Duran, Sox Slam Marlins in 11th (8/25/26)

As the legend of the 2026 Boston Red Sox builds, tonight another chapter in the incredible story was etched with a memorable victory over the Miami Marlins. The Sox struck first with a second inning home run off Miami starter Tyler Phillips. Sox starter Payton Tolle was superb through four innings but allowed a 5th inning run to tie it up. Gasper launched his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth but the Marlins knocked Tolle out with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Plunged into extra innings, the Sox took the lead in the top of the tenth when Connor Wong scored on a passed ball....only for Wong to allow a passed ball to score Brian Navarreto to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded in the top of the eleventj, the much maligned Jarren Duran smashed a grand slam to put the Sox ahead. Alec Gamboa (1-0, 1.31 ERA) shut the door in the bottom half and the Sox had beaten the Marlins 7-3 in 11 innings.

                                                      Hex Hypoxia approves of the win

Phillips got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard took strike three to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu also took strike three to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otto Lopez struck out swinging to start Heriberto Hernandez flied out to left and Agustin Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Willson Contreras grounded out to third to begin the top of the second but Mickey Gasper belted his fourth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit off Phillips but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Anthony Siegler walked but Connor Wong grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           Gasper gets the Wally Head

Javier Sanjoa's bunt was snuffed out by Contreras to start the bottom of the second and Xavier Edwards grounded out to short. Leo Jimenez walked but Griffin Conine took strike three to end the inning.

Sogard flied out to left to start the top of the third and Rafaela grounded out to short. Abreu lined out to right to end the inning. Esteury Ruiz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Brian Navarreto flied out to left. Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Contreras got a base hit to left to start. Gasper walked but Monasterio beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Duran struck out swinging and Seigler did the same to end the inning. Hernandez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Ramirez struck out swinging. Sanoja flied out to center to end the inning,

Wongs truck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Sogard walked. Rafaela flied out to center to chase Phillips. Victor Vodnik got Abreu to go down hacking to end the inning. The Marlins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Edwards hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Jimenez hit a grounder to second and Edwards was thrown out at third, but Conine got a base hit to right. Ruiz walked to load the bases and Navarreto hit a sac fly to center to score Jimenez. Lopez popped up to second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                             Navarreto ties it up

Tyler Zuber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Contreras grounded out to third to start. Gasper then hammered his second home run of the game to put the Sox back on top. Monasterio flied out to center and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox back in front 2-1.

                                                        Gasper does it again

The lead lasted 8 seconds as Hernandez hit one of the most effortless home runs in recorded history to begin the bottom of the sixth. Ramirez struck out swinging but Sanoja got a base hit to left to chase Tolle. Normally 5 1/3 and 2 runs allowed would be good, but blowing the lead twice wasn't a good look. Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in and Edwards walked. Jimenez lined out to second and Conine grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                   Tolle needed to be better

Jack Ralston came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Seigler popped up to second. Wong grounded out to short and Sogard grounded out to first to end the inning. Jakob Marsee pinch hit for Ruiz to start the bottom of the seventh and got a base hit to right to start. Navarreto dropped down a bunt to move Marsee to second and Lopez got a base hit in the hole at second. Marsee tried for home but Siegler gunned him down for the second out. Lopez stole second but Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                              Yerrrrr out!

Michael Petersen came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela beat out a roller to third to start. Abreu forced Ceddanne at second and Contreras flied out to left. Gasper walked but Monasterio forced Abreu at third to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Kyle Stowers pinch hit for Ramirez. Stowers struck out swinging and Sanoja flied out to center, but Edwards beat out a roller to second. Jimenez flied out to left to end the inning.

Josh Ekness came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran flied out to center to start. Seigler walked and Eli White pinch ran for him....only to get thrown out at second trying to steal. Wong popped up to second to end the inning. Caleb Durbin came in for White with Erik Miller now on the mound to start the bottom of the ninth. Conine, Marsee and Navarreto all struck out swinging in short order to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the tenth with Calvin Faucher on the mound and Wong starting at second base. Sogard grounded out to second to move Wong to third and Connor scored on a passed ball to put Boston ahead. Rafaela grounded out to third and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 3-2.

