Sox Hold Off Tigers on Patriots Day (4/20/26)

That was too close for comfort but the Boston Red Sox won on Patriots Day to salvage their series with the Detroit Tigers, but it came at a price. Sonny Gray lasted just 2 2/3 innings before leaving with a hamstring injury, the same one that's been plaguing him for years now. The leaky Boston bullpen ended up coughing up the lead to put the Tigers ahead 3-2. The Sox fought back to tie it in the sixth and took advantage of a comedy of errors to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Sox added two more runs in the eighth and they needed them. The Tigers scored three runs against Jovani Moran in the top of the ninth but Aroldis Chapman slammed the door. The Sox had held on to win 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Brock Lesnar approves of the win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and Kevin McGonigle hit a straight fastball right down the middle into centerfield for a base hit. Gleyber Torres grounded into a double play and Colt Keith flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Flaherty got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony struck out swinging. Willson Contreras lined a base hit off the glove of Hao-Yu Lee but Wilyer Abreu flied out to left but Masataka Yoshida walked. Trevor Story flied out to left to end the inning.

Riley Greene flied out to left to start the top of the second and Dillon Dingler grounded out to third. Kerry Carpenter struck out swinging to end the inning. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Caleb Durbin walked. Marcelo Mayer broke his bat on a bloop single to center to move Durbin to third and Carlos Narvaez dropped down a bunt. Durbin was a dead duck but somehow Flaherty threw the ball away for an error to score Caleb. Anthony walked to load the bases and Contreras hit a liner to center....but Mayer hesitated and had to retreat back to third. Abreu walked to score Durbin but Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                 Sox take the lead

Naturally the Tigers answered as Matt Vierling doubled past the diving Anthony to start the top of the third. Lee grounded out to second by Jake Rogers ripped a base hit to left to score Vierling. McGonigle took strike three but Rogers stole second. Torres walked and suddenly Sonny Gray started clutching his groin and falling to the ground. Gray had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Danny Coulombe came in to pitch and Keith grounded out to end the inning with the Tigers down 2-1.

                                                          Bye bye Gray

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Story struck out swinging on a pitch nowhere close to start. Duran hit a harmless pop up to left but Durbin doubled off the Monster. Marcelo Mayer popped up to left to end the inning.

Naturally Greene walked to start the top of the fourth but Dingler beat out a double play ball. Carpenter as hit with a pitch and that was it for Coulombe. Zack Kelly came in to pitch and Vierling struck out swinging. Lee ripped a base hit to center to score Dingler to tie the game but Rogers lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                 Lee ties it

Narvaez walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Anthony did the same. Contreras failed to get a bunt down and ended up popping up to second to end Flaherty's day. Brant Hurter came in to face Abreu and all he could do was force Anthony at second. Yoshida popped up to center to end the inning, bad situational baseball.

McGonigle grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Torres grounded out to second. Keith also grounded out to first to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Duran grounded back to the mound. Durbin lined out to short to end the inning.

The Tigers wiped out Jovani Moran in the top of the sixth as Greene walked to start. Dingler walked and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Carpenter. Jones got a base hit to center to score Greene, putting Detroit up. Greg Weissert replaced the incompetent Moran and Vierling struck out swinging. Lee struck out swinging and Rogers was called out on a borderline strike to end the inning with the Tigers up 3-2.

                                                               Jones puts the Tigers ahead

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Mayer grounded out to short to start with Wenceel Perez in for Jones. Narvaez doubled off the top of the Monster and promptly stole third. Anthony roped a base hit to center to score Carlos to tie the game. Anthony stole second but Contreras struck out swinging and Abreu lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Anthony ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McGonigle flied out to left to start. Torres lined out to first and Keith grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyler Holton came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida ripped a base hit to center. Story walked on four pitches and Isiah Kiner-Falefa pinch hit for Duran. Kiner bunted for strike three and the crowd booed like crazy. Durbin singled in the hole at short and Ceddanne Rafaela pinch hit for Mayer. Rafaela somehow poked a base hit to right. Yoshida and Story scored easily and the throw got away for a moment. Durbin tried for home but Keith gunned him down. Rafaela took third on a wild pitch and scored on when Torres threw wide of first on a grounder to short by Narvaez. Anthony walked to chase Holton. Drew Anderson came in to face Contreras and he flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                         Rafaela puts Boston ahead

