Abreu, Sox Drop Rays For 11th Straight Win (7/17/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox activated Willson Contreras from the suspended list. Hopefully he can continue to hit home runs the way he was hitting before he went nuts against Washington.

                                                                    IN

As for the game, the red hot Boston Red Sox swept both games of today's doubleheader against the first place Tampa Bay Rays. Eduardo Rivera allowed 3 runs to the Rays including a Junior Caminero home run and left after just 2 1/3 innings. The Boston bullpen tossed the next 6 2/3 innings while allowing no runs to the Rays. Meanwhile the Sox bats got to Mason Englert with a two run home run by Wilyer Abreu and a bomb by Willson Contreras to put the Sox on top. After Caminero's home run, Abreu went yard again to put the Sox up for good. The Sox got another run for insurance as the bullpen locked it down. Aroldis Chapman got a huge ovation in the ninth inning as the Sox beat the Rays 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                Eleven approves of the eleventh in a row

Rivera got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz flied out to right to start. Jonathan Aranda grounded out to second but Junior Caminero drilled a base hit to right. Ryan Vilade walked on 10 pitches and Cedric Mullins walked on nine to load the bases. Naturally Jonny DeLuca lined a base hit to left and both Diaz and Aranda scored. The throw home hit Diaz so both remaining runners moved over. Ben Williamson grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 2-0.

                                                           Rays strike first

Englert got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler popped up to third to start. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to the left field wall and Wilyer Abreu hit his 12th home run over the bullpen to tie the game. The returning Willson Contreras then pounded his 21st home run of the season off the Monster Seats to put the Sox on top. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second but Caleb Durbin got a base hit to left. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to en the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Contreras was fired up

Hunter Feduccia struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Taylor Walls did the same. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. Connor Wong grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but Tsung-Che Cheng blooped a base hit to center. Seigler hit a double play ball to second but Walls threw the ball away on the relay, allowing Seigler to reach first. Rafaela hit a bullet to Aranda to end the inning.

Aranda took strike three to start the top of the third but Caminero hit a home run all the way to New York to tie the game. That was it for Rivera who got clobbered for 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 2 walks. Greg Weissert came in and Vilade hit a bullet to Cheng for the second out. Mullins caught Weissert asleep with a bunt single but DeLuca flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                         Not the best opener

The Sox took the lead back when Abreu hit his second home run of the game to start the bottom of the third. Contreras struck out swinging and Yoshida grounded out to first, but Durbin beat out a bunt single down the first base line. Durbin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                             Sox are back on top

Naturally Williamson beat out a roller to second to start the top of the fourth to chase Weissert. Jovani Moran came in to pitch and Williamson foolishly took off for second....on a popped up bunt to Moran by Fedducia. Williamson was doubled off first but Walls ate up Durbin a grounder to third for an error. Diaz forced Walls at second to end the inning. Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong grounded out to third. Cheng walked and Seigler doubled into the right field corner to score Tsung, increasing the lead. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

Aranda lined out to left to start the top of the fifth and Caminero flied out to center. Vilade lined out to short to end the inning. Abreu lined out to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Contreras struck out swinging. Yoshida flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the sixth and blew away Mullins on a 102 moh fastball to start. DeLuca split the D on a line drive past both Seigler & Cheng, but was forced at second by Williamson. Fedducia flied out to center to end the inning. Old pal Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Durbin grounded out to short to start. Duran popped up to short but Wong walked. Cheng struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela failed to come up with a line drive by Walls to start. Diaz grounded into a double play and Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning. Cole Susler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Seigler walked to start. Rafaela lined out to right, Abreu popped up to third and Contreras took strike three to end the inning.

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Caminero broke two bats in a row before grounding out to second to begin. Vilade grounded out to second and Mullins struck out swinging to end the inning. Old pal Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Duran to start. Jones made his Sox debut by grounding out to first and Durbin grounded out to third. Duran lined out to left to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and DeLuca struck out swinging to start. Williamson popped up to first. Fortes struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Wilyer Abreu. He hit two home runs and his second put the Sox up for good.

