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.

Red Sox Win Game of The Year (8/6/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Joe La Sorsa who infamously pitched in one game for the Red Sox giving up a home run on the first pitch he threw was given his outright release. The Sox needed to open up some 40 man roster spots with some of the injured guys close to returning and with Erik Miller on the roster, La Sorsa was expendable.

                                                                      OUT

As for the game, that wasn't just the game of the season for the Red Sox, that might have been one of the most pulse pounding, exciting regular season games in Boston Red Sox history. The Red Sox won their eighth straight game and swept the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox by coming back FIVE times in a single game to win in 13 innings. The White Sox got four runs off Sox starter Ranger Suarez and knocked him out after 3 innings. A Connor Wong 2 run home run cut the lead but the ChiSox got a run against Greg Weissert. The BoSox rallied for 3 runs to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth, chasing Chicago starter Luis Castillo. A Justin Slaten throwing error gave Chicago a 7-5 lead but a Masataka Yoshida rbi in the sixth brought the Sox closer. Down to their last strike in the bottom of the ninth, Wilyer Abreu drilled a base hit to tie the game. Normally indomitable closer Aroldis Chapman served up a 2 run meatball to Chase Meidroth in the top of the tenth but an Andruw Monasterio double and Anthony Seigler sac fly tied it in the bottom of the frame. The White Sox got a run off Garrett Whitlock in the top of the eleventh but an Abreu sac fly tied it. The White Sox got a run off Brayan Bello (4-6, 4.97 ERA) in the top of the 12th but a Jake Rogers sac fly tied it again. Bello held the fort in the top of the 13th and Caleb "The Durbinator" Durbin delivered the knockout punch by driving in Nick Sogard to win the game. The BoSox had won their eighth straight game and swept the White Sox with a 12-11 victory in 13 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                           8 in a row.....ah ah ah

Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chase Meidroth lined out to short to start. Munetaka Murakami struck out swinging and Miguel Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Nick Sogard flied out to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Randal Grichuk grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Colson Montgomery grounded out to second. Joey Bart was hit with a pitch but Brenton Doyle forced him at second to end the inning. Caleb Durbin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida took strike three. Andruw Monasterio grounded out to third to end the inning.

The ChiSox struck first in the top of the third as Braden Montgomery walked to start. Luisangel Acuna flied out to left but Meidroth hit a home run all the way to Brazil to put Chicago ahead. Murakami grounded out to first but Vargas walked. Grichuk got a base hit to right and Colson Montgomery got base hit to center. Rafaela inexplicably turned and threw the ball into the centerfield stands for an error to score both runners. Bart struck out swinging to end the inning but the White Sox led 4-0. That was it for Suarez who got rocked for 4 runs in just 3 innings off 3 hits and 2 walks.

                                                              Suarez didn't last long

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Anthony Seigler walked. Connor Wong belted his third home run of the season to cut the lead in half and Sogard got a base hit to right. Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning with the BoSox down 4-2.

                                                             Wong hits one out

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Doyle singled in the hole at short to start. Doyle stole second but Braden Montgomery struck out swinging but Doyle went to third. Sam Antonacci pinch hit for Garcia and naturally doubled to right to score Doyle. Meidroth walked but Murakami struck out swinging. Vargas took strike three to end the inning with Chicago ahead 5-2.

                                                         Pain in the ass

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu struck out swinging to start. Durbin got  a base hit inside the bag at third and Yoshida singled off the glove of Vargas. Monasterio doubled to right to score Durbin but Duran struck out swinging. Seigler doubled to right to score both runners to tie the game but Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                                Seigler ties it up

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to throw up on himself in the top of the fifth with Andrew Benintendi pinch hitting for Grichuk. Benintendi got a base hit to center and Colson Montgomery got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners. Bart struck out swinging and Tristan Peters pinch hit for Doyle. Peters popped up to third and Braden Montgomery hit a chopper to the mound.....thrown away by Slaten for an error to score both runners. Antonacci struck out swinging to end the inning but the White Sox now led 7-5.

                                                       Whoops!

Bryan Hudson came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Sogard took strike three to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right but Abreu struck out swinging. Rafaela was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. 