For whatever reason Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Greene naturally got a base hit to center. Dingler beat out a double play ball when Kiner threw low to first and Kiner booted a grounder by Perez for an error....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Perez was out at first anyway. The replay showed Perez was out and Vierling flied out to right to end the inning. Abreu struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth but Yoshida got a base hit to left. Story doubled to center and Yoshida was almost thrown out at third, but slid back in just in time. Kiner singled to right to score both runners to ice the game. Kiner swiped second but Durbin grounded out to third. Rafaela flied out to a jumping Greene to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                       Kiner redeems himself

Watson come in to close out the top of the ninth and naturally Lee doubled off the Monster to start. Rogers grounded out to third but McGonigle doubled off the right field fence. Torres effortlessly got a base hit hit to right to score Lee, move McGonigle to third and chase Watson. Aroldis Chapman had to be brought in to face pinch hitter Spencer Torkelson. Spencer struck out swinging but Greene ate up Rafaela in center for a "double" to score both runners. Dingler grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 8-6.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Greg Weissert. The Sox were down 3-2 with runners at the corners and nobody out when Greg struck out 3 straight guys.

                                                           Weissert The Hero

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 2 with 3 walks with an rbi.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Isiah Kiner Falefa was 1 for 2 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 2 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Zack Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his fourth save by getting the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Danny Coulombe allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in the sixth inning.

Ryan Watson allowed 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and a drove in a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored 2 runs.

Sonny Gray allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings before leaving with injury.

Final Thoughts:

Too bad about Sonny Gray but that was a good comeback win for the Sox. The Sox bats haven't been clutch pretty much all season but today they were. It didn't help Detroit's defense threw the ball away more often than not. The Sox finally got some big hits with men on base from guys like Kiner, Rafaela and Anthony. Its too bad they can't do that more often. The crisis situation is Gray might be hurt a while and if so, that could mean the return of Peyton Tolle or the debut of Jake Bennett. The Sox season is hanging by a thread and they need to make a statement in the upcoming series against the New York Yankees. If they don't take 2 out of 3 then you may as well just admit this season is a washout. The Sox now travel to Yankee Stadium for a three game set with the Yankees in their first encounter since their October showdown. Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29 ERA) gets the ball for the Sox against Luis Gil of New York. 

Tigers Hammer Crochet, Sox (4/19/26)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series but not only did the Boston Bruins choke Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres, but the Boston Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers. T Boston Red Sox 2026 season might be over before it really started as Garrett Crochet (2-3, 7.88 ERA) once again got smashed around. This time it was the Detroit Tigers that blitzed him for 5 runs in just 5 innings. Jahmi Jones and Dillon Dingler both homered in the fifth inning to put the Tigers up 5-1. As usual the Boston bats were silenced, this time it was Framber Valdez that did the honors. Framber held the impotent lineup to just 3 hits and a run in 6 innings. The Tigers got a run against Jack Anderson, the Sox got a Caleb Durbin rbi in the ninth and the Sox dropped another one 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                        This season in a nutshell

Crochet got tagged out of the gate to start the top of the first inning as Jahmai Jones lined out to right to start. Gleyber Torres took strike three but Matt Vierling doubled to left. Dillon Dingler doubled to center to score Vierling. Riley Greene struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                                               Tigers strike first

The Sox got to Valdez in the bottom of the first as Roman Anthony grounded out to first to start. Andruw Monasterio grounded out to short but Willson Contreras belted his fourth home run of the year to tie the game. Trevor Story got a base hit to left and promptly stole second before Abreu walked. Ceddanne Rafaela took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Tie game

Wenceel Perez took strike three to start the top of the second but Spencer Torkelson walked. Hao-Yu Lee struck out swinging and Javier Baez popped up to first to end the inning. Caleb Durbin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Narvaez flied out to center. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to right to end the inning

Jones grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Torres grounded out to second. Vierling grounded out to second to end the inning. Anthony struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Monasterio took strike three. Contreras also went down hacking to end the inning.

Dingler got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Greene took strike three. Perez flied out to right and Torkelson struck out swinging to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Abreu flied out to right. Rafaela doubled to center but Durbin flied out to center to end the inning.

Crochet fell apart in the top of the fifth as Lee struck out swinging to start. Baez struck out swinging but Jones hit a home run all the way to Kenya to put the Tigers up for good. Torres walked, Vierling singled to left and Dingler hit the backbreaking home run into the Charles River to ice it. Greene got a base hit to center and Perez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers up 5-1. Crochet crashed and burned in the fifth inning allowing 5 runs in 5 innings.

