Rivera Routed, O's Snap Streak in Game 2 (7/22/26)

Before Game 2 of the doubleheader the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Alec Gamboa was called up to be the 27th man for tonight only.

                                                                            IN

As for the game, all good things must come to an end and the Red Sox 15 game win streak was snapped by the Baltimore Orioles. Ranger Suarez had a cold so the Sox sent Eduardo Rivera (0-1, 6.30 ERA) to be the opener and it backfired. Rivera allowed 4 runs without even getting out of the first inning. Meanwhile Kyle Bradish held the Sox bats to just 1 run and 4 hits as the offense finally crashed down to earth. Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings but Jovani Moran allowed the final run. The bats did nothing and the pitching wasn't good enough as the Orioles won the second game of the doubleheader 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         So much for the streak

Rivera got the ball to start the top of the first inning and crapped his pants. Taylor Ward flied out to right but Pete Alonso hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Gunnar Henderson walked and Tyler O'Neill beat out a roller to Caleb Durbin to load the bases. Somehow Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging but a wild pitch scored Alonso and a base hit to center by Dylan Beavers scored the other two runners. Jonathan Rodriguez doubled to left to score Beavers and effectively end the game just like that. Jackson Holliday walked and Rivera got booed as Sox manager Chad Tracy yanked him. Brayan Bello came in and Chadwick Tromp grounded out to third to end the inning with the game already over 4-0 Orioles.

                                                          O's end it early

Bradish got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Ward was hit with a pitch to start the top of the second but Alonso lined out to short. Henderson grounded into a double play to end the inning. Willson Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second. Caleb Durbin walked but Jarren Duran lined out to left to end the inning.

O'Neill got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Strand struck out swinging. Rodriguez and Holliday both struck out swinging to end the inning. Colton Cowser came in for O'Neill to start the bottom of the third and Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left....but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center and Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tromp struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Ward got a base hit to right. Alonso took strike three but Ward stole second. Henderson was hit by a pitch and Cowser walked to load the bases...but Strand lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Abreu struck out swinging but Contreras hit a ground rule double into the bullpen. Yoshida got a base hit to left to score Contreras but Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                            Yoshida isn't ready to quit

Beavers flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Rodriguez got a base hit to right. Holliday grounded into a double play to end the inning. Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Monasterio singled to left. Narvaez struck out swinging and Seigler grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Tromp grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Yeoman's effort from Bello to toss 5 1/3 shutout innings after Rivera left a mess.

                                                       Bello did well

Rafaela flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left. Contreras was plunked but Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. How do you let the 6-9 Kyle Bradish toss 6 innings of 1 run ball?

Jovani Moran came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Henderson tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. A wild pitch scored Henderson and Cowser walked. Strand dropped down a bunt to move Cowser to second and Colton moved to third on a grounder to first by Beavers. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                             It was Baltimore's night

Yennier Cano came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Durbin grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to first and Monasterio grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Holliday got a base hit to right to start. Tromp flied out to right, Ward flied out to left and Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Narvaez. Jones struck out swinging but Seigler got a base hit to center. A passed ball moved Seigler to second but Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu also flied out to center to end the inning. 

Alec Gamboa came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Connor Wong now behind the plate. Henderson grounded out to second, Cowser struck out swinging and Strand popped up to second to end the inning. Tyler Wells came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Contreras was hit with a pitch again. Yoshida flied out to left, Durbin popped up to short and Duran popped up to second to end the game. The 15 game win streak was over as the O's won the game 5-1.

                                                               O's win

Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rivera. He put the Sox in a 4 run hole they couldn't climb out of