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Meidroth took strike three to start. Murakami grounded back to the mound and Vargas grounded out to first to end the inning. Old pal Jordan Hicks came in to get tagged in the bottom of the sixth as Durbin doubled to left to start. Yoshida doubled to center to score Durbin and a wild pitch moved Yoshida to third. Monasterio struck out swinging and Duran lined out to second to chase Hicks. Grant Taylor came in to face Seigler and Anthony flied out to left to end the inning with the Red Sox down 7-6.

                                                               Yoshida refuses to give up

Erik Miller came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Benintendi took strike three to start. Colson Montgomery grounded out to second but Bart was hit with a pitch. Drew Romo pinch ran for Bart and Peters popped up a bunt to Miller to end the inning. Wong was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the seventh and Sogard drew a walk. Rafaela struck out swinging and Abreu beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Durbin took strike three to end the inning.

Braden Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth and Antonacci got a base hit to left. Meidroth walked but Murakimi struck out swinging. Vargas struck out swinging to end the inning. Yoshida grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth and Monasterio grounded out to third. Meidroth threw a grounder by Duran away for an error and Seigler got a base hit to right to chase Taylor. Huascar Brazoban came in to face Wong and Duran foolishly tried to run to third during the pitching change, getting thrown out to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Benintendi grounded out to third to start. Colson Montgomery walked but Romo flied out to center. Montgomery took second on a balk and Peters walked as well. Braden Montgomery grounded out to second to end the inning. Things looked up when Wong doubled off the Monster to start the bottom of the ninth and Eli White ran for him. Then things looked bleak when Sogard dropped down a bunt to move Eli to third and Rafaela struck out swinging. Down to their last strike....Abreu singled up the middle to score White with the tying run. Once again Abreu was foolishly thrown at second trying to steal to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7.

                                                               Not dead yet

Jake Rogers took over behind the plate to make his Sox debut with Aroldis Chapman on the mound to start the top of the tenth. Braden Montgomery started at second base and Antonacci grounded out to second to move him to third. Suddenly Meidroth hit a home run all the way to Naples, Italy to put Chicago on top. Murakimi grounded out to second and Vargas flied out to right but the White Sox now led 9-7.

                                                         Anybody but them

New York Yankee fans (you read that right) gladhanded each other on social media saying the game was in the bag going into the bottom of the tenth with Trevor Richards on the mound and Abreu starting at second. Durbin popped up to second as Yankee fans (not White Sox) started celebrating only for Yoshida to draw a walk. No big deal right? WRONG! Jahmai Jones ran for Yoshida and Monasterio doubled off the Monster to score Abreu. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases and Seigler made them pay with a sac fly to center to score Jones, tying the game again. Rogers walked to reload the bases but Sogard forced him at second to end the inning with the game tied 9-9.

                                                             Heculean sac fly for Seigler

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eleventh with Vargas now on the mound. Benintendi popped up to left but Whitlock bounced a pitch to the backstop to move Vargas to third. Colson Montgomery hit a fly ball to shallow center and Vargas took off. Rafaela's throw came in......safe. Yankee fans (again, not White Sox) erupted on social media as the White Sox had the lead again. Romo struck out swinging to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 10-9.

                                                             Safe!

Yankee fans weren't quite as confident with only a one run lead in the bottom of the 11th and Sogard starting at second. They were right to be cautious because Rafaela got a base hit to center to move Sogard to third and Abreu hit a sac fly to center to score Nick. Rafaela stole second and Durbin walked to put the winning run at second. Jones beat out a roller to third to load the bases but Monasterio popped up to left. Old friend Chris Murphy came in to face Duran and Jarren flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 10-10.

                                                         Abreu ties it again

With nobody left in the bullpen, Brayan Bello came in to pitch the top of the 12th with Romo starting at second. Peters got a base hit to right to move Romo to third and the Red Sox caught a break when Braden Montgomery forced Peters at second but Romo didn't run home. Unfortunately it didn't matter anyway as Antonacci got a base hit to left to score Romo to put Chicago ahead again. Meidroth got a base hit to left and Montgomery tried for home. Duran fired home....OUT! Murakimi was intentionally walked to load the bases but Vargas grounded out to third to end the inning with the White Sox up 11-10.