                                                           Sox have a Crochet problem

The Sox gave up in the bottom of the fifth as Narvaez flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Kiner took strike three. Anthony grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Torkelson lined out to right to start. Lee grounded out to third but Baez got a base hit to left. Kerry Carpenter pinch hit for Jones and got a base hit to right, but Torres flied out to right to end the inning. Monasterio struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth and Contreras flied out to left. Story walked but Abreu flied out to left to end the inning.

Jack Anderson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Vierling grounded out to third to start. Dingler flied out to center and Greene grounded out to third to end the inning. Kyle Finnegan came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela was rung up for strike three to start. Durbin popped up to second but Narvaez doubled to left. Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Kiner and popped up to third to end the inning.

Perez popped up to second to start the top of the eighth and Torkelson flied out to right. Lee flied out to center to end the inning. Will Vest came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Anthony walked to start. Monasterio grounded into a double play and Contreras grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers added insult to injury in the top of the ninth as Baez singled to left to start. Carpenter walked and Torres got a base hit to right to score Baez. Vierling grounded into a double play but Dingler got a base hit to left. Torres tried to score but Anthony gunned him down at home to end the inning with the Tigers up 6-2.

                                                          Fair ball

Old friend Connor Seabold came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Story struck out swinging to start. Abreu beat out a roller to third but Rafaela struck out swinging. Durbin doubled off the Monster to score Abreu and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the game. The Tigers had won 6-2.

                                                           Tigers win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Crochet. He got rocked for 5 runs in just 5 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                             Jackass Crochet

The Good:

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

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

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

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

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a home run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jack Anderson allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

This season can't end fast enough and we're only 3 weeks into it. If Crochet is actually hurt the season is over. They have no chance with this offense as it is but if the rotation falls apart, then forget about it. Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early look good but if Crochet, Brayan Bello and Sonny Gray fall apart, they'll be in last place by Memorial Day. Crochet was touching 96 on the gun so velocity wasn't the problem, maybe he's tipping his pitches. Either way something is seriously wrong and its very concerning. As usual the Sox bats did nothing and its getting critical there as well. The Sox have scored four runs in 3 games and fans are wondering what can be done. Fire the manager? Trade someone? Demote someone? This team looks lifeless and directionless and it doesn't seem to be any hope in sight. The worst part...its only April. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow morning on Patriots Day Monday. Sonny Gray goes for the Sox against Jack Flaherty of the Tigers. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Skubal, Tigers Dominate Sox (4/18/26)

Boston Red Sox fans are getting extremely upset with the state of the Red Sox and who can blame them? After scoring just one run in 10 innings last night, they laid another egg today against Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. The Sox had just 4 hits and 1 measly run against Tarik while Brayan Bello (1-2, 6.75 ERA) continued to regress this season. The Tigers bats got to Bello for four runs in just four innings. The Sox as a team had just 5 total hits and no rbis as the Tigers won this boring game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                               Sox fans are upset

Bello got the ball in the top of the first as Kevin McGonigle got a base hit to right to start. Gleyber Torres took strike three but Colt Keith got a base hit off the glove of Andruw Monasterio. Riley Greene walked to load the bases but Spencer Torkelson struck out swinging. Kerry Carpenter walked to score McGonigle to put the Tigers up for good just 6 batters into the game.Wenceel Perez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                                                  Tigers strike first

Skubal got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony grounded out to second to start. Andruw Monasterio grounded out to third and Willson Contreras struck out swinging.

Javier Baez grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Jake Rogers flied out to center. McGonigle lined out to center to end the inning. Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Wilyer Abreu went down hacking as well. Ceddanne Rafaela swung at air to end the inning.

Torres grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Keith grounded out to first. Greene flied out to right to end the inning. Caleb Durbin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Connor Wong struck out swinging. Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped up to short to end the inning.

The Tigers struck again in the top of the fourth and Torkelson took strike three to start. Carpenter hit a home run all the way to New York City to increase the lead. Perez walked, Baez doubled to left and Rogers hit a sac fly to center to score Perez. McGonigle singled to right to score Baez but Torres struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers up 4-0. That was it for Bello who got hammered for four runs in four innings off 5 hits and 3 walks.

                                                             Bello was horrible

Anthony walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Monasterio struck out swinging. Contreras struck out swinging and Story went down hacking to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Keith grounded out to first. Greene walked but Torkelson took strike three. Carpenter struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Abreu singled to center to start. Rafaela doubled to center and Durbin walked to load the bases. Unfortunately all Wong could do was bang into a double play to score Abreu. Kiner flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                   Only one run with the bases loaded

Perez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Baez grounded out to second. Rogers doubled to center and McGonigle was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Anthony singled to center to start. Monasterio singled to right to move Anthony to third but Contreras took strike three. Story struck out swinging and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. What a waste.