                                                       Wong scores the go-ahead run

With Aroldis Chapman unavailable, rookie Wyatt Olds came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Navaretto starting at second base. Lopez hit a routine grounder to Monasterio....thrown away for an error. Hernandez popped up to short and Stowers flied out to center, but Navarreto took third on the throw. Lopez stole second but Sanoja swung and missed for strike three....only for the ball to get away from Wong to allow Navarreto to score the tying run, chasing Olds. Alec Gamboa came in to face Edwards and Sanoja took second on defensive indifference. Edwards grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Dammit

Cade Gibson came in to pitch the top of the eleventh but the Sox suddenly rallied with Abreu starting at second. Contreras singled in the hole at first and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Gasper. Jones walked to load the bases but Monasterio forced Abreu at home. Duran somehow crushed a grand slam to put the Sox up for good but Durbin flied out to center. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                           Grand salami for Duran

Gamboa returned to close out the bottom of the eleventh with Edwards starting at second base. Jimenez walked but Conine flied out to center. Marsee beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and a passed ball by Wong moved Marsee to second. Navarreto grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3 in 11 innings.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jarren Duran. His grand slam put the Sox ahead in the 11th.

                                                   "I'm Hero, and you're not!" - Duran

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mickey Gasper walked twice and belted two home runs.

Jahmai Jones walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Anthony Siegler walked twice in four plate appearances.

Tyron Guerrero tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Erik Miller struck out the side in the ninth inning.

Alec Gamboa got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Eli White was thrown out trying to steal as a pinch runner.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 5 with an error but scored a run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 5 with a strikeout and a passed ball but scored a run.

Payton Tolle allowed 2 runs after the Sox took the lead in 5 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Wyatt Olds got charged with the run in the 10th but due to bad defense.

Final Thoughts:

It was great news all around as not only did the Sox pull another win out of their asses but the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both lost, inching the Sox closer with just 30 games left. The Sox are in a little bit of trouble with the duo of Adley Rutschman and Connor Wong as automatic outs and the trio of Durbin, Contreras and Abreu struggling with Monasterio's average dropping 20 points in the last 3 weeks. That's 5 of the 9 guys struggling with Duran an enigma but Rafaela, Gasper and Sogard the only consistent hitters. That's not a recipe for success but they have won 5 in a row despite all the struggles. The Sox just find a way to win and they've been doing it since the end of June. The sad part is someone has to go with Trevor Story due to come off the injured list tomorrow with Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa not far behind. Mickey Gasper and Anthony Seigler make the most sense for the infielders and they might dump Jones or White to make room for Anthony. There's still a week until September call ups so they run the risk of losing guys off waivers in the meantime. Still, Roman Anthony has looked great in Portland and Worcester so he'll be a welcome addition. Unfortunately both Story and Kiner sucked in Worcester and a lot of fans are unhappy with them taking spots off guys that held the fort like Sogard, Gasper, Seigler and Monasterio. This weekend is definitely not the time to tinker with chemistry with the biggest series of the year coming up against the Yankees. Still, things are going to work themselves out one way or another. Gotta feel for Wyatt Olds who's had a lousy minor league career, he gets the call and he's a muffed strike three away from saving a crucial, gotta have it game in late August. Duran saved the day again and its becoming a theme, just wish he hit more consistently. The offensive struggles are concerning but they got fresh troops coming so things might get better. The win improved the Sox to 73-59, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow and their sixth straight win when they send Sonny Gray (16-3, 2.79 ERA) up against Ryan Gusto of Miami. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Sox Rally Past Marlins (8/24/26)

As of June 27th, the Boston Red Sox had not had a win when trailing after 7 innings. For the fourth consecutive game, the Red Sox have rallied in the late innings to win a game. The Red Sox battled the Miami Marlins to a 1-1 tie after 5 innings with Ranger Suarez holding Miami with Sandy Alcantara clogging up the Sox. Then in the bottom of the seventh Xavier Edwards knocked in a run to put the Marlins on top against Brayan Bello. Wilyer Abreu scored on a wild pitch in the eighth and the Sox rallied in the ninth. Pete Fairbanks hurt himself walking Gasper and Anthony Siegler tripled off Tyler Zuber to score Mickey. Nick Sogard singled home Siegler and the Sox were in command. Aroldis Chapman locked it down in the ninth inning and the Sox completed their fourth consecutive late rally with a 4-2 victory over the Marlins at Loan Depot Park.