                                                             Antonacci does it again

Now Yankee fans were confident because there's no way the Red Sox were coming back for the fifth time in one night, right?......RIGHT? Well with Duran at second base, things looked good for the Chicago/New York temporary alliance when Seigler flied out to right.....until Richards uncorked a wild pitch to move Duran to third. Rogers hit a sac fly to center to score Duran and the opposing fans threw their hands up in disgust. Sogard flied out to right to end the inning with the score tied 11-11.

                                            Been with the team 5 minutes....saves the day

Bello returned for the top of the 13th and Vargas at second base but the enemy fans got nervous when Benintendi hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Yankee fans cheered when Vargas stole third as Colson Montgomery struck out swinging but turned to silence when Romo grounded out to second to end the inning. Bello had pitched the first clean inning since Jovani Moran in the ninth.

                                                        Unlikely bullpen ace

Suddenly Yankee fans were strangely quiet when Erick Fedde took the mound for the bottom of the 13th with Sogard starting at second base. The Chicago/New York alliance started fist bumping and preparing for the 14th inning when Rafaela popped up to first, but Abreu was intentionally walked to get to Durbin. Bad move....Durbin ripped a base hit up the middle to score Sogard with the winning run. The Red Sox had survived 12-11 in 13 innings.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His rbi single in the 13th inning won the game for the Sox.

                                                               Ice water Hero

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jahmai Jones singled and scored a run.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 6 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a 2 run home run.

Eli White scored a run as a pinch runner.

Jake Rogers hit a sac fly and walked.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Erik Miller pitched two scoreless innings.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Brayan Bello got the win with 2 innings and only 1 ghost runner allowed.

The Bad:

Ranger Suarez got tagged for 4 runs in just 3 innings.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the fourth inning.

Justin Slaten allowed 2 runs in the fifth inning by committing a throwing error.

Aroldis Chapman served up a 2 run home run in the 10th inning.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and scored two runs.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 2 for 7 with 2 strikeouts and a throwing error.

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

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a ghost runner to score in the 11th inning.

Final Thoughts:

There's no more superlatives to say about this year's Red Sox team other than to shut up and enjoy the ride. The Sox trailed this game five different times and any one of them meant the game was over from April to June. Instead, the Sox never gave up and battled back to win one of the best regular season games in history. The White Sox led in every inning from 9 to 12 and couldn't put Boston away. A team effort from stars like Abreu to role players like Jahmai Jones and Jake Rogers helped win this game. The pitching wasn't the greatest and the defense was awful, but they did just enough to win the game. The trio of Durbin, Monasterio and Seigler were huge factors in this one and all 3 came in the Kyle Harrison trade. Bet people will shut up about that trade now. The only sad notes were Willson Contreras sat this one out with illness that might be a concussion after getting drilled the other night and Suarez came out after just 3 innings. With the Sox getting dangerously thin in the rotation with Garrett Crochet still out and Connelly Early gone, the Sox needed Suarez more than ever to hold it together. Hopefully tonight was just a hiccup. Same goes for the relief pitchers who gave up runs such as Weissert, Chapman and Slaten....although Slaten was more due to his own stupidity than allowing a hit. The crazy part is the Sox used all 8 of their relief pitchers and they gave up seven runs after Suarez left....and won. The BoSox just keep on winning come hell or high water and the sad part is they HAD to. The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays were idle so the Sox needed to win this one to keep pace. The Yankees lead in the first wild card is now down to a half game which is hilarious considering they led by 15.5 games at one point. The Cleveland Guardians lost again which puts the Sox 6.5 games in front of them and a full 7 games ahead of the Minnesota Twins. The Sox have a legitimate shot to take the division if they remain red hot and the Yankees continue to collapse. The bottom line is this was one of the best regular season games in history and the Sox are on a historic run. The 1984 Tigers started the season 35-5 and the win tonight put the Sox at 31-5 since June 24th. It'll be a tall task to win 4 more games in a row but its not impossible. Just have to keep the momentum going and enjoy the ride. The win improved the Sox to 63-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Sacramento A's for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. The last team to beat the Red Sox on July 28th will send Jack Perkins to the mound against Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.30 RA) of Boston. The Sox look to win their ninth straight game at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Gray, Red Sox Blank White Sox (8/5/26)

