Bennett, Red Sox Blank White Sox (7/8/26)

Before the game Nate Eaton decided to serve his two game suspension for fighting last week so he'll miss tonight and tomorrow's game. In his case, it was worth it to see him scrap.

                                                                          OUT

As for the game, the good news was Jake Bennett (4-3, 2.64) tossed 7 shutout innings to drop the Chicago White Sox for Boston's fifth win in a row. The bad news was they lost both Anthony Seigler and Willson Contreras in the process. The BoSox struck first with 3 runs in the top of the third courtesy of Tsung-Che Cheng, a wild pitch and Ceddanne Rafaela. The problem was Seigler got hurt scoring on that wild pitch. If that wasn't bad enough, Contreras had to leave the game with a bruised foot in the bottom of the frame. Luckily Bennett kept the ChiSox off the board as Cheng and Carlos Narvaez provided the insurance runs. Greg Weissert and Jovani Moran kept the shutout intact and the BoSox won this one 5-0 at Commiskey Park.

                                                   Emma Bugg approves of the win

Chicago starter Davis Martin got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler flied out to right to start. Sal Antonacci robbed Ceddanne Rafaela of a double and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Bennett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Miguel Vargas lined out to third to start. Randal Grichuk flied out to right and Colson Montgomery struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Willson Contreras lined out to second to start the top of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first. Caleb Durbin flied out to right to end the inning. Chase Meidroth got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second and Antonacci walked. Old farmhand Braden Montgomery struck out swinging, Junior Perez took strike three and Kyle Teel was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the third as Jarren Duran walked to start. Carlos Narvaez dropped down a bunt to move Duran over and Tsung Che-Cheng got a base hit to center to score Duran. Cheng took second on the throw home and he took third on a passed ball. Seigler walked and Rafaela doubled to center to score Cheng. Abreu grounded out to first but Martin uncorked a wild pitch. Seigler crashed into Teel at home to score the run but he got knocked flat in the process and had to be carried out on a stretcher. To make matters worse Contreras fouled a ball off his foot then flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox up 3-0.

                                                          Hope Seigler is okay

Andruw Monasterio came in for Seigler to start the bottom of the third and after Luisangel Acuna got a base hit to left, Contreras limped off the field and had to be replaced by Romy Gonzalez. Vargas flied out to center, Grichuk lined out to short and Montgomery grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                "AWWW CABRON!" - WC

The BoSox iced the game in the top of the fourth as Yoshida got a base hit to right to start. Durbin got a base hit to center but Duran struck out swinging. Narvaez got a base hit to right to score Yoshida and Cheng got a base hit to right to score Durbin. Monasterio beat out a double play ball but Rafaela grounded back to the mound to end the inning with Boston up 5-0.

                                                            Good work Cheng

Meidroth's bunt attempt was snuffed out by the alert Bennett to start the bottom of the fourth but Antonacci singled to left. Braden Montgomery grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Old pal Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Abreu doubled to right to start. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Yoshida grounded out to first, but Durbin was hit with a pitch. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Perez flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Teel lined out to second. Acuna got a base hit to right but Vargas flied out to center to end the inning.

Seranthony Dominguez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Narvaez flied out to right to start. Cheng walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning. Durbin made a great play to rob Grichuk of a hit to start the bottom of the sixth and Colson Montgomery took strike three. Meidroth grounded out to third to end the inning.

Bryan Hudson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela took first on an error by Acuna to begin. Abreu struck out swinging and Rafaela got picked off, so much for that. Gonzalez was hit with a pitch but Yoshida watched strike three go by to end the inning. Bennett came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Antonacci grounded out to second to start. Braden Montgomery popped up to third and Perez popped up to second to end the inning. With only 81 pitches on his arm, Sox manager Chad Tracy wanted to save some bullets for next time and pulled him with the game well in hand. Jake tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

                                                           Bennett was outstanding

Trevor Richards came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Durbin doubled to right to start. Duran took strike three and Narvaez popped up to second, but Durbin swiped second. Cheng took strike three to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Teel flied out to center to start. Tristan Peters pinch hit for Acuna and grounded out to first. Vargas grounded out to second to end the inning.