                                                Brenda Castillo approves of the win

Alcantara got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third and Wilyer Abreu did the same to end the inning. Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otto Lopez lined out to first to start. Heriberto Hernandez got a base hit to right but Kyle Stowers forced him at second. Agustin Ramriez walked but Xavier Edwards struck out swinging to end the inning.

Willson Contreras grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Adley Rutschman grounded out to second. Caleb Durbin flied out to center to end the inning. Jakob Marsee was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second and Javier Sanoja walked. Esteury Ruiz was also hit with a pitch to load the bases but Joe Mack struck out looking. Lopez hit a sac fly to center to score Marsee but Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning with the Marlins up 1-0.

                                                              Marlins strike first

Jarren Duran got a base hit to center to start the top of the third and Mickey Gasper got a base hit to right to move Duran to third. Anthony Seigler grounded out to third to move Gasper to second but Sogard struck out swinging. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. Stowers doubled to center to start the bottom of the third but Ramirez flied out to center. Edwards struck out swinging but Marsee walked. Sanoja grounded out to second to end the inning.

Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Contreras popped up to second. Rutschman struck out swinging to end the inning. Ruiz flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Mack caught Durbin asleep with a bunt single. Lopez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Durbin got a base hit to left to start. Duran forced Caleb at second then Gasper doubled to center to score Jarren. Seigler flied out to left and Sogard did the same to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                Gasper ties it up

Hernandez got a base hit to left to begin the bottom of the fifth and Stowers walked. Ramirez struck out swinging and Edwards beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Marsee lined out to left to end the inning. That was it for Suarez after just 93 pitches after allowing just 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 4 walks.

                                                  Suarez holds the Marlins to 1 run

Rafaela got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but naturally Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras grounded out to third and Rutschman did the same to end the inning. Brayan Bello came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sanoja lined out to center to start. Griffin Conine pinch hit for Ruiz and grounded out to first followed by Mack grounding back to the mound to end the inning.

Durbin flied out to left to start the top of the seventh but Duran doubled to right. Gasper and Siegler drew back to back walks but naturally Sogard struck out swinging. Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning. The Marlins struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Lopez doubled to left to start. Hernadez walked but Stowers struck out swinging. Owen Caisse pinch hit for Ramirez and walked to load the bases. Edwards got a base hit to right to score Lopez but Contreras robbed Marsee of a hit, forcing Hernandez at home. Sanoja grounded out to short to end the inning with the Marlins up 2-1.

                                                              Edwards drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the eighth with Josh Ekness now on the mound. Abreu doubled to right to start and Contreras was hit with a pitch. Rutschman flied out to center to move Abreu to third and Wilyer scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Contreras moved to second but Durbin flied out to right. Duran struck out swinging to end the game with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Sox tie it up

Erik Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Conine grounded out to short to start. Leo Jimenez pinch hit for Mack and Duran dropped a fly ball for an error to put Leo at second. Lopez beat out a bunt down the third base line to put runners at the corners but Hernandez hit a grounder to the mound. Jimenez got literally run over by Rutschman on the ensuing rundown for the second out and Stowers struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              PAIN TRAIN!

Brian Navarreto came in for Jimenez with Pete Fairbanks coming in to pitch the top of the ninth. Gasper walked and Fairbanks suddenly came out of the game injured. Tyler Zuber came in with Eli White running for Gasper and Siegler greeted him with a triple to put the Sox ahead. Sogard got a base hit to right to score Siegler then moved to second on a Rafaela grounder to second. Cade Gibson came in to face Abreu and Wilyer walked. Contreras grounded out to second to move the runners over but Rutschman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                     Sogard does it again

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Caissie got a base hit to right to start. Edwards foolishly dropped down a bunt to move Caissie to second and Marsee struck out swinging. Sanoja grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-2.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Anthony Siegler. His rbi triple put the Sox on top in the ninth inning.