One thing is for sure, if the Boston Red Sox ever get Garrett Crochet back they might not ever lose again with the pitching they have. Sonny Gray (14-2, 2.78 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young Award by tossing 6 shut out innings against the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. After that, the trio of Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock and Jovani Moran shut the door without allowing a single run. Offensively the Sox used a balanced attack against Chicago starter Sean Burke & the White Sox bullpen. Willson Contreras drove in a run in the bottom of the first and Wilyer Abreu smashed a home run in the bottom of the third. Andruw Monasterio drove in a run in the bottom of the seventh and Caleb Durbin drove in Abreu in the bottom of the eighth. Moran shut the door in the top of the ninth and the Red Sox made it seven wins in a row as they knocked off the White Sox 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                           Jeremy Swayman approves of the shutout win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and Sam Antonacci grounded out to first to start. Munetaka Murakami flied out to left. Miguel Vargas walked but Colson Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning. Burke got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Nick Sogard took strike three to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to left but Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to center. Abreu took second on a wild pitch and Willson Contreras got a base hit to left to score him. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Sox strike first

Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Braden Montgomery flied out to left. Tristan Peters flied out to right to end the inning. Caleb Durbin lined out to right to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran grounded out to second. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left then stole second. Monasterio took third on a balk but Connor Wong lined out to short to end the inning. 

Chase Meidroth struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Drew Romo flied out to center, but Antonacci was hit with a pitch. Murakami walked and Vargas got a base hit inside the bag at third. Antonacci ran for home but Durbin threw him out to end the inning. Sogard struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Rafaela did the same. Abreu then smashed his 20th home run of the year to increase the lead before Contreras walked. Yoshida popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Abreu watches it go

Colson Montgomery struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Benintendi doubled off the Monster. Braden Montgomery struck out swinging and Peters did the same to end the inning. Durbin lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Duran doubled off the glove of Murakami. Duran took third on a wild pitch but Monasterio popped up to first. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. 

All of a sudden Contreras keeled over in the dugout and had to leave the game in the top of the fifth. Sogard moved over to first and Anthony Seigler came in for Contreras at second. Meidroth struck out swinging but naturally Seigler booted a grounder by Romo for an error. Romo took second on a grounder to the mound by Antonacci but Murakami struck out swinging to end the inning. Sogard popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Rafaela walked to chase Burke. Old pal Sean Newcomb came in to face Abreu and Wilyer hit a bullet.....right to Murakimi who got Rafaela at first to end the inning.

Vargas got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth but Colson Montgomery grounded into a double play. Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning. That was it for Gray agter 6 shutout innings at only 83 pitches. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks.

                                                         Good work Gray

Seigler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida lined out to right. Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Braden Montgomery struck out swinging to start. Peters' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Durbin and Meidroth grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh to chase Newcomb. Huascar Brazoban came in to fsce Monasterio and Duran took off for second. Romo's throw got away and Duran took third on the error. Monasterio hit a sac fly to left to score Duran but Wong struck out swinging. Sogard walked but Rafaela forced him at second to end the inning with the BoSox up 3-0.

                                                       Sox score another run

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Joey Bart pinch hit for Romo to start. Bart struck out swinging but Antonacci got a base hit to center. Murakami flied out to left and Vargas struck out swinging to end the inning. Old pal Chris Murphy came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Abreu walked to start. Abreu stole second but Seigler struck out swinging. Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Yoshida and took strike three. Durbin blooped a base hit to right and Abreu came home....SAFE! Durbin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-0.

                                                       Durbin drives in a run

Jovani Moran came in to close out the top of the ninth and Colson Montgomery walked on four pitches not even close. Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Benintendi and took strike three. Braden Montgomery struck out swinging and Brenton Doyle pinch hit for Peters. Colson Montgomery took second on defense indifference but Doyle struck out swinging to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sonny Gray. He pitched 6 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

                                                             Gray Hero

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run, a stolen base and 3 total runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 1 with a walk and an rbi before leaving the game.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

