Bennett, Sox Beat Yankees (6/27/26)

The 2026 season may have gone to hell in a hand basket for the Boston Red Sox but beating the New York Yankees 3 straight games is never a bad thing. Without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees looked mortal so far in this 3 game stretch highlighted by todays win. Jake Bennett (2-3, 3.27 ERA) held New York to 3 hits including a home run by Max Schuemann in 6 1/3 gutty innings. Meanwhile Gerrit Cole continued to have problems in Boston. Masataka Yoshida took him deep in the first and Anthony Seigler got a piece of one in the second. A Willson Contreras 2 run double proved to be all the offense needed. The trio of Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the Sox beat the Yankees 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Sami Zayn approves of the win

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first and Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to third to start. Ben Rice grounded out to second and Amed Rosario flied out to center to end the inning. Cole got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Masataka Yoshida struck his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center, but Willson Contreras walked. Jarren Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                               Home run Yoshida

Cody Bellinger walked to start the top of the second but Jasson Dominguez popped up to first. Jose Caballero struck out swinging and Max Schuemann also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second although Caleb Durbin popped up to first to start. Anthony Seigler clobbered his first home run of the season to increase the lead but Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third. Tsung-Che Cheng flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Seigler with his first

Anthony Volpe grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Austin Wells flied out to center. Goldschmidt grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Yoshida singled to center to start. Rafaela got a base hit to center but Abreu flied out to center. Contreras doubled to center to score both runners but Duran struck out swinging. Durbin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                         Contreras drives in a pair

Rice grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth and Rosario popped up to first. Bollinger lined out to center to end the inning. Seigler grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Narvaez took strike three. Cheng grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Dominguez flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Caballero grounded out to short. Schuemann broke up the no-hitter by hitting his first home run of the season all the way to Jupiter. Volpe grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

                                                             Yankees cut the lead

Yoshida grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Abreu struck out swinging and Contreras flied out to center to end the inning.

Wells flied out to right to start the top of the sixth but Goldschmidt walked. Rice grounded into a double play to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Durbin singled to left to chase Cole. Brent Headrick came in to pitch to Seigler and Anthony walked. Narvaez struck out swinging and Cheng did the same to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the seventh as Rosario ate up Contreras on a grounder to first to start. Bellinger ripped a base hit to center but Dominguez struck out swinging. Suddenly Chad Tracy yanked Bennett at just 87 pitches after Jake held New York to 1 run off 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Caballero was frozen for strike three. Jazz Chisholm Jr pinch hit for Schuemann but struck out swinging to end the inning. 

                                                            Bennett gets the job done

Nate Eaton pinch hit for Yoshida to start the bottom of the seventh and took strike three right down the middle. Camilo Doval came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne grounded out to third. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Volpe flied out to center to start. Wells popped up to short and Goldschmidt grounded out to short to end the inning. Paul Blackburn came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Contreras grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to first and Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Rice struck out swinging to start. Rosario grounded out to short but Bellinger walked. Dominguez popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-1.

                                                                Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jake Bennett. He held the Yankees to 3 hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings

                                                                   Hero Bennett

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Anthony Seigler was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

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

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning. 

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

The Bad:

Nate Eaton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Beating the Yankees is always fun and the last three days have breathed some life into the angry fanbase. There's still people crying over Marcelo Mayer's injury and Jarren Duran yelling at fans but you can't argue how Craig Breslow found value in Jake Bennett. Yes he's a rookie but the poise he showed at Fenway Park against the first place Yankees can't be ignored. The offense didn't really do much after the third inning but when you have a team of utility players, not much can be expected. If Trevor Story and Romy Gonzalez come back healthy and good, that would be a big lift. The Sox are getting good pitching and if they can improve their hitting, the season isn't over quite yet. A sweep of the Yankees might do this team some good. The win improved the Sox to 35-46, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox go for the sweep against the Yankees tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Sonny Gray (9-1, 2.95 ERA) goes for the Sox against Carlos Rodon of New York. The game begins at 7:20 PM at Fenway Park.