Torres was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to start the top of the seventh before Dillon Dingler pinch hit for Keith. Dingler flied out to center and Greene struck out swinging to end the inning. Yeoman's effort by Moran to hold the fort for three innings. Tyler Holton came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to short to begin. Durbin took strike three and Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Torkelson grounded back to the mound to start. Carpenter singled to left but was forced at second by Perez. Baez grounded out to second to end the inning. Kiner grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Anthony struck out swinging. Monasterio lined out to center to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Rogers grounded out to second to start. McGonigle lined out to short but Torres singled to right. Dingler flied out to right to end the inning. Old pal Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Contreras got a base hit to left to start. Story forced him at second and Abreu lined out to left. Story took second in defensive indifference and Rafaela popped up to first to end the game. The Tigers had won it 4-1.

                                                             Tigers win

Jackass of The Night is Brayan Bello. Not that the offense was going to do much against Skubal but he didn't give the Sox a chance to win by allowing 4 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                           Jackass Bello

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jovani Moran tossed 3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Zack Kelly tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Not much you can do when the other team's ace is on but you can at least hope your starter can match them. Bello has looked horrible all season long and angry Sox fans are clamoring for the front office to replace Brayan with Peyton Tolle. The Sox starters haven't been giving the Sox a chance to win more often than not but there's not much you can do if you can't score. The Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse is under fire for having one of the worst hitting teams in baseball and manager Alex Cora just isn't seeming to get them to play. We've seen these guys hit last year so what's going on? Hopefully these questions get answered soon because the season is going to hell in a hand basket real quick. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Tigers when Garrett Crochet goes for Boston against Framber Valdez of Detroit. The game begins at 4:35 due to bad weather at Fenway Park.

Sox Walkoff Tigers in Ten (4/17/26)

For 9 innings Boston Red Sox fans were ready to riot after the Red Sox wasted a brilliant start by Ranger Suarez against the Detroit Tigers. Ranger tossed 8 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk but it was all for naught. Casey Mize shut down the Sox bats and held them to just 3 hits. Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock (1-1, 2.25 ERA) held the fort to set the stage for the bottom of the tenth. With runners at the corners and one out, Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Caleb Durbin. Yoshida chopped a base hit into right to score Jarren Duran with the winning run. The Sox had won it 1-0 in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                                    Hell of a win

Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Gleyber Torres grounded out to short to start. Kevin McGonigle got a base hit to center and Jahmai Jones got a base hit to center. McGonigle made it to third but Ceddanne Rafaela gunned down Jones at second. Dillon Dingler struck out swinging to end the inning. Mize got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony flied out to center to start. Willson Contreras flied out to center and Wilyer Abreu took strike three to end the inning.

Matt Vierling lined out to Suarez to start the top of the second and Wenceel Perez flied out to center. Spencer Torkelson lined out to center to end the inning. Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran did the same. Rafaela was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to end the inning.

Hao-Yu Lee flied out to right to start the top of the third and Javier Baez grounded out to second. Torres grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Marcelo Mayer popped up to second to open the bottom of the third and Caleb Durbin grounded out to short. Connor Wong hit a ground rule double into the bullpen but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

McGonigle took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Jones grounded out to short. Dingler walked but Vierling grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth but Abreu flied out to left. Story grounded into a double play to end the inniong.

Perez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Torkelson grounded out to third. Lee flied out to center to end the inning. Duran grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Rafaela walked. Rafaela got thrown out at second trying to steal and Mayer took strike three to end the inning.

Baez lined out to second to start the top of the sixth and Torres was retired on a nubber in front of the plate. McGonigle flied out to left to end the inning. Durbin doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Wong flied out to left. Anthony flied out to left and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jones took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Dingler grounded out to short. Vierling lined out to first to end the inning. Abreu flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Story struck out swinging. Duran got a base hit to third and that was it for Mize. Kyle Finnegan came in to pitch and Duran swiped second. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Suarez came back for one final inning in the top of the eighth and Perez flied out to right to start. Torkelson flied out to center and Lee took strike three to end the inning. Suarez was outstanding, tossing 8 shutout innings off 2 hits and a walk.

                                                            Suarez deserved better

Mayer grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Durbin grounded out to second. Wong walked and Brant Hurter came in to face Anthony. Roman lined out to center to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Baez got a base hit to right to start. Baez was thrown out trying to steal but Torres walked. McGonigle forced Torres at second and Jones doubled to left. Dingler struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              Yerrrrr out!