                                                         Hero Abreu

The Good:

Anthony Seigler was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the third inning to earn the win.

Jovani Moran tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Tyron Guerrero tossed a scoreless inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Jahmai Jones was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for with a strikeout and an error.

Eduardo Rivera allowed 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Eleven wins in a row, a doubleheader sweep and 16-2 in their last 18 games. The Sox are absolutely scorching and the fans got very LOUD in the ninth on the final strikeout. The fans are starting to believe again and more importantly, the team is as well. The all-star break didn't slow them down and this was a complete team effort. Alec Gamboa saving the bullpen in Game 1 was the key to Game 2. The Sox made it a bullpen game and they didn't allow a run after Rivera left the game. The offense picked it up again with 3 big home runs from Abreu & Contreras combined. Even guys like Seigler, Cheng and Durbin just getting base hits when guys in their positions, Durbin himself, weren't doing that 2 months ago. Sox analyst Lou Merloni said during the broadcast that 2 months ago when the Sox were down 2-0 the game was over and now its a minor inconvenience. Even better news, the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays lost so the Sox picked up 1.5 games on both of them. The Sox were 14 games under .500 and 14 games out and now they're only 8 back of the Rays and 5.5 behind New York. The Sox offense fixed itself although they are still a bat away from October success. If the Sox get some of their injured guys back healthy, with the American League as mediocre as it is, they have as good as chance as any. Taking care of business against the Rays and Cleveland Guardians coming out of the break will be key to the stretch run. All in all this was a fun day and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improves the Sox to 48-48, 8 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 12 wins in a row and third against Tampa tomorrow afternoon when Patrick Sandoval takes on Ian Seymour of the Rays. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bennett, Sox Crush Rays in Game 1 (7/17/26)

During the all-star break the Boston Red Sox made roster moves. The Sox sent a Player To Be Named Later to the Detroit Tigers for outfielder Jahmai Jones. He's hitting just .137 this season which is why he was available. The only silver lining is he can hit lefties so if they want a platoon with him and Masataka Yoshida, why not? To make room for Jones, the Sox sent Nate Eaton back to Worcester. Alec Gamboa was recalled to be the 27th man for the double-header and the Worcester Red Sox released veteran catcher Matt Thaiss. He was hitting .201 for Worcester so no loss there. Lastly, the Sox signed undrafted rookie free agent Jorhan Castro, an 18 year old catcher out of San Angel David in Puerto Rico. Why not?

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                                                                          IN

As for the game, contrarian Red Sox fans were sure the Sox would stumble out of the gate against the first place Tampa Bay Rays. Instead the Sox beat the living daylights out of the Rays in Game 1 of today's doubleheader. Jake Bennett (5-3, 2.35 ERA) tossed 6 shutout innings off just one hit and a walk in just 65 pitches. The Boston bats woke up against Griffin Jax by pounding him for 7 runs. The Boston bats erupted for 10 runs off 15 hits with some highlights including home runs from Carlos Narvaez and Masataka Yoshida. Caleb Durbin got 3 big hits to continue his resurgence as the Sox opened the second half in style with a 10-0 victory over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                   Team Spain approves of the win

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz took strike three to start. Jonathan Aranda walked but Junior Caminero lined out to center. Ryan Vilade flied out to left to end the inning. Jax got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jonny DeLuca lined out to center to start the top of the second and Chandler Simpson grounded out to short. Ben Williamson grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin got a base hit to center. Masataka Yoshida poked a double down the third base line but Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging. Jarren Duran hit a 420 foot out to centerfield to score Durbin. Carlos Narvaez blooped a base hit over the head of Williamson to score Yoshida but Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Sox strike first

Taylor Walls grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Nick Fortes flied out to left. Diaz lined out to left to end the inning. Seigler poked a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third but was forced at second by Rafaela. Rafaela stole second and moved to third on the Abreu grounder to short. Durbin popped up to center to end the inning.