Monasterio flied out to center to start the top of the ninth but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Abreu struck out swinging but Gonzalez singled in the hole at third. Yoshida watched strike three go by to end the inning. Jovani Moran came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Grichuk grounded out to third to start. Colson Montgomery struck out swinging and Meidroth went down hacking to end the game. The BoSox had won it 5-0.

                                                                      Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jake Bennett. He threw 7 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and a walk.

                                            Our Hero kisses himself on a job well done

The Good:

Anthony Seigler walked and scored a run before leaving with injury.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

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

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 2 before leaving with injury.

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Enough with the injuries already. Does this training staff do ANYTHING? The Sox already lost Ranger Suarez an Connelly Early last week and now Seigler and Contreras are down. With Contreras, he was going to be suspended anyway, may as well serve it now with only four games left until the all-star break. Seigler has a "right trap contusion" which in plain English means he hurt the back of his neck. He'll be okay. The injuries overshadowed not only a great performance by Bennett but also the offense getting hits with men on base. The Sox got four of their five runs with big hits and Tsung-Che Cheng got two of them. He can't possibly replicate Trevor Story's bat but he's been better than Story was before Trevor had his surgery. That's the key to this turnaround is addition by subtraction with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony barely hitting their weight before going down and guys like Seigler and Yoshida hitting better than them. Also the resurgence of Caleb Durbin has helped as well. The Baltimore Orioles lost tonight and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees so the Sox got some breathing room out of last place and are only 7 games back of New York. Its going to suck if and when Bennett along with Early and Payton Tolle hit the rookie wall but enjoy the dominance while you can. The win improved the Sox to 42-48, 12 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep Chicago for their sixth straight win tomorrow afternoon when Patrick Sandoval makes his long awaited Red Sox debut. He takes on Chicago starter Anthony Kay at 2:10 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Red Sox Bash White Sox Late (7/7/26)

Yesterday the Boston Red Sox made a big roster move. Patrick Sandoval was activated from the Injured List to make his long awaited debut for Boston. In his place Alec Gamboa was sent down to Worcester and Jack Anderson was designated for assignment. Anderson was expendable and the Sox desperately need Sandoval now with Ranger Suarez nursing a pulled groin and Connelly Early all but officially needing Tommy John surgery.

                                                                     OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, don't look now but the Red Sox have won 9 in a row, a lot of them in impressive fashion. Tonight they showed their strength against the Chicago White Sox and some familiar faces. The BoSox jumped on Chicago starter Noah Schultz in the second inning with home runs from Andruw Monasterio and Ceddanne Rafaela to take a 3-0 lead. A Connor Wong bunt in the fourth made it 4-0 and Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA) was up to the task, firing 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits. The White Sox rallied against Danny Coulombe for a run in the seventh but the three headed monster of Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman locked it down. A four run rally in the ninth was a big bonus as the Red Sox ran away with this one 8-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                Erling Haaland approves of the win

Things went south right from the start as Schultz got the ball in the top of the first inning. Anthony Seigler got a base hit to center and Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the hole at first. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center but Willson Contreras walked to load the bases. Naturally Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging and Caleb Durbin lined out to right to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Miguel Vargas walked. Randal Grichuk struck out swinging and Colson Montgomery forced Vargas at second. Old farmhand Chase Meidroth flied out to center to end the inning.

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Andruw Monasterio belted his fourth home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Connor Wong caught Montgomery at third asleep with a bunt single but Seigler flied out to center. Rafaela then pounded his eighth home run of the year to increase the lead. Abreu popped up to second to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-0.