Will Vest came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Contreras flied out to right to start. Abreu struck out swinging but Lee threw a grounder by Story away for an error. Duran grounded out to third to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Dingler starting at second base. Riley Greene pinch hit for Vierling and flied out to right to move Dingler to third. Perez struck out swinging and Torkelson grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran started the bottom of the tenth at second and moved to third on a wild pitch. Rafaela struck out swinging but Mayer walked to put runners at the corners. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Durbin and chopped a base hit to right to score Duran with the winning run. The Sox had walked it off 1-0.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Masataka Yoshida. His pinch hit rbi single won the game

                                                          Masataka Hero

The Good:

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Ranger Suarez tossed 8 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox continue to be absolutely frustrating on the offensive side of the ball. How they keep getting shut down by mediocre pitchers are an indictment on this coaching staff. Its inexcusable how the Sox hitters come to the park unprepared and overmatched by just about everyone they face. The worst part is, their incompetence took a much deserved win away from Ranger Suarez. After looking lousy in his first two starts, Suarez has been arguably their best pitcher since but has nothing to show for it due to no run support. Chapman and Whitlock once again were an important 1-2 punch but it doesn't matter most of the time if you can't score. Red Sox manager Alex Cora did push the right button by having Yoshida pinch hit in the 10th but what does hitting coach Pete Fatse actually do? Still, it was a good win with shutdown pitching and a timely hit in the end. Doesn't matter if you win 1-0 or 10-0 as long as you get the W. The Sox look to make it two wins in a row against the Tigers tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (1-1, 6.14 ERA) matches up against Tigers ace Tarik Skubal. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News: 2026 Salem Ridge Yaks Preview (4/16/26)

New season, new name for the Boston Red Sox Low A farm team. The Salem Red Sox are now the Salem Ridge Yaks. Why? Who the hell knows. What we do know is that a lot of last year's draft picks and Dominican prospects will appear this season. Last year the Sox went 56-74 so maybe a new name and a new pitching philosophy will pay dividends in 2026. Let's take a look at this year's roster to begin the season.

                                                                    RHP - Adam Bates

First on the list is Australian born 20 year old right handed pitcher Adam Bates. He was signed following the 2023 season and spent 2024 pitching for the Florida Complex Red Sox to get acclimated to American style. He was 1-2 with a 3.96 ERA in 9 starts but didn't have a good 2025 in Salem. He was 3-4 with a 5.04 shuffling between starting and relieving. This year so far he's allowed 6 runs in 7 innings. He's got time to turn it around but if not, there's plenty of pitchers from last year's draft, the Dominican Sox and this coming draft that can take his place.

                                                                RHP - Jose Bello

The last man standing from the Rafael Devers trade (not counting Caleb Durbin, Andruw Monasterio, Anthony Seigler and Henry Godbout by proxy) is 20 year old right handed pitcher Jose Bello. Bello was a Dominican teenager drafted by the San Francisco Giants that spent the rest of 2025 after the trade going 3-1 with a 3.11 ERA between the Complex and Salem. This year so far he's thrown 2 innings and hasn't allowed a run. He can hit 96 on the gun and seems to have gotten stronger in the last couple of seasons. Too bad he's pitching with the pressure of being traded for Rafael Devers.

                                                                     RHP - Harry Blum

There's a line from the comedy movie Tommy Boy where Chris Farley goes "You know some people go to college for seven years." 24 year old right handed pitcher Harry Blum fell one year short of that after spending 5 years at Luther College and one year at Augustana in South Dakota. Signed as a minor league free agent in February, Blum has allowed 3 runs in 6 innings with 7 strikeouts. He can hit 96 on the gun so let's see what he can do. 

                                                                 LHP - Dylan Brown

The Red Sox took 21 year old left handed pitcher out of Old Dominion in the 8th round last season and the word on him was his velocity already improved. He was throwing 93 in college and has hit 95 in the pros so far. He's 1-0 and hasn't allowed a run in 8 2/3 innings so far. So far so good for Brown, hope he can keep up the momentum. You can never have enough left handed pitching.

                                                            LHP - Nicolas De La Cruz

The Sox are looking forward to improvement out of 20 year old left handed pitcher Nicolas De La Cruz. Signed as a Dominican teenager before the 2023 season, Nicolas struggled last season going 2-3 with a 4.76 ERA between the Complex and Salem last year. This year he hasn't allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings so things are looking up. He's not a power pitcher, relying more on junk so let's see if he can keep up with some of the flamethrowers that are coming up.