Aranda flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Caminero singled to left. Vilade popped up to second and the alert Durbin snuffed out a DeLuca bunt attempt to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida tucked a home run inside the Pesky Pole to start. Gonzalez struck out swinging, Duran lined out to left and Narvaez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Yoshida gets the Wally Head

Duran made a great sliding catch to rob Simpson to start the top of the fifth and Williamson failed an ABS challenge on strike two only to be called out for strike three on a pitch that actually missed. Walls flied out to right to end the inning. Cheng popped up to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Seigler got a base hit to center. Vilade made a great sliding catch to rob Rafaela of a hit and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Fortes got hit with a pitch to start the top of the sixth but Diaz flied out to right. Aranda took strike three and Caminero popped up to right to end the inning. Due to what happened in the bottom of the sixth, that was it for Bennett after just 65 pitches. He allowed just a hit and a walk in six shutout innings.

                                                     "First place Rays my ass" - JB

Durbin was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida drilled a base hit to center to move Durbin to third. Gonzalez walked to load the bases and Williamson failed to come up with a grounder by Duran for a "single" to score both Durbin and Yoshida. Chris Roycroft came in to pitch to Narvaez and Carlos caught the Rays asleep with a bunt that drew in Roycroft and Aranda. Fortes threw the ball to Williamson and Ben never even put his glove out for an error to score Gonzalez, moving Duran to third. Cheng then dropped down a bunt that Fortes THOUGHT went foul but stayed on the line, scoring Duran. Seigler grounded into a double play but Rafaela doubled off the Monster to score Narvaez. Abreu was intentionally walked for some baffling reason and Durbin got a seeing eye single to right to score Rafaela. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                                All Sox today

With a huge lead and a doubleheader tonight, Alec Gamboa was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh. Vilade grounded out to second to start and DeLuca grounded out to third. Simpson flied out to left to end the inning. Gonzalez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging. Narvaez then blasted his 3rd home run of the season completely out of Fenway and Cheng flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-0.

                                                             Home run Carlos

Williamson grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Walls doubled to left. Fortes lined out to left and Diaz grounded out to short to end the inning. Victor Mesa Jr came in for Diaz and infielder Ben Williamson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Seigler flied out to left and Rafaela flied out to center, but Abreu dumped a base hit to center. Yoshida popped up to short to end the inning.

Gamboa returned to close out the top of the ninth and Aranda lined out to Gamboa to start. Caminero struck out swinging but Gonzalez couldn't dig out a throw by Durbin on a grounder to third by Vilade for a "single". DeLuca popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-0.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jake Bennett. He was headed toward a complete game shutout but the Sox bats made this game a laugher. Jake allowed a hit and a walk in 6 shutout innings.

                                                         Hero Bennett

The Good:

Anthony Seigler was 2 for 5.

Caleb Durbin was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with a home run and 3 total runs scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 3 for 4 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Alec Gamboa got the save by tossing 3 shutout innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Tsung-Che Cheng was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Many were scared they'd come out flat against Tampa and instead they came out like a buzzsaw. Bennett throws first pitch strikes every start and he's been utterly dominating lately. If Garrett Crochet comes back, the Sox will have an embarrassment of riches in the rotation. Not only that, it looks like Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early will be back soon since neither of them were seriously injured. The news gets even better as Willson Contreras will be back from suspension for Game 2 later tonight. One of the most important performances of the game was actually Alec Gamboa. The 27th man activated just for today threw 43 pitches to finish off the game, earn his first save and save the entire pitching staff sans Bennett for Game 2. There was almost nothing to complain about in this one, that's how you know the game went well. The Sox are now 15-2 since the disaster against Colorado and are back within the thick of things in the mediocre American League. A win tonight in Game 2 would simultaneously put them in the third wild card slot and get them back to .500, something no one saw possible just 23 days ago. The win improved the Sox to 47-48, no sense mentioning the standings because Game 2 is yet to play. Game 2 tonight features Eddy Rivera (0-0, 0.00 ERA) as the "opener" against Mason Englert of Tampa Bay. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News: 2026 MLB Draft Coverage Part 2 (7/14/26)

The first ten picks of the 2026 MLB Draft for the Boston Red Sox made everybody scratch their heads and the next 10 picks were more of the same. At least in the later rounds, the best of the best is already gone so at that point you're drafting projects and depth pieces. But the fact the Sox spent the entire draft on projects and depth pieces is concerning. Not now, but 2-3 years from now a couple bad drafts will leave you with no trade bait.