                                                            Boston on the board

Sam Antonacci got a base hit in the hole at second to start the bottom of the second but Junior Perez popped up to short. Old farmhand Kyle Teel lined out to short but Antonacci stole second. Luisangel Acuna flied out to center to end the inning. 

Contreras ripped a base hit to right to start the top of the third but Gonzalez took strike three. Durbin flied out to right and Contreras was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Tristan Peters took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Vargas popped up to short. Grichuk popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Duran doubled to left to start. Duran took third on a wild pitch and Monasterio walked. Wong dropped down a bunt and Vargas threw home...away from Teel. Duran scored but Wong overran first and was caught in no man's land. Monasterio took off but he got caught in the rundown for the second out. Seigler popped up to first and Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning with the BoSox up 4-0.

                                                            At least Duran scored

Montgomery grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Meidroth grounded out to third. Antonacci got a base hit to left but Perez flied out to right to end the inning.

Abreu was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth but Contreras flied out to left. Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal but Gonzalez walked. Durbin lined out to center to end the inning. Teel struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Acuna struck out swinging. Peters popped up to third to end the inning.

Seranthony Dominguez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Antonacci reached over the wall to rob Duran of a home run to start. Monasterio got a base hit to left and immediately stole second. Wong walked but Seigler took strike three. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Tolle returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Vargas took strike three to start. Grichuk struck out swinging and Montgomery flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Tolle who was masterful, tossing 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk.

                                                          Tolle was outstanding

Old pal Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Contreras went down hacking and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Where the hell was that last year? Danny Coulombe came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Meidroth walked to start. Antonacci got a base hit to left an Perez beat out a roller to first to load the bases with nobody out. Teel beat out a double play ball to score Meidroth and chase Coulombe. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Jacob Gonzalez pinch hit for Acuna. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Peters did the same to end the inning with Chicago down 4-1.

                                                    Too bad Boston had to give him up

Brandon Eisert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Durbin lined out to third to start. Duran grounded out to second and Monasterio flied out to right to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vargas flied out to center to start. Old friend Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Grichuk and grounded out to second. Montgomery lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the ninth as Wong walked to start. Seigler lined out to right and Rafaela flied out to right, but Abreu walked. Contreras doubled to left to score both runners and Gonzalez doubled to right to score Willson. Trevor Richards came in to face Durbin and Caleb walked. Duran lined a base hit up the middle to score Gonzalez but Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning with the BoSox up 8-1.

                                                       Duran is all fired up

Ryan Watson came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Meidroth flied out to left to start. Antonacci was finally retired by taking strike three and Perez struck out swinging to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 8-1.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Payton Tolle. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out six.

                                                          Hero Tolle

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

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

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and stolen base.

Connor Wong was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Justin Slaten got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Danny Coulombe allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Its about time they pulled away late in a close game because it saves wear and tear on All-Star Aroldis Chapman. The offense was a well oiled machine in this one getting clutch hits by just about everyone. I said back in May the Red Sox were mediocre pitching from being the worst team in baseball but simultaneously a good offense from being one of the best. If the offense with Seigler hitting leadoff, Durbin picking it up and Connor Wong not completely useless anymore continues this trend, the Sox might have a run back into contention in them. Tolle shook off his Washington disaster to allow just 3 baserunners but the lone blemish of the night is the current one weakness off the Sox, middle relief. The two losses they had to the Nationals and one of the losses to the Rockies came due to bad middle relief pitching. The good news is reinforcements could be on their way with the return of Patrick Sandoval and Tyler Samaniego is only a bus ride away in Worcester. The Sox can trade a low level prospect for a middle relief pitcher. Back in the day all they needed was to send a brown sack full of money to get Yacksel Rios or Jorge Alcala. They won't have to give up Franklin Arias or Anthony Eyanson to get someone that can get some outs in the 5th and 6th innings when trailing or the starter left early. All in all this was a great win and the best part is the Baltimore Orioles also lost. That means for one day at least the Sox are no longer in last place. The win improved the Sox to 41-48, 12 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five straight wins and two in a row against Chicago tomorrow night when Jake Bennett (3-3, 3.10 ERA) takes on Chicago's ace Davis Martin. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Off-Day News: 2025 Draft Revisited (7/6/26)

With the 2026 MLB Draft just five days away its time to have our final look back at past drafts with last year's draft. Red Sox General Manager Craig Breslow's mission was power arms and he selected a bevy of them in last year's draft. Let's see how the kids are doing in their first full professional season.