Tolle, Sox Drop Depleted Yankees (6/26/26)

Before the game the 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox got even worse when Marcelo Mayer was placed on the Injured List with a similar forearm injury to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Apparently Mayer came out and admitted he's been playing the last two months really not able to move it well and the Sox finally told him to go home. Knowing this training staff, we've probably seen the last of him this year. To further spit in the faces of Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell, the Sox brought up former Pittsburgh Pirates utility infielder Tsu-Che Cheng to take his place. Mayer says there's no timetable for his return which in plain English means his season is over. One of the reasons the Red Sox are in last place is Craig Breslow banked on Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer being the future and they couldn't stay on the field for one reason or another.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, looks like the Red Sox aren't the only team totally useless without their best hitters in the lineup. The New York Yankees looked punchless without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in tonight's game against Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78 ERA) and the Red Sox. Tolle retired the first 16 batters he faced before Spencer Jones broke up the perfect game in the sixth inning. Tolle ended up firing 7 innings of 1 hit ball. Meanwhile the Sox actually got clutch hits against Yankees starter Will Warren. Wilyer Abreu got a two out rbi in the first and both Tsung-Chen Cheng and Mickey Gasper drove in runs in the third. A Willson Contreras home run and 2 rbis from Connor Wong were enough for the Sox to survive Tommy Kahnle giving up a run in the eighth. Ryan Watson slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Yankees 6-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Abella Danger approves of the win

Tolle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Paul Goldschmidt popped up to second to start. Amed Rosario struck out swinging and Cody Bellinger grounded out to second to end the inning. Warren got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Gasper led off by grounding out to second. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third but Wilyer Abreu tripled into the centerfield triangle. Naturally with a runner on third Willson Contreras....got a base hit to center to score Abreu? What witchcraft is this? Jarren Duran forced Willson at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Contreras drives in a run

Jasson Dominguez struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Jose Caballero also went down hacking. Jazz Chisholm Jr swung at air for strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin caught Caballero asleep at third with a bunt single. Anthony Seigler got a base hit to center to move Durbin to third and Connor Wong walked to load the bases. Tsung-Che Cheng made his Sox debut by beating out a double play ball to score Durbin. Gasper beat out a double play ball to score Seigler and Rafaela popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Welcome to Boston, Cheng

Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Spencer Jones flied out to left. Ali Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Abreu grounded out to second to start. Contreras then launched his 17th home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran lined out to center and Durbin lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox now led 4-0.

                                                    Willson was ready tonight

Goldschmidt grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth and Rosario flied out to center. Bellinger lined out to center to end the inning. Seigler flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong popped up to second. Cheng doubled to center but Gasper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dominguez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Caballero flied out to center. Chisholm Jr popped up to second to end the inning and Tolle was perfect through five innings. Rafaela grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Abreu lined out to right. Contreras walked and apparently Warren didn't like his bat flip. Contreras politely asked if Warren wanted to do something about it and the benches emptied. Nothing came of it but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                         Benches clear....nothing happens

Volpe struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Spencer broke up the perfect game with a base hit to left. Sanchez lined out to second and Goldschmidt struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Durbin doubled to center to start. Seigler grounded out to short and Wong hit a sac fly to center to score Durbin. Cheng walked and that was it for Warren. Ryan Yarbrough came in to face Gasper and Cheng immediately got picked off to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                        Wong drives in a run

Rosario popped up to right to start the top of the seventh and Bellinger popped up to short. Dominguez and Caballero drew back to back walks, but Chisholm flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Tolle who held the Yankees to just 1 hit and 2 walks in 7 innings while striking out 7.

                                                            Great work Tolle

Gasper flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to first. Abreu walked but Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the top of the eighth and naturally Volpe doubled to center to start. Jones grounded out to second to move Volpe to third and Austin Wells pinch hit for Sanchez. Wells grounded out to second to score Volpe but Goldschmidt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-1.

                                                            Wells drives in a run

Duran got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Yerry de Los Santos came in to face Durbin. It looked like Duran swiped second but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged Duran was out. Replays showed....he was safe? A rare break for the Sox. Naturally Durbin fouled off the bunt attempt and struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Seigler did what Durbin was supposed to and ground out to first to move Duran to third, but now there were two outs. Naturally Wong....got a base hit to left to score Duran. More witchcraft! Cheng flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                            Wong drives in a run

Ryan Watson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Ben Rice pinch hit for Rosario. Rice grounded out to second and Bellinger lined out to third. Domiguez hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Caballero flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Payton Tolle. He held the Yankees to 1 hit in 7 shutout innings off a hit and 2 walks.

                                                              Hero Tolle

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total rbis.

