike to seemingly ice the game already. Freddie Freeman got a base hit to left but was thrown out at third on a base hit to left by Andy Pages. Tommy Edman lined out to center to end the inning with the Dodgers up 2-0.

                                                      That didn't take long

Kershaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Alex Bregman popped up to first but Roman Anthony walked. Romy Gonzalez forced Anthony at second to end the inning.

Miguel Rojas lined out to left to start the top of the second before Esteury Ruiz struck out swinging. Hyeseong Kim singled off the glove of Abraham Toro but Ohtani struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story walked to start. Carlos Narvaez doubled to center and Jarren Duran tripled into the centerfield triangle to tie the game. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to short but Toro hit a sac fly to center to score Duran. Refsynder grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-2.

                                                 Duran shows us how many runs he drove in

Smith walked to start the top of the third before moving to second on the grounder to Crochet by Hernandez. Freeman grounded out to second to move Smith to third but Pages struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Bregman singled down the third base line to start. Anthony got a base hit to right but Gonzalez grounded into a double play. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

Edman got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth before Rojas struck out swinging. Ruiz forced Edman at second but Kim singled off the globe of Gonzalez to move Ruiz to third. Ohtani struck out swinging to end the inning. Kershaw cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Narvaez took strike three to begin. Duran popped up to short and Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Hernandez walked. Freeman struck out swinging and Hernandez was thrown out at second trying to steal second to end the inning. The Sox got a big run in the bottom of the fifth as Toro grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder grounded out to third but Bregman singled to center. Anthony doubled to left to score Bregman with another run. That was it for Kershaw as Edgardo Henriguez came in to face Gonzalez. Romy grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                         RBI double for Anthony

Crochet came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth and Pages took strike three to start. Edman struck out swinging but Rojas singled to left. Ruiz popped up to second to end the inning. That was it for Crochet who tossed six solid innings allowing just the two home runs to start the game. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 batters.

                                                           Crochet gets it done

Alexis Diaz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Story watched strike three go by to start. Narvaez flied out to right but Duran hit a triple to right. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Kim went down hacking to start. Ohtani struck out swinging and Smith got a base hit to center....only to get thrown out at second trying to stretch a double by Rafaela to end the inning. Will Klein came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Toro took strike three to start. Refsnyder got a base hit inside the bag at third base and David Hamilton pinch ran for him. Bregman got a base hit to right and Anthony walked to load the bases, then Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Gonzalez. The gamble backfired as Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Freeman struck out swinging and Pages grounded out to short to end the inning. Kirby Yates came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story flied out to right to start. Narvaez flied out to center and Duran doubled to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Edman flied out to center to start. Rojas flied out to right but Ruiz walked. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts pinch hit Mookie Betts for Kim. In a surreal moment at Fenway, Chapman struck Betts out looking to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He held the world champs to just 2 runs in 6 innings of work, moving closer to the Cy Young Award by allowing just 2 runs on 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10.

                                                           Hero Crochet

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Roman Anthony was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 18th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton ran for Refsnyder in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox to not only drop the world champs but have Crochet outpitch Kershaw. This season has a very 1998-99 feel to it with Crochet in the role of Pedro Martinez stopping a losing streak or preventing one. The offense still isn't lighting it up and it might be time to consider some trade options for another bat considering most of the offense are backups. Yandy Diaz is rumored to be on the trade block and the Sox have to do SOMETHING considering Triston Casas and Rafael Devers were replaced with Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro. Still, the offense did just enough to get the job done and the bullpen was lights out. Once the game gets to the eighth inning, its pretty much over the way Whitlock and Chapman have been this season. If Jordan Hicks can harness that 100 mph fastball, he might be the 7th inning guy they need with Justin Slaten down and Greg Weissert being inconsistent. Crochet needs just 8 more wins to become the Sox first 20 game winner since Rick Porcello back in 2016 and he's got two months to get it done. All in all the Sox needed this win to keep pace in race and they did. The win improved the Sox to 56-50, 7.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow afternoon when ex-Dodger Walker Buehler (6-6, 5.72 ERA) takes on Dustin May of LA. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Dodgers Drop Sox (7/25/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Marcelo Mayer has been placed on the Injured List with a wrist sprain and the Sox called up David Hamilton to replace him. Mayer was struggling but the real story is they called up Hamilton instead of Vaughn Grissom. The Chris Sale trade will forever haunt the Red Sox mostly because Grissom's career totally evaporated. Good news for Hamilton though.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Red Sox once again failed to beat a good team as the defending world champion Los Angeles Dodgers stomped a mud-hole in the Sox. Emmet Sheehan held the Sox to just 2 runs in 5 innings of work and the Sox had just 2 hits the rest of the game. Meanwhile Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) got lit up for 3 runs before leaving in the sixth inning. The Sox did claw back to make it 3-2 but Sox manager Alex Cora foolishly sent Jorge Alcala to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Teoscar Hernandez launched a two run home run to ice the game. The Sox failed to touch the bullpen and the Sox dropped to 2-5 on this National League stretch by dropping this game 5-2 at Fenway Park.