1st Round - RHP Kyson Witherspoon

Craig Breslow's prize was first round pick, right handed pitcher Kyson Witherspoon out of Oklahoma University. He could hit 97 on the gun and he was Oklahoma's ace when he was drafted. Just like the Red Sox this year, Witherspoon struggled out of the gate with the Greenville Drive going 0-3 with a 7.18 ERA by May 12. Since then he's turned it around a bit culminating with a 6 inning gem against Ashville on June 26. He's currently 2-3 with a 5.02 ERA in 14 starts but he's starting to improve. Still, when your first round pick has an ERA over 5, its very concerning. Still, its his first pro season, give him time.

2nd Round - RHP Marcus Phillips

One of the pieces of the Quinn Priester trade with the Milwaukee Brewers was an extra second round pick. At least Witherspoon has turned it around a bit, second round pick Marcus Phillips out of Tennessee University hasn't. He was throwing 100 for the Vols and unfortunately, the ball hasn't moved once he started pitching for the Drive. He's 0-4 with a 6.75 ERA in 12 starts but his destiny might not be as a starter. Its too early to convert him but a reliver throwing 100 is what Breslow is looking for when he signed Tyron Guerrero. If Phillips can't get his fastball to move, that might be him some day. Still, when your top two picks are batting practice, especially on the heels of the terrible 2024 draft, that's not good.

2nd Round - 2B Henry Godbout

The Sox might have scored with their own second round pick when they took Connelly Early's teammate at Virginia Univeristy, second baseman Henry Godbout. Converted to shortstop, Godbout stormed out of the gate hitting .341 in 13 games to end the 2025 season with Greenville. This year he was hitting .277 with 7 home runs when he suffered a broken hand after taking a fastball to the hand on May 30th. He might be back by the middle of August and its an unfortunate pothole, but the future looks bright if he can avoid the injuries.

3rd Round - RHP Anthony Eyanson

So far the Sox best pick looks to be in the third round when they took National Champion LSU's ace Anthony Eyanson. He was 12-2 with 3.00 for the champs with 152 strikeouts and he's been outstanding so far in 2026. He allowed 1 run in 20 innings with 34 strikeouts for the Drive to earn a promotion to the Portland Sea Dogs. He's 3-0 with a 1.78 ERA for the Sea Dogs with 37 strikeouts in 35 innings. He looks like the real deal, hopefully the Sox don't rush or ruin him and keep him in Portland for a while. Still, nailing 2 of the first 4 (so far) is nothing to sneeze at for Breslow.

4th Round - SS Mason White

The Sox got a gift when Big 12 Tournament MVP and NCAA 3rd Team All-American shortstop Mason White of Arizona University fell to them in the fourth round. He's been exactly what the Sox are looking for. Last year to end the season he hit .238 in 26 games between the Salem Red Sox and Greenville, but this year he's slammed 12 home runs while batting .267 so far for the Drive. He hit 20 home runs for Arizona last year and he might have that many this year. Hope he continues to hit for power.

5th Round - RHP Christian Foutch

In the fifth round the Sox took Arkansas University relief pitcher Christian Foutch. He averaged 95 but could dial it up to 97 at the price of control. He's been a disaster so far for the Salem Ridge Yaks, going 0-5 with a 6.18 ERA in 14 starts. The problem is he has no command of his fastball and his secondary pitches need work. Maybe he can get that fixed, maybe he can't. Either way 3 of the first 4 pitchers the Sox have drafted have been straight batting practice.