Chad Durbin was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Tsung-Chen Cheng was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Tommy Kahnle allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Mickey Gasper was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and scored a run.

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

Final Thoughts:

If there was such a thing as a hollow victory, this was it. The Yankees were without Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge and Ben Rice sat for most of the game. Still, the Sox haven't had their best hitters or their ace available in a long time either. Still, this was the most fun game of the season for a variety of reasons. Tolle mowing down the Yankees, even without Judge & Stanton a day after Early did the same at least gives hope for the future if and when the Sox get a competent offense. Contreras was just begging to fight someone and the fact it was the Yankees will definitely make him a fan favorite forever if it did come for that. Joe Kelly never has to pay for a beer in Boston ever again. Tsung-Chen Cheng has been on the team five minutes and he already has a walk and an rbi, two things most Sox hitters rarely get these days. Too bad about Mayer but maybe its addition by subtraction at this point, the same with Trevor Story and Roman Anthony who weren't hitting well before they went down. Not that you want to see a team of utility players, but even guys hitting .240 were better than what Mayer, Story and Anthony were giving them. The last one left is Duran hitting .201 and he's the saddest of them all. If he was hitting anywhere close to his 2023-25 form, he'd be the catalyst of his offense. The only other piece of good news is Romy Gonzalez is coming back which means most likely Gasper is gone. The Sox can survive with Wong and Narvaez, and Wong has been picking it up lately. All in all just a PASSABLE offense would have this team in playoff contention and if they don't sell their guys, they just might go on a run. The win improved the Sox to 34-46, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of Fenway tomorrow afternoon when Jake Bennett (1-3, 3.71) takes on Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Early, Durbin Drop Yankees (6/25/26)

After the Boston Red Sox dropped 2 of 3 games to the worst team in baseball, fans prepared for doom as they suffered a delayed flight home knowing the New York Yankees and their ace Cam Schlittler was waiting for them. So naturally after the Sox lost to one of the worst teams, they emphatically beat one of the best. In a rematch of Game 3 last year, this time it was Connelly Early (7-5, 3.59 ERA) that got the duke, holding the Yankees to just 2 runs in 6 solid innings. The Yankees took a 2-0 lead when the Sox took advantage of shoddy defense to tie the game up. Then Caleb Durbin took Schlittler deep for a two run jack. The Yankees got a run against Greg Weissert in the seventh but due to bad defense, the Sox got two big insurance runs in the eighth. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Yankees 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Sebastian Berhalter approves of the win

The Yankees tagged Early in the top of the first as Paul Goldschmidt doubled to center to start. Ben Rice flied out to center but Amed Rosario got a base hit to left to move Goldschmidt to third. Cody Bellinger struck out swinging but Jasson Dominguez got a base hit to center to put New York on top. Anthony Volpe took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                             Yankees strike first

Schlittler got the ball in the bottom of the first as Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela walked then promptly stole second. Austin Wells committed catcher's interference to send Wilyer Abreu to first but Willson Contreras struck out swinging. Jarren Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jazz Chisholm Jr got a base hit to left to start the top of the second but Jose Caballero's bunt attempt got Jazz forced at second. Wells struck out swinging but Caballero stole second. Goldschmidt walked but Rice grounded out to second to end the inning. Somehow Wells lost Caleb Durbin's pop up in the lights and it dropped in for a "single" then Caleb took second on the Anthony Seigler grounder to second. Carlos Narvaez was plunked but Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Rosario struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Bellinger grounded out to second. Dominguez grounded out to second to end the inning. Rafaela took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Yankees got another one in the top of the fourth although Volpe struck out second to start. Chisholm Jr popped up to second but Caballero hit a home run all the way to Las Vegas to increase the lead. Wells struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                               Caballero jacks one

The Sox blew another rally as Duran broke a 0 for 18 slump with a base hit to right, but Durbin struck out swinging. Seigler hit a ground rule double down the left field line. Naturally with runners in scoring position Narvaez and Mayer both struck out swinging to end the inning as the boo's rained down.