                                                               Jackass Rivera

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 1 for 2 with 2 hit by pitches and a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 3.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and a walk.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Alec Gamboa pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the worst losses of the season for all the wrong reasons. 15 game win streak down the drain because Ranger Suarez couldn't pitch with the sniffles and Brayan Bello doesn't have the mental capacity to start the first inning. It should never have come to Eduardo Rodriguez starting the second game of a doubleheader to keep a 15 game win streak alive. Kyle Bradish has nine losses on the season but his ERA is on par with guys like Suarez and Payton Tolle, meaning he was bound to pitch a good game. The bats just didn't have it tonight and now the idiotic Sox fans that want to sell and blow the team up have all the ammo they need to get that wagon train moving again. There's still over a week before the deadline and another win streak would shut them up big time. The bloom appears to be off the rose for Anthony Seigler and the Sox need to do something about Narvaez and Duran because they're giving the Sox almost nothing. At least with Narvaez you can start Connor Wong but Duran is a black hole and without Roman Anthony, there's not much you can do there. The win streak and winning 20 out of 22 games brought the season back from the brink and they're still the third wild card team by 2 games over Seattle and still 1 behind the Cleveland Guardians for the 2nd spot. The New York Yankees are only 4.5 ahead of them as well so this season is not over yet. The loss dropped the Sox to 52-49, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night against the last place Toronto Blue Jays. Both pitchers have yet to be determined but the game starts at 7:15 PM at Fenway Park.

Durbin, Sox Drop O's for 15th Straight Win in Game 1 (7/22/26)

2 months ago the Boston Red Sox had won of the worst offenses in franchise history, today they tied the franchise record for most consecutive wins with the 1946 American League Champion Red Sox. A rainout turned today into a double-header and the Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1. Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 gutty innings holding the Orioles to just 3 runs despite nine hits. The story of the game was the rally in the first inning against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer. Caleb Durbin drove in the first two runs and a Jarren Duran triple drove int he next two. Duran added another rbi and Ceddanne Rafaela belted a home run to put the game out of reach. The Triangle of Terror Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox made it 15 wins in a row with a 6-3 victory in Game 1 over the Orioles at Fenway Park.

                                                  Tex Hughson approves of the win

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Taylor Ward struck out swinging to start. Pete Alonso grounded out to short but Gunnar Henderson singled past Jake. Tyler O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning. Kremer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit in the hole at second but Wilyer Abreu lined out to first. Willson Contreras got a base hit to left to load the bases and Caleb Durbin got a base hit to center to score both Yoshida & Rafaela. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Jarren Duran tripled into the right field corner to clear the bases. Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Run Duran! Run!

Coby Mayo popped up to second to start the top of the second and Leody Taveras lined out to right. Christian Encarnacion-Strand got a base hit to center and Jackson Holliday got a base hit to left but Sam Huff struck out swinging to end the inning. Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Yoshida walked. Rafaela flied out to center and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. 

The O's struck back in the top of the third as Ward lined out to right to start. Alonso hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Henderson struck out swinging. O'Neill doubled to center to score Alonso but Mayo flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.

                                                            O's get a run back

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Contreras struck out swinging to start. Durbin beat out a roller to third, Gonzalez doubled off the Monster and Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Durbin. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1

                                                         Duran drives in another run

The Os refused to give up in the top of the fourth as Wong snuffed out a bunt by Taveras to start. Encarnacion-Strand hit his second home run of the series to cut the lead but Holliday grounded out to first. Huff grounded out to third to end the inning with the Os down 5-2.

                                                           Strand again?

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the fourth as Cheng grounded out to second to start. Yoshida flied out to left but Rafaela launched his 9th home run of the year to increase the lead. Abreu grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                        Rafaela jacks one

Ward lined out to Bennett to start the top of the fifth but Alonso got a base hit to center. Henderson flied out to right and Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Durbin grounded out to second. Gonzalez flied out to right to end the inning. 

Bennett ran out of gas in the top of the sixth as Mayo doubled to left to start. Taveras grounded out to first to move Mayo to third and Encarnacion-Strand got a base hit to left to score Coby. A wild pitch moved Strand to second but Holliday flied out to left. Johnathan Rodriguez pinch hit for Huff and Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled Bennett. He was game, allowing 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 9 hits. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and the O's swapped out Rodriguez with Dylan Beavers. Beavers popped up to third to end the inning with the Os down 6-3.

                                                                Good work Jake

Chadwick Tromp took over behind the plate for the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to first to start. Wong grounded out to second and Cheng lined out to right to end the inning. 