6th Round - RHP Leighton Finley

In the 6th round, the Sox took Georgia University right handed pitcher Leighton Finley. This was a bit of a head scratcher as he was mediocre in college going 3-2 with a 4.85 ERA in 14 starts. He's been slightly better in the pros, going 4-3 with a 4.25 ERA in 11 starts for the Salem Ridge Yaks. He can hit 97 on the gun and throws five total pitches with various success. The Sox hope he can lower that ERA a little bit but so far he hasn't been that bad.

7th Round - LHP Myles Patton

In the seventh round the Sox took another pitcher who was lousy in college, Texas A & M left handed pitcher Myles Patton. He's a junkballer that went 3-5 with a 5.26 ERA for the Aggies and this year he was 3-0 with a 4.76 ERA in 6 games before being placed in the Injured List on May 23rd. He hasn't come back yet so its too early to tell anything. Unlike the others on this list, he's not a flamethrower so he's going to rely on command.

8th Round - LHP Dylan Brown

In the eighth round the Sox took left handed pitcher Dylan Brown out of Old Dominion University where he was 4-2 with a 4.18 ERA in 14 starts for the Monarchs. He started out in Salem where he was 2-1 with a 2.31 ERA in 5 starts before getting promoted to Greenville. He's 2-4 with a 4.34 ERA in 7 starts as of now. At least he's conquered one level. Let's see if he can reach Portland or further next year. He has league average velocity but at 6 foot 5, the Sox are hoping he's another Jake Bennett.

9th Round - RHP Jacob Mayers

In the 9th round, the Sox took Anthony Eyanson's bullpen teammate, right handed pitcher Jacob Mayers. He had a mediocre season allowing 8 runs in 15 innings but the catch was he could hit 100 on the gun. This year he's 2-0 with a 3.18 ERA going between starting and relieving for the Salem Ridge Yaks. He was a Wild Thing Vaughn in college, maybe they fixed his control. Hopefully he continues to improve.

10th Round - SS Maximus Martin

In the 10th round the Sox took Kansas State shortstop Maximus Martin. He was a regular Reggie Sanders in college playing for Rutgers in 2023, Georgia State in 2024 and Kansas State in 2025. He played for both Salem and Greenville in 2025 but got hurt in Spring Training this year. He just came back a week ago with the Florida Complex Red Sox where he's hitting .353 with 2 home runs in his rehab start. He hit .270 in 25 games last year so hopefully he can continue to hit well as he gets his wind back.

11th Round - RHP Barrett Morgan

Normally Junior College players are nothing to sneeze at but 11th round pick, right handed pitcher Barrett Morgan might be the exception. He was 5-0 with a 0.42 ERA with 4 saves allowing just 1 run in 21 innings for Cowley County JuCo in Kansas. This year he's been converted to a starting pitcher and He's 3-2 with a 2.86 ERA for the Salem Ridge Yaks in 12 games. Not bad for a JuCo pitcher, hope he continues to maintain the momentum.

12th Round - LHP Ethan Walker

In the 12th round, the Sox took left handed pitcher Ethan Walker out of Kentucky University where he was 2-1 with a 4.08 ERA there. This year with Salem he's 2-2 with a 4.24 ERA although he missed a month recovering from a back injury and is rehabbing with the Florida Complex Sox. At least he's been consistent between college and the pros. Yay?

13th Round - 3B Jack Winnay

The Sox might have something with their 13th round pick, third baseman Jack Winnay. The local hero from Newton & Belmont Hill hit 36 home runs for Wake Forest in 2024 and 2025 combined and started his run in Salem on a hot streak, getting 17 hits in 15 games to end 2025. This year he was hitting .255 with 11 home runs for Greenville to earn a promotion to the Portland Sea Dogs. He's hitting .289 with 2 home runs in 10 games so far. The stats are good so far, hopefully he can keep up the pace.