Goldschmidt took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Rice grounded out to first. Durbin made a great play to rob Rosario of a hit to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the fifth as Yoshida walked to start. Rafaela got a base hit up the middle but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras hit a double play ball to Rosario....BOOTED FOR AN ERROR! Yoshida scored and the runners moved up, which led to Yoshida scoring Duran with a sac fly to left to tie the game. Suddenly Durbin pounded his sixth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                          Sox take the lead

Early returned for one final inning and Bellinger took strike three to start. Dominguez struck out swinging and Volpe flied out to left to end the inning. Early pitched well, holding the Yankees to 2 runs off 5 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

                                                        Early beats Schlittler this time

Paul Blackburn came in for Schlittler to start the bottom of the sixth and Narvaez got a base hit to center to start. Mayer forced him at second and Yoshida struck out swinging. Rafaela forced Mayer at second to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Chisholm walked to start. Caballeron flied out to center but Wells got a base hit to right. Chisholm stole third and he scored on the Goldschmidt grounder to third. Sox manager Chad Tracy wanted Danny Coulombe to face Rice and Ben grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-3.

                                                     Goldschmidt drives in a run

Tim Hill came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abreu flied out to left to start. Contreras flied out to right and Duran flied out to center to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rosario struck out swinging to start. Bellinger flied out to right and Dominguez popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the eighth with Yerry De Los Santos now on the mound. Durbin walked and Seigler got a base hit to right. Andruw Monasterio ran for Seigler and Narvaez dropped down a bunt...booted by De Los Santos for an error to load the bases. Naturally Mayer popped up to short and Ryan Yarbrough was brought in to face Yoshida. Sox manager Chad Tracy countered by pinch hitting Nate Eaton and it looked like he was hit with a pitch but the umpire said strike three. The Sox challenged and sure enough, Eaton WAS hit to score Durbin. Rafaela beat out a double play ball to score Monasterio but Abreu popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                      Eaton draws a bases loaded HBP

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Volpe walked on ball four that should have been strike three. Red Sox pitching coach Andrew Bailey popped up to call first base umpire Tyler Jones a "fucking piece of shit" and got tossed from the game.

                                                "You (censored) piece of (censored)!" - AB

Chisholm forced Volpe at second but Caballero got a base hit to left and Max Schuemann pinch hit for Wells. Schuemann flied out to right but Goldschmidt beat out a roller to third to load the bases. Spencer Jones ran for Goldschmidt but Rice grounded back to Chapman to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His two run homer proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                       Durbin Hero

The Good:

Nate Eaton drew a bases loaded HBP in the eighth inning.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 4.

Andruw Monasterio scored a run as a pinch runner.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Connelly Early got the win by tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball allowing 5 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

Danny Coulombe got the final out of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 15th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run, stole a base and scored a run.

Willson Contreras 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox as a team are at a crossroads because half the fanbase wants to blow it all up and the other half thinks they can go on a run if they get injured guys back healthy. The glass half empty are the fans saying Roman Anthony, Trevor Story, Garrett Crochet, Romy Gonzalez, Patrick Sandoval, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck are never coming back so they may as well sell guys like Sonny Gray, Chapman & Contreras and eat Yoshida's contract. The glass half full is if those guys did return, and played well, they're right back in the thick of things. The problem plaguing the Sox all season is bad offense and the hot streak of Caleb Durbin came at a big time. Trevor Story came out and said he'll be ready by the All-Star Break while Sandoval is the only one who's rehab is actually going according to plan. The bottom line is if the offense fixes itself, they're a contender. If it doesn't, bye bye Breslow and the 2026 season. Tonight's game did feel good after dropping 2 of 3 to Colorado, especially Early outpitching Schlittler. Even if 2026 remains in the toilet, the future does look bright with Early, Payton Tolle, Jake Bennett and a healthy (we hope) Garrett Crochet & Ranger Suarez. The win improved the Sox to 33-46, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow night when Payton Tolle (3-5, 3.08 ERA) takes on Will Warren of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rockies Rally Past Sox Again (6/24/26)

Now it may be a good time to hit the eject button on the 2026 Boston Red Sox. After being embarrassed by getting walked off Monday night by the worst team in baseball, the Sox topped it by getting pantsed in the later innings again by the Colorado Rockies. Ranger Suarez held the Rockies to just 3 runs in six innings as the Sox built a comfortable 6-3 lead with home runs from Connor Wong and Andruw Monasterio. Then with 2 outs in the bottom of the seventh Marcelo Mayer booted a routine grounder by Hunter Goodman for an error. The Rockies pounced by scoring three runs off Luis Guerrero and Danny Coulombe to tie the game. Then the Rockies got two more against Justin Slaten (0-4, 6.48 ERA) to put them up for good. Jimmy Herget slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Rockies stole another one 8-6 at Coors Field.