In the eleventh round, the Red Sox chose Georgia State shortstop Wills Maginnis. Wills hit .306 with 8 home runs so it wasn't like he was a bum over there. He also stole 21 bases so hopefully he can be a stolen base threat as well.....we hope.

                                                           Georgia State stolen base threat

In the 12th round the Red Sox took multi-sport star Jacob Webster out of Oak Hills High School. He played football and baseball so not only do the Sox have to worry about him spurning them for Loyola on a baseball scholarship, he could play college football as well. If he does end up signing with the Sox, he better be worth it.

                                                          Dual threat in baseball and football

In the 13th round the Red Sox took University of Illinois-Chicago right handed pitcher Mason Lei. Lei is another big guy at 6 foot 4 and he was 8-5 with a 4.56 ERA this season. He had 86 strikeouts in 96 innings this year as well, the Sox are hoping to harness his talents to make something of him.

                                       "Ain't gonna swing with my daughter no more" - Lei

In the 14th round, the Sox took 6 foot 2 right handed pitcher Jase Evangelista out of UNLV. He was 4-1 with a 6.17 ERA for UNLV this year and once again, the Sox are treating him as a project instead of a prospect. Only difference is there's not much value left by this point. Good luck.

                                                                  Million dollar smile

In the fifteenth round, the Sox took a journeyman (yes I'm serious) left handed pitcher Chase Frey. He's pitched for three different colleges and spent 2026 at Grand Canyon University. Once again, he's a monster at 6 foot 6 but was 2-7 with a 4.79 ERA in 13 starts. Craig Breslow wants the next Jake Bennett and he's going to keep drafting guys like him by crackey!

                                          He could play basketball if baseball doesn't work out\

In the 16th round, the Sox took Louisiana Tech shortstop Colton Coates. He hit .330 with 5 home runs with only 30 strikeouts in 215 at-bats. If he can hit for contact, that puts him a cut above some of these "launch angle" guys hitting .210. If the pros are too much for him, maybe he can try his luck as a blacksmith.

                                                                  Impeccable tie

In the 17th round the Sox took another bum, Vanderbilt right handed pitcher Alex Kranzler. He's 6 foot 3 but went 3-3 with a 6.18 ERA for the Commodores. Once again, they're not drafting for his stats, they're drafting to see if they can fix him. Usually this doesn't work out but that's not gonna stop Craig Breslow from trying.

                                                 Least he can tell his kids he got drafted

In the 18th round the Sox took Dutch Fork High School outfielder Ethan Offing. He's committed to Clemson but could sign with the Sox if he wants. The word on the street is that Clemson is his destination so this could be a wasted pick. Its the 18th round, nobody cares by this point.

                                                             What the heck is he wearing?

In the 19th round the Sox took Puerto Rican high school pitcher, lefthander Luis Calderon. He's committed to Alabama State and is only 6 feet tall...."only" 6 feet tall. He topped out at 93 mph when he was pitching this year but at such a young age, he could be an intriguing prospect. If he goes to Alabama State? Oh well.

                                                    He's got the MEAN look on his face

The Red Sox 20th and final draft pick was 6 foot 4 Dallas Baptist left handed pitcher Aiden VanDeHatert. He was 2-3 with a 6.10 ERA for Dallas Baptist and topped out in the low 90's on the gun. As usual this is a project pick and the fact he went to a Baptist school reminds Sox fans of their 20th round pick in 2022, Connor Butler. Let's hope Aiden turns out better.