                                                          Hero Seagulls

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Mickey Gasper was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Eli White scored a run as a pinch runner.

Ranger Suarez allowed just 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 4 walks.

Erik Miller got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 30th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Adley Rutschman was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4.

Brayan Bello allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox went almost half the year without any comeback wins and they just won four straight games where they trailed in them. The problem is Abreu, Durbin and Contreras hit a bit of a snag and quite frankly Rutschman's been almost useless at the plate since he came off the Injured List. If it wasn't for Sogard, Gasper and Rafaela the Sox might have lost the last four games. The problem is the Sox have relied on Erik Miller and Aroldis Chapman a lot with both Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten out with injury. The good news was they delivered big time tonight. The role players such as Seigler and Sogard stepped up and the Sox have a big time decision to make. Trevor Story is due to come off the injured list and he could make or break this team depending on who gets sent down. If he comes back and hits like Adley Rutschman, they're screwed for the next week until September callups. The Sox have the biggest series of the season starting on Friday with the New York Yankees and provided the Sox don't lose to the Marlins in the mean time, this could be the Sox chance to snag the first wild card. Still, overlooking the next two games is a bad idea and the Sox themselves need to stay focused on beating them. The only other bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays won again and you have to give them credit. The Red Sox were the second worst team in baseball on June 24th and throughout this entire comeback run, the only team they didn't blow right by was the Rays. Tampa maintained an 8 game lead on the Sox as of last week and still remain six in front. There's only 31 games left so overtaking them seems unlikely. If the Sox make a statement by finishing off the Marlins and taking 3 of 4 from New York, their playoff chances are all but a given. The win improved the Sox to 72-59, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fifth straight game and second in a row against Miami when Peyton Tolle (8-6, 3.08 ERA) takes on Captain TBD of the Marlins. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Sox Rally To Sweep Giants (8/23/26)

The Boston Red Sox have a monumental decision to make coming up soon. Trevor Story is due to come off the Injured List and Nick Sogard is playing for his life right now. The leadoff hitter was the catalyst in today's comeback win against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants bolted out to a 3-0 lead on Jake Bennett (8-6, 3.49 ERA) when Sogard hit a home run off Matt Wilkinson in the bottom of the second. After Ceddanne Rafaela drove in a run in the third, Sogard started the rally in the bottom of the fourth culminating in a game tying Connor Wong double and a Mickey Gasper go-ahead bi double of his own. Rafaela drove in a run of his own to add to the lead. After a comedy of errors brought the Giants within one, Bennett went 7 strong to hand the game over to the bullpen. Tyron Guerrero and Aroldis Chapman slammed the window shut and the Sox had rallied past the Giants to sweep them out of Fenway Park 5-4.

                                                     Wyndham Clark approves of the win

The Giants wasted no time getting to Bennett in the top of the first inning as Osleivis Basabe flied out to right to start. Rafael Devers walked, Willy Adames got a abse hit to left and Bryce Eldridge singled to right to score Devers. Victor Bericoto got a base hit to left to score Adames but Jung Hoo Lee flied out to left. Andrew Knizner lined out to a diving Rafaela to end the inning with the Giants up 2-0.

                                                         Bericoto drives in a run

Wilkinson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones got a base hit to start. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to center but Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging. Willson Contreras popped up to short and Caleb Durbin flied out to center to end the inning.

Jonah Cox hit a home run all the way to Soviet Russia to start the top of the second but "Boss" Christian Koss grounded out to third. Basabe lined out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Giants up 3-0.