                                                        "Dammit, dammit, dammit....."

Freeland got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Nate Eaton led off by flying out to right. Ceddanne Rafaela made it all the way to third on a fielding error by Willi Castro but naturally Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second. Also naturally Willson Contreras....somehow doubled to center to score Rafaela. Caleb Durbin grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Contreras drives in a run

Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Castro got a base hit to center to start. Tyler Freeman struck out swinging, TJ Rumfield flied out to center and Hunter Goodman struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Anthony Seigler got a base hit to center to start. Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging but Connor Wong belted his first home run since September 2024 to increase the lead. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging and Eaton flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              First of the year for Wong

Cole Carrigg took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Jake McCarthy got a base hit to left. Braxton Fulford popped up to second and Ezequiel Tovar flied out to left to end the inning.

Rafaela led off the top of the third with a double to left but Abreu lined out to center. Contreras grounded out to short to move Ceddanne to third but Durbin grounded out to first to end the inning, hurting himself on a slide forcing him to come out of the game. Marcelo Mayer came in for Durbin to start the bottom of the third and naturally Seigler threw a routine grounder away by Kyle Karros for an error. Castro forced Karros at second but Freeman got a base hit to left. Rumfield doubled to right to score Castro and Goodman walked to load the bases. Carrigg dropped a base hit to right but Goodman was thrown out at second waiting to see if it was dropped to score Freeman. McCarthy forced Carrigg at second to end the inning although Mayer threw the ball to first anyway, forgetting there were two outs. They looked ridiculous out there but the Rockies were still down 3-2.

                                                     "There's two outs, pendejo!" - Suarez

The Sox got the runs back in the top of the fourth as Seigler grounded out to short to start. Monasterio blasted his third home run of the season to increase the lead and Wong got a base hit to center but Narvaez flied out to center. Eaton walked and Rafaela got a base a base hit to left to score Wong. Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                           Sox tack it on

Fulford took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Tovar struck out swinging. Naturally Karros got a base hit in the hole at second, Castro got a base hit to right and Freeman blooped a base hit to center to score Karros. Rumfield struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rockies down 5-3.

                                                      Rockies inch closer

The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth as Contreras struck out swinging to start. Mayer doubled to center and Seigler doubled to left to score him. Monasterio flied out to right and Wong did the same to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                          Seigler drives in a run

Goodman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Carrigg took strike three. McCarthy grounded out to third to end the inning.

Narvaez may have low key cost the Sox the game in the top of the sixth when it looked like he tripled on a bang bang play at third. The Rockies challenged he was out and sure enough, he was called out on the replay. Eaton lined out to left and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Had he remained at second base, this game might have gone different. Fulford took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Tovar flied out to center. Karros popped up to second to end the inning. That was it for Suarez who allowed 3 runs in 6 innings although only 1 was earned. He gave up 7 hits and a walk while striking out nine.

                                                          Suarez deserved a better fate

Antonio Senzatella came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Contreras lined out to center and Mayer did the same to end the inning. Tyron Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Castro struck out swinging to start. Freeman was hit with a pitch but Rumfield flied out to left. Goodman hit a routine grounder to Mayer.....booted for an error. The floodgates opened as Carrigg got a base hit to left to score Freeman and McCarthy got a base hit to right to score Goodman, moving Carrigg to third. Troy Johnston pinch hit for Fulford and Sox manager Chad Tracy countered by bringing in Danny Coulombe. The gamble failed as Johnston got a base hit to center to score Carrigg to tie the game. Tovar forced Johnston at second to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                           Rockies tie it up

Brett Sullivan took over for Johnston to start the top of the eighth and Seigler grounded out to third to start. Monasterio flied out to left and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mickey Moniak pinch hit for Karros. Moniak got a base hit to right and Castro singled off the glove of Monasterio to move Moniak to third. Freeman dropped down a sacrifice bunt to score Moniak to put Colorado ahead. Rumfield got a base hit to center to move Castro to third but Goodman lined out to second. Carrigg doubled to right to score Castro with the insurance run before McCarthy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rockies ahead 8-6.