                                                              RHP - Matt Duffy

Unfortunately we're not going to see 24 year old right handed pitcher Matt Duffy for a while. Taken in the 4th round back in 2023, Duffy broke out in 2024 going 4-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 22 starts for Salem. Just when it looked like he was headed to Greenville in 2025, he had Tommy John surgery in spring training. He should be back later in the summer but he won't be the same until next season. Shame too, he was Salem's best pitcher in 2024.

                                                                RHP - Leighton Finley

His name is Finley and he loves to fight! In all seriousness, 22 year old right handed pitcher Leighton Finley was last year's 6th round pick and hit 97 on the gun for the Georgia Bulldogs. He didn't have the best stats as a starter for Georgia but Sox general manager Craig Breslow wants to harness that power arm. So far he's allowed 2 earned runs in 8 2/3 innings and doing well. Let's see if he can progress this season and make it to Greenville.

                                                              RHP - Christian Foutch

Speaking of power arms, look no further than 22 year old right handed pitcher Christian Foutch. Drafted in the 5th round last year, Foutch hit 100 on the gun for Arkansas University out of the bullpen. The problem with Foutch is he can throw gas but doesn't know where its going. If the Sox development staff can teach him control, the sky is the limit for Foutch.

                                                            RHP - Madinson Frias

The Salem Yaks are looking at a youth movement and that includes 21 year old right handed pitcher Madinson Frias. Signed as a Dominican teenager before the 2024 season, he struggled going 1-7 with a 6.30 for the Florida Complex last year. This year so far he's allowed 8 runs in 5 innings, not good. Still, some of the Dominican kids take time to develop and hopefully Frias can too. If not, there will be plenty of guys coming up that can take his place.

                                                               RHP - Gilbel Galvan

One of the youngsters of the team is 19 year old right handed pitcher Gilbel Galvan. Galvan allowed 13 runs in 16 innings last year for the Florida Complex and this year he's 0-1 with a 4.50 ERA. He's only 19 years old so he's got a long way to go. He can hit 96 on the gun and throws a decent slider when it gets over.

                                                                   RHP - Nicholas Judice

When the Red Sox traded Alex Verdugo to the Yankees for Greg Weissert and Richard Fitts, they also got 24 year old right handed pitcher Nicholas Judice as well. Judice was taken in the 8th round in the 2023 draft but due to injuries, he's only pitched in 11 games since. He allowed 3 runs in 11 innings last year and began this season on the 60 day Injured List so we won't see him for a while. Its a shame since he's a 6 foot 8 monster who can hit 97 on the gun.

                                                               RHP - Griffin Kilander

If you want a classic junkballer, here's 22 year old right handed pitcher Griffin Kilander. Drafted in the 16th round back in 2024, Kilander had a mediocre 2025 in Salem. He was 6-5 with a 4.34 ERA in 20 games between starting and relieving. So far this year he's allowed 7 runs in just 5 innings so far. Still, the year is young and he's got a long way to go. He was a 16th round pick, not exactly a blue chipper.

                                                              RHP - Jacob Mayers

In the 9th round last year, the Sox took 21 year old right handed pitcher Jacob Mayers of of the National Champion LSU Tigers. He posted a 4.80 ERA for LSU but could hit 97 on the gun. So far he's allowed 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings but he's only 21 and this is his first professional season. He has plenty of time to learn mechanics and harness that 97 mph fastball. Judge slowly with this one.

                                                                  RHP - Barrett Morgan

Speaking of last year's draft, here's 21 year old right handed pitcher Barrett Morgan out of Cowley County Junior College. Taken in the 11th round, he was taken because he was 5-0 with a 0.42 ERA after allowing just 1 run in 21 innings while pumping 96 consistently. Now Junior College batters are much different than professional hitters, but he's struck out 2 of the 3 batters he's faced so far this year. Sometimes, you find talent in little known places. Hopefully that's the case here.

                                                                    RHP - Brandon Neely

The Sox had high hopes for 22 year old right handed pitcher Brandon Neely when he was taken in the third round back in 2024. He didn't pitch at all in 2024 and 2025 due to injury but so far has struck out 5 batters in 2 innings to start this year. He hit 97 on the gun for Florida University and now that he's healthy, let's see if he can turn it around.