14th Round - RHP Carter Rasmussen

The Sox first real big "oops" appears to be their 14th round pick, right handed pitcher Carter Rasmussen out of Wofford University. He apparently set a high school record in Texas for strikeouts but washed out at Brown University allowing 50 runs in 43 innings. He had a good year for Wofford in 2025....but holy smokes is he bad. He's allowed 23 runs in 12 innings for the Florida Complex Sox facing the same competition he had at Brown. What else can be said apart from what were they expecting? Not that it makes a difference but the very next pick after Carter was selected, the Minnesota Twins took right handed pitcher Merit Jones who's putting up average numbers in Low A. That's better than Rasmussen. He might get cut in Spring Training next year if he doesn't turn it around.

15th Round - OF Skylar King

In the 15th round, the Sox took West Virginia University outfielder Skylar King after he hit .291 with 3 home runs. He finished 2025 in Salem hitting .258 with a home run and so far he's hitting just .220 with 9 home run this year for the Ridge Yaks. Launch angle still won't go away so as long as King keeps the power up, he'll have a place in the organization.

16th Round - LHP Jason Gilman

The Sox rolled the dice when they drafted Division 3 pitcher of the year Jason Gilman out of Kean University in the 16th round. He led D3 in wins and strikeouts but many were asking if that would translate into pro success. So far the answer is....yes. He's 1-2 with a 2.45 ERA in 11 games for the Ridge Yaks with 60 strikeouts in 40 innings. Better than Carter Rasmussen for sure. Let's see if he can do this in Greenville next.

17th Round - RHP Patrick Galle

The first casualty so to speak of the 2025 draft class (not counting the guy who didn't sign, more on that later) was 17th round pick right handed pitcher Patrick Galle. He pitched in just 14 games for Ole Miss allowing 11 runs in 11 innings when he was drafted. He allowed 5 runs in 5 innings to end 2025 in Salem then was traded as the PTBNL in the trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to get Sonny Gray. So far this year he's 2-2 with a 5.64 ERA for the High A Peoria Chiefs. You'd make that trade 10 times out of 10, good luck in St. Louis.

18th Round - RHP Cade Fisher

The Sox chose right handed pitcher Cade Fisher out of Auburn University in the 18th round after going 1-3 with a 4.68 ERA in 2025. He hasn't pitched yet this year, not even for the Florida Complex Sox. Not that he isn't good, we just don't know until he's active. For the sake of comparison, the very next pick after Fisher the Minnesota Twins took pitcher Matthew Dalquist. Dalquist is 1-2 with a 4.26 ERA in Low A and that's still more than the Sox are getting from Fisher. Still, time will tell once he gets going.

19th Round - OF Fabian Bonilla

The Sox took another crapshot when they drafted Christian Military Academy outfielder Fabian Bonilla in the 19th round out of Puerto Rico. Just like Cade Fisher, he's yet to play only at least he's recovering from off-season shoulder surgery. The word is still out on him as well but at only 19 years old he's not going to be ready for a long time anyway. Still, in comparison, 13 picks after Bonilla the Chicago Cubs took third baseman Robert Phelps. Phelps is hitting .251 with 5 home runs for the Clearwater Threshers which is 5 more home runs than Bonilla has hit so far.

20th Round - RHP Garrison Sumner

The Sox wasted their 20th round draft pick when they took right handed pitcher Garrison Sumner out of BYU. He was 3-3 with an 8.32 ERA in 2025 for the Cougars and chose to return to BYU for his senior year rather than sign with the Sox. This year he was 4-3 with a 6.78 ERA and its unlikely he gets drafted again. The Sox may have dodged a bullet by him not signing but for comparison's sake, the very next pick after Sumner the Minnesota Twins took right handed pitcher Michael Hilker who's currently Fort Myers' best relief pitcher. He's 3-1 with a 1.23 ERA and 4 saves.....the Sox could have had THAT!