                                                               Cox hits one out

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Nick Sogard blasted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on the board. Andruw Monasterio lined out to center, Eli White struck out swinging and Connor Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                              Sogard gets the Wally Head

Adames lined out to right to start the top of the third before Eldridge singled to right. Bericoto glied out to center and Lee grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Jones tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. Rafaela got a base hit to center to score him then promptly stole second base. Abreu flied out to left, Contreras flied out to center and Durbin grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                          Another rbi for Rafaela

Knizner flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Cox singled to center. Koss popped up to short and Basabe struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Sogard doubled to left to start. Monasterio grounded out to second to move Sogard to third but White popped up to first. Wong lined out to left to end the inn....WAIT A MINUTE! Eagle eyed Chad Tracy challenged that the ball was trapped by Bericoto and sure enough, the umpires overturned the call. Wong was given a double and Sogard scored to tie the game. JT Brubaker came in to face Jones but Tracy countered by bringing in Mickey Gasper to pinch hit. The gamble worked as Gamble doubled home Wong to put the Sox on top. Rafaela got a base hit to center to score Gasper with the insurance run. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                              Wong ties the game before the Sox go ahead

Devers grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Adames struck out swinging. Eldridge also went down hacking to end the inning. Buddy Kennedy took over for Adames to start the bottom of the fifth and Contreras grounded out to third. Durbin flied out to right but Sogard walked. Monasterio flied out to left to end the inning.

Drew Gilbert pinch hit for Bericoto to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging. Lee popped up to short and Knizner flied out to right to end the inning. White popped up a bunt to Brubaker to start the bottom of the sixth but Wong got a base hit to left. Sam Hentges came in to face Gasper and a wild pitch moved Connor to second. Gasper flied iut to right and Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bennett returned for one final inning and Cox flied out to right to start. All hell broke loose as Koss hit a routine grounder to Monasterio who fired the ball into right field for an error. Abreu picked up the ball and suddenly threw it into the right field stands for absolutely no reason. Koss came all the way around to score on a T-Ball Homerun as the fans booed. Basabe lined out to right and Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Giants down 5-4. That was it for Bennett who survived early inning trouble and pure stupidity to go 7 strong innings and allow 3 earned runs (4 total).

                                                       Bennett did well

Abreu grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Contreras struck out swinging. Durbin took strike three to end the inning.

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Kennedy got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Eldridge flied out to right and Gilbert grounded into a double play to end the inning. Trent Harris came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sogard grounded out to short to start. It looked like Monasterio beat a tag at second on a double to left but the Giants challenged. The umpires upheld the call and Jarren Duran pinch hit for White. Duran struck out swinging and Adley Rustchman pinch hit for Wong. Rutschman grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Lee grounded back to the mound to start. Knizner grounded out to second and Cox struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mickey Gasper. His pinch hit double put the Sox up for good.

                                                              Gasper The Hero

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jake Bennett got the win by tossing 7 innings allowing just 3 earned runs off 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 29th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Willson Contreras 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Eli White was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.

Adley Rutschman was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Final Thoughts:

How sweep it is! After that disaster against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, the Sox needed to make a statement with the New York Yankees looming. Bennett had a solid outing if you cut out the first inning and the errors in the seventh. As sad as it sounds, the Sox have won 5 out of their last 6 games and didn't gain much ground because the two hottest teams in baseball are the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, the Rays were the only team that the Sox didn't gain much ground on when they went 32-5 apart from the pre-break sweep. This game showed why depth is important because the big guns of Abreu, Contreras and Durbin did absolutely nothing but Sogard and Rafaela stepped up big time. The Sox have a lot of work to do in their final 32 games but they still own a 6.5 game cushion on the Cleveland Guardians. If they go 21-15 that wouldn't be great, but that just might get them in the playoffs. First place is still up for grabs if they can go on one last run. The win improved the Sox to 71-59, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Miami for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Ranger Suarez (5-3, 3.41 ERA) takes on Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

A's Bash Bennett, Snap Streak (8/8/26)

All good things must come to an end and the Boston Red Sox 9 game win streak was snapped by the same pitcher and the same team that beat them before the streak. Gage Jump and the Sacramento A's held the high powered Sox to just 2 runs through the first six innings on a 2 run Andruw Monasterio single. The A's jumped on Sox starter Jake Bennett (7-5, 3.17 ERA) for 4 runs before knocking him out in the sixth. The Sox bullpen didn't help as Justin Slaten and Raymond Burgos allowed 3 runs between them and the A's snapped the streak with a 7-3 victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                         Sox ran out of magic