                                                             RHP - Trennor O'Donnell

When it comes to injured pitchers, 24 year old right handed pitcher Trennor O'Donnell might be the ultimate "what if". Taken in the 8th round back in 2023, he was 13-8 for Ball State and was a highly touted junkballer. Instead, he pitched in just 27 games since then including just 7 last year before he had internal brace surgery. He's on the 60 day Injured List to start this year and who knows how he'll do once he returns. He was a Chaim Bloom junkballer, not exactly the type of guy Breslow wants to stick around.

                                                             LHP - Myles Patton

With all the flamethrowers Craig Breslow drafted last year, it was a bit of a head scratcher when he picked 22 year old left handed pitcher Myles Patton in the 7th round out of Texas A & M. He was a junkballer that posted a 5.26 ERA in 15 starts. This year he's allowed just 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings so he's off to a good start. Still, you gotta wonder how scouts and general managers look at a 5.26 ERA in college and go "oooooh that's goood!"

                                                            RHP - Dalvinson Reyes

Another youngster on the team is 19 year old Dominican right handed pitcher Dalvinson Reyes. Reyes was total batting practice for the Florida Complex last year allowing 27 runs in 16 innings in his first pro season on American soil. He hasn't pitched yet this season but should be brought in to a game any time now. He supposedly can top out at 94 on the gun so let's see how he does now that he's acclimated to the US.

                                                           RHP - Wuilliams Rodriguez

If you wanted another Venezuelan teenager, HERE'S ONE! 19 year old right handed pitcher Wuilliams Rodriguez went 6-2 with a 4.53 ERA between the Complex and Salem last season topping out at 93 on the gun. This year so far he's 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA out of the bullpen. The Sox are banking on a lot of these youngsters this season, maybe one of them will work out.

                                                              RHP - Cole Tolbert

There was probably not much left when the 18th round of the 2024 draft came around but Sox GM Craig Breslow decided to take 23 year old right handed pitcher and his 7.71 ERA out of Mississippi. His entire pro career has been injuries and ineffectiveness as he pitched in just 5 games to end 2024. He had Tommy John surgery in Spring Training last season and won't be back till later in the summer this year. Who knows, maybe he'll turn it around when he gets back. Otherwise, just another failed 18th round pick in a sea full of them.

                                                              RHP - Caden Vire

Oh look, another reclamation project! 22 year old right handed pitcher Caden Vire was taken in the 12th round back in 2021 by the Milwaukee Brewers and was straight batting practice at the rookie level from 2021-24. Last year he allowed 8 runs in 3 2/3 innings before he had Tommy John surgery to end this season. He was taken by the Sox in the Rule 5 draft and if you're wondering why this guy? He can top out at 98 mph....well before the surgery anyway. Who knows how he'll look once he returns later in the summer.

                                                               LHP - Ethan Walker

The Sox took 21 year old left handed pitcher Ethan Walker out of Kentucky University with their 12th round draft pick and he needed to learn control badly. He could hit 95 on the gun in college but posted a 4.08 ERA in just 9 games. This year so far he's 1-0 with a 1.29 ERA utilizing his breaking balls. That's a good sign so far. Hopefully he can keep the momentum going.

                                                              INF - Alexander Mambel

19 year old first baseman/catcher Alexander Mambel will be starting the season on the Development List. He signed as a Venezuelan teenager following the 2023 season and had 11 hits in 44 at-bats last year for the Florida Complex Sox. He's only 19 so he's got a long way to go, the Development List isn't exactly a death knell.

                                                              C - Kleyvar Salazar

Salem's backup catcher this season will be 19 year old Kleyvar Salazar. Salazar signed as a Venezuelan teenager prior to the 2023 season but hit just .215 in 99 games for Salem last season. So far this season he has 9 hits in 27 at-bats which is an immediate improvement. Hopefully he can keep the momentum up when his number is called.

                                                                UTL - Frederik Jimenez

Salem's utility player this year will be 21 year old Frederik Jimenez. Signed as a Dominican teenager following the 2022 season, he hit just .196 in 98 games for Salem last year. If he can make it on his glove, cool, but it would be nice to hit at least Low A pitching.

                                                                   UTL - Avinson Pinto

The baby of the team is 18 year old utility infielder Avinson Pinto. Signed as a Venezuelan teenager before the 2024 season, he hit .235 in 43 games with the Florida Complex Sox last year. This year so far he's got 9 hits in 32 at-bats and 4 rbis. If he can hit Low A pitching at just 18, wait till he fills out and gets more experience.