RFA - OF Andrews Opata

One of the best stories out of Salem this year is undrafted rookie free agent Andrews Opata. Andrews was a stud for North Georgia University hitting .372 with 12 home runs. Lord knows why he went undrafted but Red Sox scout Spencer Brown thought enough of him to get him to sign for 75 grand. So far its money well spent as Opata is hitting .250 with 5 home runs for the Ridge Yaks. Not eye popping stuff but considering 615 players were drafted over him, many of which chose not to sign or are straight batting practice, getting anything out of him is remarkable. Love to see him conquer Greenville next.

RFA - SS Ty Hodge

On the surface, shortstop Ty Hodge had a good 2025 for UTSA hitting .292 with 6 home runs so why wasn't he drafted? When he played for Texas A & M his freshman year he was 1 for 18 and transferred. Scouts were more concerned about that and the concerns look real after he signed with the Red Sox. So far he's hitting just .188 with 2 home runs in 101 at bats for the Salem Ridge Yaks. Still, its not like they wasted a draft pick or anything if he washes out. Long way to go though.

RFA - C Caleb Berry

The second casualty of the 2026 class (not counting Sumner) was former Michigan State catcher Caleb Berry. He had 9 hits in 24 at bats for the Salem Red Sox to finish 2025 but was released in December. Why? They brought him down to the Dominican Republic to be a catching/hitting instructor for the DoSox. At least Drew Ehrhard played for a few years before he was named the Boston Red Sox bullpen coach, Caleb just got 7 games before the organization said "You're done." Still, at least he has a job.

RFA - RHP Harry Blum

Technically he wasn't apart of the draft class as he was signed prior to Spring Training but right handed pitcher The real life "Tommy Boy" spent 6 years in college between Luther and Augustana before going undrafted. This year with the Salem Ridge Yaks he's 3-2 with a 7.59 ERA out of the bullpen. Can't say you couldn't see that coming when he posted a 4.72 ERA in his sixth year in college. Still, Sox owner John Henry wanted to save money. Rather than sign a proven minor leaguer, the Sox signed this guy for peanuts. He might be joining Caleb Berry in the Dominican Republic as a pitching instructor.

All in all its too early to tell if anyone's destined for greatness, although Anthony Eyanson might be that guy. Kyson Witherspoon was supposed to be the ace but he's anything but and Marcus Phillips looks like a bust already. Ironically the position players are outperforming the pitchers with Godbout, King, Winnay and Martin plus the undrafted Opata. With a few exceptions like Rasmussen and Blum, you can't write off guys after their first pro season. It'll be interesting to see if Witherspoon and Phillips turn it around or if Eyanson is that damn good enough to reach Worcester by the end of this year. If Craig Breslow is fired after this season, his legacy does include some major leaguers and a future stud in Eyanason (at this rate).

Sox Sweep Angels, Lose Suarez (7/5/26)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox completed a three game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels and have won eight of their last ten games. The bad news was the Sox lost 2 starting pitchers in the process including tonight's hurler Ranger Suarez. After allowing three runs, Suarez left the game with a pulled groin in the third inning. The Sox bullpen allowed 2 runs in the next six innings which means they lost, right? WRONG! Jarren Duran hit a two run bomb off Angels starter Ryan Johnson to tie the game in the second inning then Willson Contreras continued his hot streak with a three run home run as well. Greg Weissert (1-2, 3.89 ERA) anchored the bullpen after Suarez left, Masataka Yoshida and Wilson Contreras drove in runs, and the Sox survived runs allowed by Justin Slaten & Aroldis Chapman to sweep the Angels out of Anaheim with a 7-5 victory over the Angels at Angel Stadium.