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Henry Bolte struck out swinging to start. Jacob Wilson lined out to right and Jonah Heim did the same to end the inning. Jump got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones got a base hit to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to center and Jones stole second. Caleb Durbin walked and both runners pulled off a double steal while Willson Contreras struck out swinging. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to right to score both runners but Eli White struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                         Monasterio drives in a pair 

Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Tommy White flied out to right. Brian Serven also flied out to right to end the inning. Nick Sogard struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Jump threw a grounder away by Jarren Duran for an error. Connor Wong grounded out to short to move Duran to second but Jones struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Lawrence Butler grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Max Muncy flied out to center. Alika Williams walked but Bolte flied out to center to end the inning. Rafaela got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third but Durbin popped up to first. Contreras took strike three and Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning. 

Wilson doubled to left to start the top of the fourth but Heim struck out swinging. Soderstrom struck out swinging but White singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners. Serven hit a routine grounder to Bennett...kicked by Jake to score White on the "single". Butler lined out to center to end the inning with the A's down 2-1.

                                                     Serven drives in a run...in name only

White struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Sogard doubled to center. Duran struck out swinging and Wong popped up to second to end the inning. 

Muncy struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Williams was hit with a pitch. Bolte took strike three but Wilson doubled to left. Naturally Heim got a base hit to left to score both runners to put Sacramento up for good. Soderstrom walked but White forced him at second to end the inning with the game all but over...3-2 A's.

                                                               A's go on top

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth although Jones doubled to left to start. Naturally Rafaela struck out swinging but Durbin grounded back to the mound to move Jones to third. Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Serven lined out to first to start the top of the sixth but Butler walked to chase Bennett. He lost it in the last few innings allowing 4 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Jeff McNeil pinch hit for Muncy. Butler stole second, McNeil walked and Donovan Walton pinch hit for Williams. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Walton pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen to score them to ice the game. Bolte grounded out to short and Wilson flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 5-2.

                                                      Bennett didn't get the job done

Monasterio walked to start the bottom of the sixth but White forced him at second. Sogard dropped down a bunt to third but somehow beat it out. Naturally Duran and Wong both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Raymond Burgos came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Heim flied out to center to start. Naturally Soderstrom hit a home run all the way to Great Britain to increase the lead. White flied out to right and Serven grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's up 6-2.

                                                              A's are all smiles

Luis Medina came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Jones popped up to first to start. Rafaela lined out to right and Durbin struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Butler lined out to center to start the top of the eighth and McNeil did the same. Walton grounded out to second to end the inning. Seth Johnson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Contreras refused to run out a grounder which caused Fenway to boo. Monasterio struck out swinging but White walked. Somehow Sogard doubled to right to score White....but wait! To show the streak was truly dead, the umps got together and ruled the ball went out of play for a ground rule double, White had to return to third. Hogan Harris came in to face Duran and Jarren struck out swinging on a straight fastball right down the middle to end the inning to a chorus of boos.

                                                                     Boooooo!!!!!

The A's added to the misery in the top of the ninth as Bolte hit a home run all the way to Seattle to start. Wilson grounded out to third, Heim struck out swinging and Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning with the A's up 7-2

                                                             That ball was crushed

Wong lined out to left to start the bottom of the ninth but Jones doubled to left. Rafaela struck out swinging but Durbin somehow got a base hit to left to score Jones. Contreras got a base hit to center and Monasterio walked to load the bases. Naturally with the game on the line....White lined out to center on a 3-1 counter to end the game. The A's had won it 7-3.

                                                       A's win

Jackass of the Night is Justin Slaten. He turned a 3-2 game into 5-2 to open the floodgates.

                                                             Jackass Slaten

The Good:

Jahmai Jones as 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Andrew Monasterio was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 rbis.