                                                      Carrigg drives in the big run

Jimmy Herget came in to close out the top of the ninth and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Narvaez. Gasper struck out swinging, Eaton lined out to left and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the game. Once the game was tied not a single Sox batter reach base and they fell to 0-42 when trailing after 8 innings, losing this one 8-6.

                                                       Rockies win

Jackass of The Night is Marcelo Mayer. His error in the seventh opened the floodgates for the Rockies to steal the win.

                                                    Least the Jackass admits it

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

Ranger Suarez allowed just 3 runs in 6 innings off 7 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2.

Mickey Gasper struck out as a pinch hitter.

Tyron Guerrero allowed 3 runs in the eighth inning although none were technically earned.

Justin Slaten took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Nate Eaton was 0 for 4 but walked.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

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

Final Thoughts:

Might be time to blow it up now. Not only losing two of three to the Rockies but HOW they lost the games is just flat out embarrassing. 8 straight hits on Monday night and two errors leading to five unearned runs and another comeback win for Colorado should be grounds for someone to be unemployed. Whether its Sox GM Craig Breslow or one of the players, losses like these can't happen. Seigler and Mayer booting grounders are going to happen but you expect your pitchers to work out of it and not melt into a puddle. It should never have come to Justin Slaten in the eighth but here we are. Now fans are revolting on just about anyone they can. All the injured players need to go because they're not coming back, all the guys on the team need to go because they suck and burn down the front office. Its the end of the world, the apocalypse, etc and honestly fans have every right to be upset. The fact the Red Sox medical staff and front office lie to our faces on a daily basis should be investigated by MLB but they wouldn't waste their time, especially if no rules were actually broken. If it wasn't for the World Cup, Fenway Park would be empty by now on a nightly basis. The Sox are last in the league in offense and now the bullpen is messed up with Slaten in a funk and Aroldis Chapman nursing a leg injury as well. In the words of Rick Sanchez "You know Morty, we should just blow it all up." The loss dropped the Sox to 32-46, good for last place in the AL East. If that wasn't bad enough, now the Sox home to face their personal babayaga Cam Schlittler and the New York Yankees. Standing in his way tomorrow night is Connelly Early in a re-match of last year's Game 3. It begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Gray, Sox Bash Rockies (6/23/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization made some moves. The Worcester Red Sox signed 31 year old free agent catcher Andrew Knizner to a minor league deal. He was released 5 days ago by the Albuquerque Isotopes after hitting .279 with 10 home runs. The rumor is the Sox are looking to move on from either Mickey Gasper or Connor Wong and Andrew could be replacing one of them. Sox GM Craig Breslow must really HATE rookies if Nathan Hickey, Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell can't crack THIS team. Also Cade Feeney, 2023 draft pick, chose to call it quits after allowing 29 runs between Portland and Worcester. He was coming off elbow surgery and apparently his arm wasn't responding It takes a man with great courage to admit when he's in over his head so kudos to Feeney for not wasting anyone's time. 

                                                                        OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, so THAT is what its like to beat a bad team. After getting completely embarrassed in last night's game against the Colorado Rockies, Sonny Gray (9-1, 2.95 ERA) made sure that wasn't going to happen tonight. Gray dazzled the Rockies holding them to just 1 run in 7 strong innings. Meanwhile the bats finally woke up against Rockies starter Sean Sullivan and reliever Zach Agnos. Wilyer Abreu set the tone with a first inning rbi triple and a Nate Eaton rbi in the second gave the Sox a multiple run lead. Willi Castro homered off Gray but Abreu answered with one against Sullivan. Eaton and Rafaela drove in runs against Agnos and Garrett Whitlock survived an Ezequiel Tovar home run to lock down the 5-2 win over the Rockies at Coors Field.

                                                            LA Knight approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Sullivan in the top of the first inning as Nate Eaton walked to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging but Eaton stole second. Wilyer Abreu smacked a triple into the centerfield gap to score Eaton but Willson Contreras popped up to first. Jarren Duran popped up a bunt to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Abreu with a big triple

Gray got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jake McCarthy walked to start. Mickey Moniak struck out swinging and Hunter Goodman did the same, but McCarthy stole second. TJ Rumfield flied out to left to end the inning.

Caleb Durbin lined out to Sullivan to start the top of the second but Andruw Monasterio walked. Connor Wong walked as well but naturally with a runner in scoring position, Anthony Seigler lined out to left. Eaton drilled a base hit to left and Monasterio scored easily but Wong was foolishly thrown out at third to end the inning. Still, the Sox now led 2-0.