Ward got a base hit to left to start the top of the seventh but Alonso lined out to center. Henderson flied out to right and O'Neill took strike three down the middle to end the inning. Anthony Nunez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to third to start. Rafaela popped up to first and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Colton Cowser pinch hit for Mayo. Cowser flied out to rightt, Taveras grounded out to second and Strand also grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Durbin forced him at second. Gonzalez popped up to first and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Holliday got a base hit to center to start. Tromp banged into a double play but Ward walked. Ward took second on defense indifference but Alonso grounded out to short to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His two run single in the first set the tone for the game

                                                             Hero Durbin

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 3 rbis.

Jake Bennett got the win allowing 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 9 hits.

Justin Slaten tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 23rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

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

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

This is absolutely unbelievable. They were dead in the water, 14 games under .500 and 1 game ahead of the worst team in baseball that just beat them 2 out of 3 games......and one month later they've won 15 in a row and 20 out of 22 to tie a franchise record. Its gotten to the point where one loss will have a certain amount of fans going "Thats it, its all over. Sell the team, sell all the players, fire Breslow and blow up Fenway Park. Its over." The solution is to just not lose. The franchise hasn't won 15 games in a row in 80 years and that team went on to the World Series. Meanwhile this win streak just put them just 4 games over .500. Bennett tired by the end of the sixth and that's the big concern is the rookie wall is going to hit Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Bennett hard. Its important to get Ranger Suarez back physically healthy and Brayan Bello mentally healthy because they're going to need them with Garrett Crochet out. It was good to see Duran contribute big time and the turnaround for Durbin has been Dustin Pedroia 2007-esque. Sox fans still want to trade Chapman but the three headed monster with Chapman, Whitlock and Slaten is as good as anyone in the league. One of the way they've won 15 in a row is by shortening games with lights out relief pitching. The Sox just need to keep doing what they're doing and they'll be right there in the end. Sox GM Craig Breslow might pull some voodoo magic at the trade deadline or he might stand pat and hope Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Garrett Crochet come back. Just enjoy this streak while it lasts. The win improved the Sox to 52-48, no sense posting the standings yet. The Sox look to set an all-time franchise record with their 16th win in a row in Game 2 of the series in a few hours with Eduardo Rivera (0-0, 2.89 ERA) going for the Sox against Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rainout News: (7/21/26)

Tonight's game between the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles has been rained out and postponed. Rather than make the game up on Thursday, both teams decided to play a doubleheader tomorrow and keep the off-day.

                                                              No game tonight

In other news the Red Sox technically brought up Zack Kelly from Worcester but they placed him on the 60 day Injured List, apparently his elbow is shot again. This clears up a 40 man roster spot which they'll need when certain guys start coming back.

                                                                Get well soon

Finally the Greenville Drive cut their losses with right handed pitcher Danny Kirwin. He was signed in April of 2024 as a minor league free agent and did relatively well with the Salem Red Sox going 4-3 with a 3.63 ERA. Then in 2025 he was 6-5 with a 5.18 ERA with the Drive although he did a 1 game cup of coffee with the Portland Sea Dogs. This year he's allowed 26 runs in 25 innings and Greenville said enough is enough. Its a shame he regressed so hard this year but there was a reason why he went undrafted.

                                                                    Bye bye Kirwin

The Sox play a doubleheader tomorrow against the Baltimore Orioles with Game 1 featuring Jake Bennett (5-3, 2.35 ERA) taking on Dean Kremer of Baltimore. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past O's For 14th Straight Win (7/20/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization made a roster move. Outfielder Matt Lloyd was released by the Worcester Red Sox after hitting just .206 with 5 home runs in 30 games. With the incoming crop of draft picks and Dominican kids, not to mention the trade deadline, a lot of guys are going to be coming up. Lloyd hitting just .206 wasn't going to cut it.