                                                                   OF - Stanley Tucker

19th round picks are usually cucka but 23 year old outfielder Stanley Tucker is looking to buck the trend. Drafted back in 2023, Tucker couldn't hit the broad side of the barn from the end of 2023 and 2024. Then he missed 2025 with a broken wrist. Suddenly he turned it around so far this year with 9 hits in 24 at-bats including a home run & 5 rbis. He had 43 hits the entire year in 2024 for Salem so he's in good shape so far. Hopefully he can keep fighting his way up the ladder.

                                                                C - Luke Heyman

The Red Sox made cost saving trades in November of last year, one of them sent pitching prospect Alex Hoppe to the Seattle Mariners for their 14th round pick in the 2025 draft, 22 year old catcher Luke Heyman. Luke hit 41 home runs in 3 years at Florida University and so far this year he's got one home run in 30 at-bats. He dropped to the 14th round mostly due to a broken forearm suffered his senior year, hopefully this year he shows the power he had at Florida.

                                                           1B - D'Angelo Ortiz

Nepotism and the Red Sox go hand in hand. The mother of all was their 19th round pick in the 2024 draft, D'Angelo Ortiz. Little Papi had a decent year in 2025 between the Complex and Salem hitting .269. Unfortunately he doesn't have his father's power stroke as he has just 7 hits in 30 at-bats and know career home runs yet. In any other organization, a light hitting infielder would be on the bench. Here, he's Salem's starting first baseman. Let's see if he learns how to hit better.

                                                             2B - Ilan Fernandez

Want another Venezuelan teenager? HERE YOU GO! 19 year old infielder Ilan Fernandez was signed after the 2023 season and he hit just .234 with the Florida Complex last season. This year so far he has just 4 hits in 23 at-bats. He's got plenty of time to develop so it would be unfair to judge him at 19 years old. Still, with other teenagers on this team, SOMEONE has to step up.

                                                              3B - Ty Hodge

Following the 2025 draft, the Red Sox took a flier on 22 year old third baseman Ty Hodge. He washed out at Texas A & M going 1 for 18 before bouncing around the transfer portal. He did hit .292 for University of Texas San Antonio and so far he has 9 hits in 27 at-bats for Salem. To go from unwanted to starting in Low A is an accomplishment in itself. Let's see if he can keep going all the way to Greenville.

                                                               SS - Starlyn Nunez

Salem's starting shortstop to start the season is 20 year old Starlyn Nunez from the Dominican Republic. Last year he hit .248 with 8 home runs in 110 games and so far this year he's hitting just .222 to start. The power stroke may come back but you'd like to see him get off to a better start. Let's see how he turns out once the season gets fully underway.

                                                             LF - Andrews Opata

Salem's starting left fielder is 22 year old outfielder Andrews Opata. Opata was signed as a rookie free agent following last year's draft after he hit .372 with 12 home runs for North Georgia University. So far he has 11 hits in 30 at-bats including his first pro home run. Just like Ty Hodge, to go from undrafted to a minor league star would be remarkable. Hope he keeps up the pace, would be a hell of a steal by Sox GM Craig Breslow.

                                                             CF - Enddy Azocar

Salem's starting centerfielder will be 19 year old Venezuelan teenager Enddy Azocar. Signed prior to the 2024 season, he hit .232 but with 6 home runs between the Complex and Salem. So far he has 12 hits in 46 at-bats but with no home runs. He did steal 11 bags last year so maybe he can swipe a few this year as well.

                                                              RF - Skylar King

Last year the Sox took 22 year old outfielder Skylar King in the 15th round after he hit .291 with 3 home runs for West Virginia University. He hit .258 with one home run to finish the season in Salem. This year so far he only has 6 hits in 28 at-bats but 2 of them were home runs. Just like some of the others, it'll be interesting if guys can go from small colleges to the big time.

                                                               DH - Anderson Fermin

Last but not least is 19 year old Dominican outfielder Anderson Fermin. Signed prior to the 2024 season, Fermin hit .245 between the Complex and Salem last year but is only hitting .214 to start this year. Not exactly a great choice for designated hitter but the season just started. Who knows, he might have 15 home runs by July.

So there's your roster to start the year for the Salem Red So......Ridge Yaks. This team is loaded with Dominican and Venezuelan kids along with 2024 and 2025 draft picks. Some of the guys to watch for are flamethrowers like Christian Foutch and undrafted guys like Ty Hodge and Andrews Opata. Naturally all eyes will be on D'Angelo Ortiz mostly because of who his father is. Still, for Low A baseball, this could be a fun season for Salem. Come down to Carilion Clinic Field and support the Ridge Yaks.