                                                             Eaton drives in a run

Tyler Freeman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Willi Castro hit a home run all the way to Utah to cut the lead. Troy Johnston blooped a double to center and Ezequiel Tovar moved him to third with a grounder back to Gray. Edouard Julien struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rockies down 2-1.

                                                            Castro hits one out

Rafaela hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third but Abreu drew a walk. Abreu stole second and Contreras walked as well. Naturally with a runner in scoring position Duran took strike three and Durbin grounded out to third to end the inning. McCarthy grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Moniak struck out swinging. Goodman got a seeing eye single to right and Rumfield did the same.....and then Abreu threw the ball away for an error to allow both runners to advance. Freeman took strike three to end the inning.

Monasterio grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth and Wong lined out to center. Somehow Seigler got a base hit to right and Eaton followed with a double to left. Naturally with runners in scoring position Rafaela popped up to right on the first pitch to end the inning. Castro lined out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Johnston got a base hit to left. Tovar and Julien both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth when Abreu bashed his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Contreras popped up to second, Duran struck out swinging and Durbin popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox were facing one of the worst pitchers in baseball and only led 3-1, pathetic. 

                                                           Abreu gets the Wally Head

McCarthy's bunt attempt to start the bottom of the fifth was snuffed out by Gray. Moniak lined out to right and Goodman took strike three to end the inning.

Zach Agnos came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Monasterio flied out to center to start. Wong lined out to third but Seigler got a base hit to center. A wild pitch moved Seigler to second and he scored on the Eaton double to left. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Eaton with another run. Rafaela stole second but Abreu lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                              Rafaela aids the cause

Rumfield struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Freeman popped up to right. Castro walked but Johnston grounded out to second to end the inning.

Contreras grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging. Durbin got a base hit to center but Monasterio grounded out to second to end the inning. Gray returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Tovar flied out to left to start. Julien walked and McCarthy got a base hit to right to move Edouard to third. Moniak struck out swinging and Goodman forced McCarthy at second to end the inning. Gray was outstanding, holding the Rockies to just 1 run in 7 innings off 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 11.

                                                        Gray was outstanding

Wong got a base hit to right to start the top of the eighth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Seigler walked but Eaton lined out to left. Rafaela lined out to short to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and  Rumfield got a base hit to left to start. Freeman grounded into a double play and Castro flied out to center to end the inning.

Juan Mejia came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Abreu grounded out to first to start. Contreras got a base hit to center but Duran lined out to third. Durbin forced Contreras at second to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Johnston grounded out to first to start. All of a sudden Tovar hit a home run all the way to Miami to cut the lead. Julien struck out swinging and McCarthy grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sonny Gray. He dazzled the Rockies by tossing 7 innings of one run ball striking out 11 batters while giving up 6 hits & 3 walks.

                                                               Sonny Hero

The Good:

Nate Eaton was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a walk, a home run, a stolen base and 2 total rbis.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 but stole a abse and drove in a run.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 5.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. Beating the Rockies is nothing to write home about but that's what they should be doing. Unlike last night, Sox manager Chad Tracy let Gray finish the seventh inning mostly due to using Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman last night. Gray dominated the Rockies and the Sox finally got some clutch hits. Who knew this would be the Anthony Seigler and Nate Eaton game but the Sox will definitely take it. With a team of utility players in the starting lineup, SOMEONE had to step up and better them than nobody at all. Romy Gonzalez is close to returning and if he can give the Sox what he did last year, that'll be a shot in the arm. The problem is they have enough utility players, they need some big bats to return. Unfortunately it doesn't look like Trevor Story, Triston Casas and Roman Anthony have any reason to return this year let alone the ability too. Its a shame, if they had those three guys and a healthy Garrett Crochet, they might have been more successful this season. Tracy may also want to dial it back on using Whitlock every game. This was the second game in a row he gave up big hits and his ERA is almost over 3. I understand Tracy wanted to lock this down but he needs to trust guys like Greg Weissert and Ryan Watson with four run ninth inning leads. Still a win is a win and this was a good one. The win improved the Sox to 32-45, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series against Colorado tomorrow afternoon when Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.93 ERA) takes on Kyle Freeland of the Rockies. The game begins at 3:10 PM eastern time at Coors Field.