                                                                     Bye bye Lloyd

As for the game, the Boston Red Sox came into this game riding a 13 game win streak while the Baltimore Orioles had won 7 in a row themselves. Somebody's O had got to go and luckily for the Red Sox, they hung on to win this one. In what was arguably the best back and forth game of the year the Sox rallied against the Orioles three times after the O's took a 1-0 lead off the bat against Payton Tolle of Boston. The Sox answered in the bottom of the second and scored two more in the third to take the lead. The O's rallied for 3 runs in the top of the sixth but the Sox got one back to tie it in the bottom of the frame. The O's got to Tyron Guerrero for a run in the seventh but Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it again. Caleb Durbin then struck the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth and Cheng made a game saving stab in the ninth to save Aroldis Chapman & the streak. The Sox made it 14 straight with a 6-5 victory at Fenway Park.

                                               Stephanie McMahon approves of the win

The O's wasted not time getting to Tolle in the top of the first inning as Taylor Ward popped up to first to start. Pete Alonso struck out swinging but Gunnar Henderson doubled into the gap in left. Old friend Tyler O'Neill hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Gunnar but Coby Mayo struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                            It had to be him?

Baz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Anthony Seigler lined out to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela took strike three and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Leody Taveras walked to start the top of the second but Jeremiah Jackson struck out swinging. Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging and Sam Huff also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Willson Contreras got a base hit to center to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right and Contreras moved to third on a fly ball to right by Caleb Durbin. Jarren Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Contreras to tie the game but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Duran ties it

Ward grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Alonso flied out to right. Henderson doubled to left but O'Neill popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to start. Seigler flied out to left but Jackson threw a grounder by Rafaela away for an error. Abreu ripped a double to center to score Rafaela and Henderson's throw home got away to move Wilyer to third. Contreras got a base hit off the glove of Henderson to score Abreu and Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        4 errors in this one for Baltimore

Mayo struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Taveras struck out looking. Jackson grounded out to first to end the inning. Durbin flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Duran got a base hit to right. Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Strand hit a home run all the way to Portugal to start. Huff struck out swinging and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso was hit with a pitch but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Cheng struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seiger grounded out to first. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. 

Henderson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill beat out a roller to third. Mayo struck out swinging but Taveras singled to center. Naturally Jackson singled to left to score O'Neill and Strand got a base hit to center to score Taveras, putting Baltimore on top. That was it for Tolle who once again ran out of gas after 75 pitches, allowing 4 runs off 8 hits and a walk. Tyron Guerrero froze Huff for strike three to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.

                                                           Wasn't good enough

The Sox refused to quit in the bottom of the sixth as Baz threw a ball away allowing Abreu to reach second. Contreras doubled to left to score Abreu and took third on a grounder to second by Yoshida. Unfortunately Durbin grounded out to short and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                     "This is MY house" - Contreras

Naturally the Os rallied in the top of the seventh as Ward doubled to right to start. Alonso got a base hit to center but somehow Henderson struck out swinging. O'Neill grounded out to second to score Ward to put the O's up again. Dylan Beavers pinch hit for Mayo and took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles up 5-4.

                                                           He did it again

The Sox rallied again in the bottom of the seventh as Yennier Cano came in to pitch. Wong got a base hit to left but was forced at second by Cheng. Seigler grounded out to second to move Cheng to second Rafaela got a base hit to left. Cheng came around third and Ward threw the ball away to allow Cheng to score & Rafaela to take second. Tyler Wells came in to face Abreu and Wilyer flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                          Sox tie it again

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Taveras struck out swinging to start. Jackson grounded out to second and Jackson Holliday pinch hit for Strand. Holliday grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida did as well. Suddenly Durbin crushed his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox ahead. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                             Durbin puts Boston on top

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with Colton Cowser pinch hitting for Ruff. Naturally Cowser walked after sitting all game but somehow Ward struck out swinging. Alonso struck out swinging but two strikes away from victory, Henderson doubled to left. Naturally O'Neill hit a bullet....RIGHT TO CHENG TO END THE GAME. THE RED SOX WIN 6-5!

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Caleb Durbin. His home run in the 8th inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Our Hero gets the Wally Head

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 22nd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4.

Payton Tolle got rocked for 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 8 hits and a walk.

Tyron Guerrero allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run and made the game saving catch.