                                                               Hope he finds success

After the draft the Sox signed a rookie free agent, left handed pitcher Carson Revay out of Pacific University. Revay looks like Connelly Early's younger brother and once again, he's 6 foot 4. He was 3-3 with a 4.01 ERA and 9 saves as Pacific's defacto closer. Once again, its not about the numbers, its about harnessing his strength. A bit more velocity might make him deadly, who knows.

                                                           From undrafted to the Red Sox

That does it for the 2026 Red Sox draft class. The bottom rounds are usually cucka but the message is clear. If you're a tall dude, the Sox want you. Whether or not the Sox can get anything out of these pitchers standing between 6'3 and 6'7 is anyone's guess, but as the great basketball coach Adolph Rupp once said "You can't teach height." The high school kids aren't going to be ready for a while so its going to be years before we can accurately judge this one. Still, if Luis Guerrero and Tyler Uberstine can make the majors out of the later rounds, these guys can too!

Off-Day News: 2026 MLB Draft Coverage Part 1 (7/13/26)

The MLB Draft was this past weekend and the Boston Red Sox turned some heads in more ways than one. The Chicago White Sox took UCLA star shortstop Roch Cholowsky while the San Francisco Giants took stud pitcher Jackson Flora of UC Santa Barbara. Most pundits picked the Red Sox to take Florida pitcher Liam Peterson....but the Cleveland Guardians took him one pick before. Then it was the Sox turn....and what the hell was THAT?

                                                            He's number 1, he's number 1

In the first round the Red Sox made everyone throw up when they took North Carolina University shortstop Jake Schaffner 20th overall. He was projected to go in the second or third round so this is an "underslot" pick. What that means is first round picks that know they're going first want first round money. Someone like Schaffner will sign for less. Essentially the Sox are so cheap they don't even want to spend money on DRAFT PICKS! He did hit .356 with 6 home runs for the NCAA runner up including driving in 2 runs in the Game 2 victory over Oklahoma U. The word on the street is this was a pick to save money, hope it works out.

                                                       Drafted a third rounder in the 1st

The Sox didn't have their own second round pick due to signing Ranger Suarez but the second round pick they got in the Kyle Harrison trade was 67th overall. The first pick now made sense by picking Schaffner's roommate at UNC, outfielder Owen Hull. Hull had a hell of a year for UNC hitting .393 with 9 home runs, 87 runs batted in and 18 stolen bases. The Tar Heels was one of the best teams in the nation, falling one game short of winning it all. The Sox took the ace of the NCAA Champions last year, Anthony Eyanson and he'll be in Worcester by the end of this season. The Sox are hoping for similar success with Hull.

                                                           Hit almost .400 this year for UNC

In the third round, Sox GM Craig Breslow pulled a Chaim Bloom and took shortstop Jace Mataczynski out of Hudson High School in Wisconsin. Ask Chaim Bloom how drafting high school shortstops this high in the draft have worked out so far for Boston. Maybe Mataczynski bucks the trend as he's 6 foot 4 and 195 pounds. Either way he won't be a finished product for at least 3 years.

                                                             Good luck Jace

The Sox didn't have a fourth round pick since they signed Ranger Suarez so their first pitcher drafted wasn't until the fifth round when they took 6 foot 6 monster Lucas Davenport, a right hander out of Baylor. His college stats were garbage, going 5-4 with a 6.25 ERA for Baylor this year. The thinking is the taller someone is, the better chance they have of overpowering hitters. Guess they forgot that Henry Owens was a junkballer. Still, drafting a pitcher who was a bad starter in college doesn't usually translate to pro success. Maybe Davenport will be different.

                                                    Sox going for height instead of stats

In the sixth round the Red Sox took another poor starter, Abilene Christian left handed pitcher Brett Lanman. The 6 foot 5 Lanman was 1-6 with a 5.35 ERA for ACU and pundits are laughing at the Sox for taking bad player after bad player. I have no idea what Breslow intends to teach these guys since they're not true fireballers like last year's crop was. If they don't work out, can't stay no one will be surprised.