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Shohei Ohtani struck out swinging to start. Will Smith lined out to left and Freddie Freeman flied out to center to end the inning. Sheehan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran walked to start. Alex Bregman moved Duran to second with a grounder to second and Roman Anthony walked. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Masataka Yoshida did the same to end the inning.

Alex Bregman made a great stab to rob Teoscar Henrandez of a base hit in the top of the second but Andy Pages doubled to center. Michael Conferto grounded out to first to move Pages to third and Tommy Edman singled in the hole at short to put the Dodgers up already. Hyeseong Kim struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 1-0 Dodgers.

                                                      Edman drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center to start. Wilyer Abreu popped up to short and Abraham Toro grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Dodgers iced the game in the top of the third as Miguel Rojas lined out to short to start. Ohtani got a base hit to right and Smith also got a base hit to right. Freeman got a base hit to center to load the bases and Hernandez walked home Ohtani. Pages hit a sac fly to right to score Smith but Freeman was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-0.

                                                            Dodgers pour it on

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Connor Wong doubled to left to start. Duran got a base hit to right to score Wong and Bregman doubled to left to score Duran. That was it as Anthony lined out to second, Story popped up to second and Yoshida popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                      Sox are back in it

Conforto grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Edman flied out to right. Kim struck out swinging to end the inning. Rafaela struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Abreu whiffed as well. Toro took strike three to end the inning.

Rojas grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Ohtani walked. Smith got a base hit to left to move Ohtani to third but Freeman struck out swinging. Hernandez also went down hacking to end the inning. Wong lined out to center to open the bottom of the fifth before Duran flied out to left. Bregman lined out to left to end the inning.

Pages flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Bello after 98 pitches. He allowed 3 runs in just 5 1/3 innings but once again got no run support. Chris Murphy came in to pitch and Conforto greeted him with a double to center. A wild pitch moved Conforto to third but Edman grounded out to third. Kim struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                   Bello got no run support again

Anthony Banda came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Anthony grounded out to third to start. Story flied out to center but Yoshida got a base hit to left. Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning.

Rojas grounded back to the mound to start the top of the seventh inning before Ohtani struck out swinging. Smith struck out swinging to end the inning. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Abreu and struck out swinging. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Toro and grounded out to second. Edgardo Henriquez came in to pitch to Wong and Connor flied out to left to end the inning.

Freeman got a base hit to center to start the top of the eighth and Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Jorge Alcala to pitch to Hernandez. Bad move.....Hernandez hit a home run all the way to New Jersey to ice the game. Pages got a base hit to right and the Sox pulled off a strike em out, throw em out double play. Edman popped up to second to end the inning with the Dodgers ahead 5-2.

                                                             Hernandez with the killshot

James Outman took over for Herandez with Alex Vesia now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Duran took strike three, Bregman grounded out to short and Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kim struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Rojas walked. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch and Ohtani hit one up the elevator shaft. Smith grounded to second to end the inning. Ben Casparius came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Story doubled to left to start. Yoshida grounded out to third and Rafaela flied out to center, but Gonzalez was hit with a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate.

Jackass of the Night should be Alex Cora but its Jorge Alcala. His two run bomb surrendered to Hernandez iced the game.

                                                           Jackass Alcala watches it go

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Romy Gonzalez was hit with a pitch in two at-bats.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino got the final 2 outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Roman Anthony was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brayan Bello took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Chris Murphy was charged with a run in 1 2/3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The talent difference between the National League teams the Red Sox have faced and themselves is appalling. They aren't scoring runs and the starters are getting jumped on early in almost every single game. The pitchers aren't putting the bats in a position to win but the bats have gone silent. The fact they're a team of utility players and downsliding sluggers is catching up to them. Having Gonzalez, Refsnyder and Toro as starters because Rafael Devers is gone, Kristian Campbell fell flat on his face and Triston Casas is out for the season isn't sustainable. This one was also on Cora for putting Jorge Alcala in a high leverage situation when historically that's a bad idea. It was unlikely the Sox were scoring a run in the later innings anyway, but going down by 3 sealed the deal. The Sox are now 2-5 running through this gauntlet and is in danger of falling out of a playoff spot by the time Sunday's game is over. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-50, 7.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow in a monster match of aces. Garrett Crochet (11-4) takes on Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers. The game begins at 7:15 PM at Fenway Park.