Final Thoughts:

Something special might be happening here. Its one thing to go on a win streak, its another thing to run into another red hot team and find a way to win. The O's had won 7 in a row and fought to the bitter end, the Sox just happened to come out on top. The O's looked better on paper by battering the Sox for 11 hits and 5 runs but committing 5 errors and allowing the home run to Durbin was the backbreaker. The Sox got contributions from just about everyone including the unsung Tsung-Che. Fans were asking if Marcelo Mayer or Trevor Story makes that catch and the fact Cheng made it means something's brewing. The Sox have won 14 in a row and 19 out of 21 to claw their way back to respectability. Unfortunately the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all won so the Sox didn't gain any ground on them, but the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays and the Sox beat the O's to knock both Toronto & Baltimore another game back. The roar of the crowd when Durbin hit the home run was matched by the reaction in the dugout. Every big hit the last 3 weeks has the dugout pouring out for support. Anyone who wants to sell now is an absolute fool. It would be unfair for Sox fans to expect the streak to go any longer but, why not? The win improved the Sox to 51-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 15 in a row and match a franchise record tomorrow night against the Orioles when Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) comes off the Injured List to face Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep Rays, Win 13 Straight (7/19/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox officially released Danny Coulombe. Just like Tommy Kahnle, he didn't have it anymore. The Red Sox have been white hot lately and a lot of that was due to their shutdown bullpen. Coulombe wasn't getting it done and rumors are Patrick Sandoval is going to the bullpen when Ranger Suarez comes back. Oh well.

                                                                      OUT

As for the game, how about the white hot Boston Red Sox. The Sox took the first place Tampa Bay Rays and chewed them up & spat them out in four straight games. Today Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 innings and holding the Rays to 1 run. He wasn't as sharp but he got the outs when he had to. Meanwhile the Sox got to Rays ace Shane McClanahan for 6 runs. The Sox scored 3 runs in the third inning without getting a hit and Willson Contreras hit a 2 run jack to put it out of reach. The trio of Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson slammed the door and the Sox had won 13 straight including a 4 game sweep of the Rays 6-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Ryan Fox approves of the win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz led off by grounding out to first. Jonathan Aranda walked and Junior Caminero singled in the hole at third. Cedric Mullins struck out swinging and Jarren Duran nearly ran into Ceddanne Rafaela on a pop up to center by Chandler Simpson to end the inning. McClanahan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones led off with a base hit to left. Ceddanne Rafaela bunted foul, then popped up to first and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center.  Willson Contreras flied out to center as well to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Victor Mesa Jr hit a ball into the centerfield triangle that Rafaela had trouble picking it up. Mesa tried for the home run and the throw beat him....but Connor Wong dropped the ball to put the Rays on top. Richie Palacios got a base hit to center and they had him picked off...but Contreras dropped the ball. It looked like Palacios was thrown out at second trying to steal but the Rays challenged. Replays showed Romy Gonzalez missed the tag and Taylor Walls walked. Hunter Feduccia took strike three, Diaz flied out to right and Aranda flied out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                            Mesa scores...barely

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin ripped a base hit to left to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Durbin took off for second. The throw by Feduccia got away and Durbin took third. Andruw Monasterio beat out a double to left to score Durbin and Jarren Duran walked. Duran was thrown out at second on a double steal but Monasterio made it to third. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Sox tie it up

Caminero struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Mullins walked. Simpson doubled to right but Mesa Jr took strike three. Palacios flied out to left to end the inning. Jones walked to start the bottom of the third Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu was hit with a pitch and Contreras walked to load the bases. Feduccia allowed a passed ball to score Jones and Durbin hit a grounder to third. Caminero hit Abreu with the throw to score him and the runners moved over. Gonzalez grounded out to second but Contreras scored with another run. Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Sox take the lead

Walls lined out to short to start the top of the fourth and Feduccia grounded out to first. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aranda got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Caminero. Mullins grounded back to the mound to move Caminero to second and Simpson grounded out to first to end the inning. Rafaela beat out a grounder to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Abreu flied out to left. Contreras pounded his 22nd homer of the year to dead center to increase the lead but Durbin flied out to center. Gonzalez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                      Contreras hits another one out

Gray returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Mesa Jr lined out to right to start. Palacios walked but Walls grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gray wasn't the sharpest but hung in there to allow just 1 run in 6 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks.