                                             Couldn't win at ACU, can he win in Boston?

In the seventh round the Red Sox took someone no one had ever heard of, little known left handed pitcher Kide Adetuyi out of Florida Atlantic University. He's only 6'1 and tops out at 93 on the gun. He was 2-3 with a 4.19 ERA at FAU this year and fans are saying this guy reminds Craig of Craig himself, who was a 6 foot tall lefty from Yale. The Sox picking no-names and bums to save money is absolutely embarrassing.

                                                              Good luck in the minors

In the eighth round the Sox took yet another big, bad pitcher. This time it was left hander Josh Volmerding out of Cal Poly who stands 6 foot 4. He was 1-1 with a 6.51 ERA this year while missing 6 weeks with a knee injury. He tops out at 95 on the gun and once again, Breslow's strategy is to take cheap, bad pitchers and make them good. Historically that doesn't work.

                                           A 6.51 ERA at Cal Poly had Breslow interested

In the ninth round the Sox took 6 foot 2 outfielder Martin Shelar out of Marist High School in Georgia. He hit .506 with 19 home runs this year so at least he had good stats. He's going to be a 2-3 year project although he's got the physique of Gabe Kapler. Maybe he can be a pro wrestler if baseball doesn't work out.

                                                              Guy's in shape at least

To round out the first half of the draft, the Sox took another project. In the tenth round Boston took Bishop Heelan High School right handed pitcher Kaleb LeFavor. The kid stands 6 foot 7 and posted a 0.79 ERA in 17 innings this year. The thinking is they can get him in the gym to improve his velocity, turning him into Jacob Misirowski. While that would be best case scenario, the bottom line is he's going to take a bit to develop. Hope he does.

                                                    six foot seven foot eight foot PUNCH

The bottom line was this draft was high risk, high reward. Craig Breslow is banking on his development staff in the minors to turn these kids & bums into something great. The first round pick was clearly just to save money for the later rounds so they can get the later round picks not to commit to a university, but Owen Hull was a stud at UNC. If even just one of the pitchers they drafted makes the majors, that would be a hell of an effort. Or....Breslow could have taken the entire crop because John Henry told him he doesn't get any money to spend, even on draft picks. Only way to find out is to come back next year. Tomorrow will be picks 11-20.

Sox Sweep Mets in 10 Innings (7/12/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Danny Coulombe was designated for assignment last night and super sleuths discovered that he would have gotten a cash bonus if he made 30 appearances.....and last night was appearance 29. Not that he didn't deserve to be DFA'd, but they couldn't have waited one more game? In his place the Sox called up Brayan Bello from Worcester. The rumor is he's going to piggyback Payton Tolle to save Tolle's bullets for later.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, three weeks ago if the Red Sox were trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning the game was over. They hadn't won a game trailing in the ninth or by multiple runs all season. Now after the Red Sox had won 8 straight games and 13 out of 15, Sox fans thought the Sox had a chance. Turns out they were right. The New York Mets behind rookie Zach Thornton built a 2-0 lead with runs against Payton Tolle and Brayan Bello as Thornton allowed just 2 hits in 7 innings. In the ninth inning Devin Williams came in to lock it down, instead the Sox rallied to load the bases. Andruw Monasterio walked home Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran blooped a base hit to score Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it. In the tenth inning, Anthony Seigler hit a sac fly to score Masataka Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Garrett Whitlock shut the door in the ninth inning and the Sox not only had swept the Mets, but had won their ninth straight game heading into the all-star break. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings at Citi Field.

                                                               Tom Kim approves of the win

Thornton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler grounded out to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. The Mets wasted no time getting to Tolle in the bottom of the first as AJ Ewing doubled over the head of Seigler to start.  A wild pitch moved Ewing to third but Juan Soto struck out swinging. Francisco Lindor doubled to left to score Ewing and a wild pitch moved Lindor to third. Eric Wagaman took strike three and Carson Benge struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mets up 1-0.