Nick Sogard was 3 for 4.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jake Bennett got rocked for 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings to take the loss off 5 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Eli White was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Raymond Burgos allowed 2 runs in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Can't expect the Sox to go undefeated the rest of the season, a game like this was bound to happen. Its uncanny how the Red Sox kryptonite is Gage Jump, that's twice now he's beaten the Sox when others don't even come close. The Sox had been so hot the last month that fans fully expected to rally in this one. Duran striking out in the eighth sealed the deal but the game was lost well before that. Slaten, Burgos and even Bennett wasn't good enough to get the job done on this day. Worse yet, both the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays won so all the momentum the Sox built evaporated. The Sox are still 6 games ahead of the Texas Rangers but the Sox are still within striking distance of the division. They might be the only ones who can take Tampa and New York at this point. The Sox will get the Yankees three weeks from tonight, hopefully they can go on a run until then. All in all it was a bad loss but they were due for one. The loss dropped the Sox to 64-52, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow in the rubber game of this series with JT Ginn going for Sacramento and a bullpen game for Boston. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Crush Hapless A's (8/7/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Ryan Watson was claimed off waivers by the Los Angeles Angels so he's gone. Sox fans were calling him the "best last arm out of the bullpen ever" and its hard to argue. His 4.53 ERA is on par with a lot of middle relievers so he most likely is one of the Angels best relievers automatically. Thanks for the yeoman's work, Ryan. The Sox brought back veteran relief pitcher John Brebbia and put him in Worcester where he pitched last year. Then the big one, needing a relief arm with the bullpen taxed, the Sox sent Greg Weissert to Worcester for a temporary vacation and called up 27 year old relief pitcher Raymond Burgos. Burgos had a one game cup of coffee with the San Francisco Giants last season but has been a career minor league journeyman since 2018. They picked Weissert because he still had an option so he'll be back soon.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the train kept-a-rollin all night long, train kept a rollin all night long. The Red Sox won their ninth straight game in convincing fashion to show how terrible the Sacramento A's really are. Facing a team completely exhausted after a 13 inning marathon the night before, the A's got their brains beat in as the relentless Red Sox offense pounded out FIFTEEN hits and 13 runs. The Sox put the game away early with a 5 run rally in the second inning off of A's starter Jack Perkins highlighted by a Jarren Duran 2 run bomb. Rbis from Wilyer Abreu, Masataka Yoshida and Andruw Monasterio made it a 9-0 game in the bottom of the fourth. Meanwhile Payton Tolle (7-6, 3.20 ERA) turned into Roger Clemens for one night, striking out FOURTEEN A's in just 6 innings. The lone blemish was a Tyler Soderstrom fifth inning home run but rbis from Caleb Durbin, Ceddanne Rafaela and Yoshida made up for it. Raymond Burgos made his Red Sox debut by firing 3 scoreless innings to earn the save as Boston won their tenth straight game by whipping Oakland 13-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Rocket Roger approves of the win

Tolle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Henry Bolte struck out swinging to begin. Jacob Wilson grounded out to short and Jonah Heim struck out swinging to end the inning. Perkins got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nick Sogard struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right but Wilyer Abreu walked. Caleb Durbin popped up to short to end the inning. 

Tyler Soderstrom struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Tommy White did the same. Brian Serven took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Andruw Monasterio walked and Jarren Duran launched his 16th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Anthony Seigler doubled to center and Jake Rogers doubled to center to score Seigler. Sogard walked and Abreu doubled to right to score both runners. Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                                That ball is gone

Lawrence Butler flied out to left to start the top of the third and Max Muncy struck out swinging. Rafaela made a great diving catch to rob Jonathan Ornelas of a hit to end the inning. Yoshida got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Monasterio flied out to right. Duran and Seigler both took strike three to end the inning.

Tolle made a statement in the top of the fourth by striking out Bolte, Wilson and Heim swinging in short order. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Hayden Juenger came in to take a beating. Rogers doubled to left to start and Sogard got a base hit to right to move Jake to third. Juenger tried to pick off Rogers and the ball got away for an error to score Jake. White made an absolutely amazing stab to rob Rafaela of a hit but Abreu got a base hit to right to score Sogard. Durbin grounded out to third to move Wilyer to second and Abreu scored on the Yoshida double to right. Monasterio got a base hit to left to score Yoshida but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                          Monasterio drives in a run

Soderstrom broke up the perfect game by leading off the top of the fifth with a home run all the way to Kansas to start. White took strike three, Serven struck out swinging and Butler grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's down 9-1.