                                                           Gray battled in this one

Craig Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Monasterio struck out swinging to start. Duran grounded out to short and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Feduccia doubled to center to start. Diaz grounded out to second to move Hunter to third, but Aranda took strike three. Caminero lined out to left to end the inning. Chris Roycroft came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Jones grounded out to third to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right but Abreu lined out to center. Contreras lined out to third to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mullins grounded out to short to start. Simpson got a base hit in the hole at second then move to second on the grounder to third by Mesa. Palacios grounded out to second to end the inning. Durbin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Gonzalez grounded out to short. Monasterio walked and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Walls got a base hit to center to start. Feduccia walked but Diaz struck out swinging. Aranda struck out swinging and Caminero lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Willson Contreras. His two run home run essentially iced the game.

                                                           Hero Contreras

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Sonny Gray got the win with 6 innings of run 1 ball allowing 5 hits and 4 walks.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

On June 24 the Red Sox got embarrassed by the Colorado Rockies 2 out of 3 to drop to 14 games out and 14 games under .500. The Sox have lost 2 games since, winning 18 out of 20 and 13 straight to get back into the race. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees also lost today so everything is coming up Red Sox. Gray didn't have his best stuff today but he got the outs he needed to win this one. Contreras is unquestionably the team leader and its fired the team up any time there's a big hit. He got the big two run homer to ice it in this one. They scored three runs without getting a hit and that's the kind of game the Rays were known for with their speed. Yandy Diaz getting held in check was the main reason the Sox won this series. The Rays go to Toronto next so the Jays are going to be facing an angry, due Diaz. Good luck with that. All in all this win streak brought hope back, the fans back and good spirits back. It'll be a shame when the streak ends but if the Sox can win consistently in the next two months, they'll be right in the thick of things by the end. Getting a healthy Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez back would make Boston very deadly come October. Have to make it there first with 64 games left on the schedule. The win improved the Sox to 50-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to continue the momentum against the equally hot Baltimore Orioles who have won 7 in a row in the next series. Tomorrow night Shane Baz goes for Baltimore against Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA) of Boston at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Rays for 12th Straight Win (7/18/26)

In 1988 the Boston Red Sox won 12 straight games after Joe Morgan was named interim manger and 22 straight at Fenway Park. Well this year its Tracy's Turnaround as the Boston Red Sox went from 14 games out, last place and a 32-46 record to winning 17 out of 19, 12 straight and are just 7 games behind first place. The Sox made it three straight wins against the first place Tampa Bay Rays in one of the most exciting games of the year. The Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead against Patrick Sandoval and the Red Sox only for Jahmai Jones to get his first Fenway Park hit in the form of a game tying 2 run home run. A Wilyer Abreu home run put Boston ahead but the Rays rallied for 3 runs against Sandoval and 1 more against Ryan Watson (1-0, 4.62 ERA) to give the Rays a 6-3 lead. The Sox were 0-43 when trailing by 3 runs but tonight the Sox rallied for 4 runs in the bottom of the seventh with Abreu hitting the 2 run killshot. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Rays 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Dallas Rea approves of the win

Sandoval got the ball in the top of the first inning after an hour long rain delay and Yandy Diaz walked to start. Jonny DeLuca struck out swinging and Junior Caminero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Ian Seymour got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Anthony Seigler struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to first but Wilyer Abreu walked. Willson Contreras flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Ryan Vilade doubled to left to start. Chandler SImpson hit a routine grounder to Seigler....thrown away for an error to allow Vilade to score. Ben Williamson struck out swinging and Victor Mesa Jr flied out to right, but Nick Fortes got a base hit to right to score Simpson. Richie Palacios grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rays up 2-0.

                                                         Rays strike first

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Romy Gonzalez grounded out to second to start. Caleb Durbin took strike three but Andruw Monasterio used ABS to change strike three to ball four. Jahmai Jones got his first hit with the Red Sox when he smashed his third home run of the season to tie game. Carlos Narvaez took strike to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                          Welcome to Boston

Diaz popped up to second to start the top of the third and Rafaela made a great diving catch to rob DeLuca of a triple. Caminero singled to right but Vilade struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the third as Seigler took strike three to start. Rafaela popped up to short but Abreu clocked his 14th home run of the season to put Boston ahead.