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

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

What a torrid run the Red Sox are on. Not only have they won seven games in a row but the last five have come against potential playoff teams. Sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers and taking 2 of 3 from the AL Central leading White Sox is no joke. Its not just that they win, its how. The Sox 5 man rotation are under or just over 3.00 which means the starters are only giving up 3 runs or fewer per start. As long as the bullpen doesn't melt down, the Sox have a chance to win almost every night. The offense that was once the worst in not just all of baseball but heading toward historic incompetence is now a strength. With Andruw Monasterio and Caleb Durbin turning their seasons around and Connor Wong replacing Carlos Narvaez, the Sox are 7 guys deep out of nine. The only stragglers are Sogard and Seigler but they're only playing because Curtis Mead got hurt and Trevor Story is still out. Tonight's game went according to formula, get lights out pitching and scratch out enough runs to win. Duran's average might be .206 but he was about .190 a few weeks ago and he's definitely picked it up. That little ruckus with Contreras and Chad Epperson might have woke him up. He admitted that he thought for sure he would be released at the trade deadline and now that he's safe, he's been playing his ass off. Hopefully that continues moving forward because if HE gets hot, there's no stopping them. They're 7 guys deep in the bullpen, the rotation is averaging 3 runs or fewer and the offense is rolling. One pipe dream is the Detroit Tigers started their historic 1984 season by going 35-5. If the Red Sox somehow win five more games in a row, they'll have gone 35-5 since losing to the Colorado Rockies on June 24th. A tall task but not impossible. The bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the worthless Colorado Rockies but the good news was the St. Louis Cardinals knocked off the New York Yankees. The 15 game lead the Yankees had is now down to just 1. Overtaking them is crucial because they don't want a repeat of last year with 3 straight games in Yankee Stadium. It seems unfair but the Sox need to go on these major win streaks just to keep pace with the Rays and Yankees. Just have to keep winning and winning. The win improved the Sox to 62-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox look to sweep the White Sox and win their eighth game in a row tomorrow night when Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) takes on Luis Castillo of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Crush White Sox (8/4/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. New additions Jake Rogers, Erik Miller and Eli White were activated for tonight's game while Romy Gonzalez was sent down to Worcester and Ryan Watson was designated for assignment. The Sox have a decision to make when Adley Rutschman is ready to either jettison Connor Wong or Rogers but in the meantime, they'll need both. Also to amend the Marcelo Mayer trade yesterday, the Sox also picked up 21 year old outfield prospect Carlos Gutierrez who was hitting .271 with 9 home runs for the Single A Eugene Emeralds. Considering they never replaced James "Leroy Jethro" Tibbs, consider Carlos the replacement.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, think its time to start believing in the 2026 Boston Red Sox. After sweeping the back back to World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers in Los Angeles the Sox picked up where they left off in demolishing the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox. Patrick Sandoval (1-0, 3.38 ERA) got his first win in 2 years by allowing 2 runs in 5 innings but the story of the game was the offense. Led by Caleb Durbin's grand slam off Chicago starter Davis Martin, a home run by Jarren Duran and two home runs by Wilyer Abreu, the BoSox exploded for 15 hits and 14 runs in this one. Erik Miller got a big out in the sixth inning before the BoSox pulled away and Brayan Bello earned his first save of the season with 3 scoreless innings. The Red Sox took a belt to the ass of the White Sox for their sixth straight win 14-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Russell Henley approves of the win

Sandoval got the ball in the top of the first inning and old pal Chase Meidroth struck out swinging to start. Munetaka Murakami took strike three but Miguel Vargas walked. Randal Grichuk flied out to center to end the inning. The Red Sox exploded against Martin in the bottom of the first as Nick Sogard doubled to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela was hit with a pitch and Sogard moved to third on the fly ball to center by Wilyer Abreu. Willson Contreras got a base hit to center to score Sogard and Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right to load the bases. Caleb Durbin belted a grand slam into the Monster Seats to increase the lead and Jarren Duran followed by demolishing his 15th home run of the year for back to back jacks. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit in the hole at third but Connor Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                      A grand salami for Durbin

Colson Montgomery singled off the glove of Rafaela to start the second inning but was doubled off first on a pop up to Sandoval by Joey Bart. Brenton Doyle flied out to center to end the inning. Sogard got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second but Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu walked but was thrown out at second on a fly ball to center by Contreras to end the inning.

Old farmhand Braden Montgomery grounded out to third to start the top of the third but Luisangel Garcia got a base hit to right. Meidroth walked but Murakami struck out swinging. Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Yoshida popped up to third to start the bottom of the third but Durbin lashed a base hit to right. Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Grichuk doubled to start the top of the fourth but Colson Montgomery flied out to center. Bart struck out swinging but Doyle singled in the hole at short and Braden Montgomery walked to load the bases. On a 3-2 count....Acuna grounded out to second to end the inning.