                                                           A's break up the shutout

Luis Medina came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Duran grounded out to first to start. Seigler got a base hit to right but Rogers struck out swinging. Sogard struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tolle returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth with Eli White now in for Abreu in right. Muncy singled off Tolle but Ornelas took strike three. Bolte and Wilson both struck out swinging to end the inning. Tolle was on his way to 20 strikeouts but Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled the plug with an 8 run lead. Tolle allowed 1 run off 2 hits while striking out 14 batters.

                                                           Tolle was outstanding

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth with Scott "I" Blewitt on the mound. Rafaela got a base hit to right and Ornelas threw a grounder by White away for an error to move both runners into scoring position. Durbin hit a sac fly to center to score Rafaela and move White to third, then Eli scored on the sac fly to center by Yoshida. Monasterio got a base hit to center and Duran walked, but Seigler lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                            The Sox pour it on

Raymond Burgos made his Sox debut in the top of the seventh and Heim grounded out to short to start. Soderstrom flied out to center and White grounded out to third to end the inning. Carlos Cortes took over for Soderstrom with Alika Williams in for Wilson to start the bottom of the seventh. Rogers walked and moved to second on the Sogard grounder to first. Rafaela got a base hit in the hole at second to score Rogers but White popped up to second. Jose Suarez came in to face Durbin and Caleb doubled off the Monster to score Rafaela. Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-1.

                                                        The Durbinator with the final run

Serven struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth and Butler grounded out to short. Muncy lined out to short to end the inning. Donovan Walton came in for Serven at second while Ornelas went to left and Cortes himself took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Monasterio flied out to right, Duran flied out to left and Seigler flied out to center to end the inning.

Burgos returned to finish the job in the top of the ninth and Ornelas took strike three to start. Bolte grounded out to second and Williams grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-1.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Payton Tolle. He dazzled the A's for 6 innings allowing 1 run off 2 hits while striking out 14

                                                        Our Hero tips his cap

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 2 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.

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

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Jake Rogers was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 3 runs scored.

Raymond Burgos got the save by tossing 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored 2 runs.

Eli White was 0 for 2 but scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

You know the Red Sox are back when other team fans on social media are crying that they must be "cheating". One yahoo even went as far to say Alex Cora was secretly managing the team behind the scenes. Absolute nonsense aside, the Red Sox do find new ways to shock the fans. People were expecting a let down after last night and instead they pounded out fifteen hits and thirteen runs while Payton Tolle transformed into Roger Clemens for 6 innings. He possibly could have struck out 20 if Chad Tracy wasn't concerned about load management. The biggest shock of this entire run is Andruw Monasterio is hitting .272 now, Trevor Story even at his best hit .263 last year. Monasterio doesn't have Trevor's power numbers but it'll be interesting to see how the Sox handle this when Story comes back from hernia surgery. Anthony Seigler is hitting .246 and has been a sparkplug at second base, what are they going to do with Curtis Mead comes back from wrist surgery? Jake Rogers was only supposed to be a temporary stopgap until Adley Rutschman came back from his injury but how do you take him or Connor Wong out at this point? Sox fans have gone from how are they going to survive the regular season at the end of June to "who's gonna start in October" in less than 2 months. The only downturn of the night is the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Seattle Mariners and the New York Yankees completed a dramatic comeback against the Atlanta Braves so the Sox gained no ground. It seems like just a matter of time until they catch the Yankees but the Rays have been the most consistent team in the American League even during this run. The Sox have won 32 out of 37 and are still comfortably behind the Rays. Just keep winning and winning, eventually they might be able to catch Tampa. The Sox have a 6.5 game lead on the Texas Rangers for the second wild card but all eyes are on the Yankees and Rays. All in all it was a great win tonight and hopefully the train keeps rolling tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 64-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it ten straight victories and 2 in a row against Sacramento tomorrow afternoon when Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90 ERA) takes on Gage Jump of Sacramento. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.