                                                              Abreu watches it go

The Rays struck back in the top of the fourth as Simpson doubled to center to start. Narvaez threw the ball away on a steal attempt and Simpson came home to tie the game on an error. Williamson grounded out to short but Mesa hit a home run into the Charles River to put Tampa ahead. Fortes struck out swinging but Palacios doubled to left. A passed ball moved Palacios to third and Richie scored on the Diaz base hit to left. DeLuca doubled to center but Diaz was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Rays up 5-3. 

                                                  Rays take command

Kevin Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Gonzalez was hit with a pitch to start. Durbin struck out swinging but Gonzalez stole third....only to get up from the slide and keep going where he was thrown out at third. That proved costly as Monasterio hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Jarren Duran pinch hit for Jones. Duran popped up to third to end the inning.

Sandoval returned for one final inning in the top of the fifth and Caminero grounded out to third to start. Vilade did the same and Simpson took strike three to end the inning. Sandoval got rocked for 5 runs in 5 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

                                                       He wasn't good enough

Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seigler grounded out to first. Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Williamson grounded out to first to start. Mesa Jr flied out to left and Fortes struck out swinging to end the inning. Casey Legumina came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left to start. Contreras was hit with a pitch but Gonzalez flied out to right. Durbin also flied out to right to end the inning.

The Rays struck again in the top of the seventh as Palacios struck out swinging to start. Diaz grounded out to short but DeLuca hit a home run all the way to Skyrim to increase the lead. Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays up 6-3.

                                                                The game looked over

Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the seventh as Monasterio doubled to left to start. Cole Sulser came in to pitch and Vilade threw a grounder away by Duran for an error to move Andruw to third. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez and grounded out to short to score Monasterio. Seigler struck out swinging but Rafaela doubled to center to score Duran. Garrett Cleavinger came in to pitch to Abreu and Wilyer responded by smashing his 15th home run of the season to put Boston ahead. Contreras walked but Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                          Sox jump in front

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Connor Wong behind the plate. Jonathan Aranda pinch hit for Vilade and flied out to left to start. Simpson lined out to left and Williamson grounded out to short to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Durbin popped up to first to start. Monasterio lined out to center and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Mesa Jr popped up to third to start. Fortes grounded out to third but Palacios walked. Taylor Walls ran for Palacios and immediately stole second. Diaz walked and Cedric Mullins ran for him. Both runners pulled off a double steal but DeLuca grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won their 12th straight game, 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Sox win

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

                                                               Abreu Hero

The Good:

Willson Contreras was hit with a pitch and walked in four plate appearances.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jahmai Jones hit a 2 run home run in his only at bat.

Masataka Yoshida drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 21st save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Patrick Sandoval allowed 5 runs in 5 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Ryan Watson allowed a run but earned the win in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Are you a believer now? The last two weeks the Sox have been winning games in the fashion they weren't the first two months of the season. Yesterday Lou Merloni said a 2-0 lead for Tampa meant the game was over in April and May and the last two days the Sox rallied to win. This one was even bigger as the Sox hadn't won a game all year when trailing by three and they did it. The offense has finally come around even if today was simply the Wilyer Abreu & Andruw Monasterio show. Patrick Sandoval disappointed but he's still rusty after not pitching since 2024. If the Sox can survive his starts until he gets his wind back....or until Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early come back, they'll be in good shape. Jones showed why the Sox picked him up when he hit his home run off a lefty. Better late than never to replace Rob Refsnyder. Speaking of better late than never, Wilyer Abreu turned into 1967 Carl Yastrzemski the past few days and that's not going to last, but its been fun to watch. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles both won so the Sox didn't gain any ground on them, but they're already ahead of them anyway. This has been a hell of a run to get back in contention and if the Sox can get good pitching with even just this mediocre offense, they'll be contenders in the second half of the season. The win improved the Sox to 49-48, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep and 13th win in a row tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54 ERA) takes on Tampa's ace Shane McClanahan. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.