Monasterio grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong grounded out to second. Sogard popped up to short to end the inning.

The White Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Meidroth got a base hit to left to start. Murakimi got a base hit to center to move Meidroth to third and Chase scored on the sac fly to left by Vargas. Grichuk grounded into a double play to end the inning with the White Sox down 6-1.

                                                       Vargas puts Chicago on the board

The Red Sox got the run back in the bottom of the fifth as Rafaela flied out to right. Abreu then clobbered his 18th home run of the season to increase the lead. Contreras took strike three and Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Abreu hits one out

Colson Montgomery walked to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Sandoval. He lasted 5 innings and allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and 4 walks, not the best command. Greg Weissert came in and promptly walked Bart. Sam Antonacci pinch hit for Doyle and forced Bart at second base to put runners at the corners. Braden Montgomery grounded out to second to score Colson and Tristan Peters pinch hit for Garcia. Erik Miller made his Sox debut by facing Peters and froze him for strike three to end the inning with the White Sox down 7-2.

                                                           Not great but it'll do

The BoSox exploded again in the bottom of the sixth as Durbin walked to start. Durbin immediately stole second and Duran got a base hit to center to move Caleb to third. That was it for Martin as Erick Fedde came in to pour gas on the fire. Duran stole second as well and Monasterio got a base hit up the middle to score both runners to ice the game. Wong flied out to right but Sogard walked. Rafaela doubled to left to score both runners and Contreras got a base hit to left to score Rafaela. Contreras took second on an error by Grichuk and he scored on the Yoshida double to center. Durbin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 13-2.

                                                             Rafaela adds to the lead

Anthony Seigler came in for Contreras and Brayan Bello came in to pitch the top of the seventh. Meidroth flied out to left and Murakami struck out swinging. Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the seventh and Monasterio grounded out to third. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Grichuk grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Colson Montgomery lined out to first. Bart grounded out to short to end the inning. The BoSox added the finishing touch in the bottom of the eighth as Sogard grounded out to first to start. Eli White pinch hit for Rafaela to make his Red Sox debut and grounded out to short, but Abreu launched his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Seigler grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 14-2.

                                                       Second home run for Abreu

Bello returned to close out the top of the ninth and Antonacci grounded out to first to start. Braden Montgomery grounded out to second and Peters grounded out to first to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 14-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His grand slam put the Sox up big the rest of the game.

                                                             Caleb Hero

The Good:

Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scord.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 home runs.

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

Jarren Duran was 2 or 4 with a home run, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Patrick Sandoval got his first win in 2 years by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball allowing 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.

Erik Miller struck out the only man he faced.

Brayan Bello earned his first save of the season with 3 hitless innings.

The Bad:

Eli White grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 1 in his only at-bat.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Greg Weissert allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox freight train keeps on rolling as they've now won six games in a row and eight of their last nine to give themselves a sizeable lead in the second wild card race. Even though the offense was supplied by the guys that have been here all along, one of the most important moments came when Erik Miller punched out Tristan Peters. That's what Chad Tracy and the Red Sox are looking for moving forward, a power lefty that can get guys out in pressure situations. Also Brayan Bello coming in to finish the game saved the the rest of the bullpen for tomorrow and with the dog days of summer approaching, guys like Bello are going to be important. Former manager Alex Cora burned the bullpen every year from 2021 to 2024 (2022 wasn't his fault) and Tracy needs to avoid that if the wants to compete come October. Its great to see the offense as a unit produce like that and they've come a long way since the end of May. Apart from Duran, no Sox starter is batting under .247, who saw that coming? Sox fans better appreciate and enjoy this run they're on because it might not last. However, if things keep going the way they are, we'll be thinking post-season matchups in about a month. The bad news was the New York Yankees won but the Cleveland Indians lost so the Sox are now five games in front of them for the second wild card. The Tampa Bay Rays rallied past the Colorado Rockies but the Sox are still THIS close to the best record in the American League and that would have seemed impossible on June 24th. The win improved the Sox to 61-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox look to make it seven straight wins and second straight against Chicago tomorrow night when Sonny Gray (13-2, 2.93 ERA) takes on Sean Burke of the White Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.