                                                               Mets struck first

Romy Gonzalez walked to start the top of the second and Caleb Durbin dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Andruw Monasterio flied out to right and Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyrone Taylor walked to start the bottom of the second but Luis Torrens took strike three. Brett Baty struck out swinging and Zach Short flied out to center to end the inning.

Nate Eaton struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Connor Wong popped up to second. Seigler flied out to right to end the inning. Ewing struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Soto flied out to right. Lindor flied out to left to end the inning.

Rafaela flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Abreu lined back to the mound. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Wagaman grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Benge took strike three. Taylor doubled to left and that was it for Tolle. Sox manager Chad Tracy wanted to conserve Tolle's arm for the second half of the season and pulled him after 3 2/3 innings and allowing a run. The much maligned Brayan Bello came in and struck out Torrens swingingh to end the inning.

                                                          Short and sweet for Tolle.

Durbin lined out to center to start the top of the fifth but Monasterio doubled to left. Duran struck out swinging and Eaton grounded out to short to end the inning. Baty grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Short struck out swinging. Ewing struck out swinging to end the inning.

Wong got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth and Seigler flied out to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. The Mets struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Soto was retired on a swinging bunt to start. Lindor then hit a home run all the way to Yankee Stadium to increase the lead. Wagaman grounded out to first and Benge grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mets up 2-0.

                                                            Home run Lindor

Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Durbin struck out swinging. Wagaman dropped a pop up by Monasterio in foul territory for an error allowing Andruw to walk. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Taylor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Torrens got a base hit to right. Baty grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Luke Weaver came in for Thornton to start the top of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings. If Garrett Crochet comes back, the Tolle/Bello combo might work.

                                                                Good work Bello

Devin Williams came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jared Young taking over at first. Rafaela got a base hit to left but Abreu popped up to second. The game was over when Gonzalez hit a double play ball to Lindor....booted for an error. Given new life, Tsung-Che Cheng ran for Gonzalez and Durbin walked to load the bases. Monasterio walked to score Rafaela and Duran blooped a base hit to right that Benge trapped to score Cheng with the tying run. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Eaton and hit a bullet....right to Short who doubled of Monasterio to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                               The game is tied

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Lindor popped up to second to start. Young got a base hit to right but Benge struck out swinging. Taylor flied out to left to end the inning.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Yoshida starting at second base. To show Alex Cora wasn't around anymore, Wong dropped down a bunt to move Yoshida to third and Seigler hit a sac fly to left to score Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Seigler puts Boston on top

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Taylor starting at second base. Jorge Polanco pinch hit for Torrens and struck out swinging before Baty flied out to left. Bo Bichette pinch hit for Short and grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jarren Duran. His RBI single tied the game in the ninth and led the team to victory.

                                                           Hero Duran

The Good:

Tsung-Che Cheng scored a run as a pinch runner.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a crucial sacrifice bunt.

Payton Tolle went 3 2/3 innings allowing 3 hits, a walk and a run.

Brayan Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings of 2 hits.

Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Garrett Whitlock earned the save with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Nate Eaton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 but drove in the winning run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored the winning run.

Final Thoughts:

3 weeks ago the game was over when they fell behind 2-0 but ironically the two times they rallied in the ninth was against New York teams. First the Yankees and now the Mets. Two years in a row the Sox rallied before the all-star break. Last year it was a ten game win streak, but this year not only was it a nine game win streak but they had won 5 out of 7 beforehand. The Sox have won 14 out of 16 to get back into this thing and not only are they 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East lead but they're 0.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third wild card. Apart from the Rays and Yankees the rest of the American League is clustered together. If the Sox can get Contreras back on Friday night (he's suspended Game 1) and hopefully get some of their injured guys back healthy like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and Triston Casas, they might have a September run in them. Just the fact the Sox went from blow everything up territory after dropping 2 of 3 to the Rockies to winning 14 of 16 is remarkable. Enjoy it while it lasts. The win improved the Sox to 46-48, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now hit the all-star break and don't come back until the big doubleheader Friday the 17th. Nobody knows who's pitching until then.