                                                     Eola approves of the win

Johnson damn near had an immaculate inning in the top of the first as Anthony Seigler struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu broke up the immaculate inning by running the count full....only to go down hacking to end the inning. The Angels wasted no time getting to Suarez in the bottom of the first as Zach Neto got a base hit to right to start. Denzer Guzman got a base hit to center to move Neto. Vaughn Grissom struck out swinging but Guzman beat the throw to second on a grounder to third by Soler to score Neto. Oswald Peraza took strike three but Jo Adell hit a seeing eye single up the middle to score Guzman. Jose Siri struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 2-0 Angels.

                                                            Angels strike first

The Red Sox answered in the top of the second inning as Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit in the hole at second but was forced by Caleb Durbin at second. Jarren Duran pounded his 13th home run of the year to dead center to tie the game. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                         Home run Duran

The Angels re-took the lead in the bottom of the second as Logan O'Hoppe got a base hit to right to begin. It looked like Josh Lowe grounded into a double play but the Angels challenged that Lowe was safe. Sure enough, replays reversed the call. This was big as Lowe stole second and Neto doubled to center to score him. Guzman grounded out to second to move Neto to third but Grissom grounded out to third to end the inning with the Angels up 3-2.

                                                             Neto puts LA on top

The Sox took command in the top of the third as Tsung-Che Cheng caught the Angels asleep with a bunt single don the third base line to begin. Seigler flied out to left and Rafaela lined out to right, but Neto booted a grounder by Abreu for an error to keep the inning going. Contreras then launched his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Yoshida got a base hit to left and Durbin walked, but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                       Contreras does it again

Things went south in the bottom of the third as Soler took strike three to start. Peraza struck out swinging but Adell singled in the hole and Suarez fell to the ground clutching his groin. He had to be loaded onto a stretcher and rushed to the local ICU after 2 2/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Greg Weissert came in and Siri popped up to second to end the inning. The bullpen now had to throw the last 6 innings.

                                                             Bye bye Suarez

Narvaez flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Cheng got a base hit to center. Seigler flied out to right and Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. O'Hoppe grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Lowe struck out swinging. Neto also swung at air to end the inning.

Jose Fermin came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Abreu grounded out to short to start. Contreras grounded out to third and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Tyron Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Guzman walked to start. Soler grounded out to third and Peraza struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth but Duran walked. Narvaez looked to have grounded into a double play but the umpire ruled Peraza interfered with Duran to keep him at second. Cheng struck out swinging anyway to end the inning. Adell grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Siri grounded out to third. O'Hoppe lied out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh with Chase Silseth now on the mound. Seigler got a base hit to left and Rafaela got a base hit in the hole at short. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Abreu scored Seigler with a sac fly to center. Contreras walked and Yoshdia lined a base hit to left to score Rafaela. Durbin struck out swinging and Tayler Saucedo came in to face Duran. Jarren reached on a swinging bunt to the mound to load the bases but Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                          Yoshida with 3 hits tonight

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Lowe struck out swinging to start. Neto struck out swinging and Guzman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mitch Farris came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Cheng took strike three to start. Seigler flied out to center and Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Grissom grounded out to second to start. Soler lined out to center but Donovan Walton pinch hit for Peraza. Walton doubled to right and Adell got a base hit to right to score him. Wade Meckler pinch hit for Siri and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels down 7-4.

                                                  Couldn't get Adell out all weekend

Kirby Yates came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Contreras grounded out to short and Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Durbin made a hell of a play to rob O'Hoppe of a single to start. The Angels challenged but the umpire told them to stick it. Lowe struck out swinging but Neto hit a home run all the way to Bosnia to cut the lead. Guzman struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-5.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Willson Contreras. His three run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                         Willson Hero

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with a rbi.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tyron Guerrero tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ranger Suarez allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings before leaving with injury.

Justin Slaten allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base and scored a run.

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

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 18th save but allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Great to have a winning streak again but losing Suarez was not what they needed. The injury news was once again bad as Triston Casas appeared to have hurt his wrist rehabbing his pectoral injury (yes I'm serious), Roman Anthony is being sent to Florida because his rehab isn't working and Connelly Early's "small inflammation" is now being looked at by notorious surgeon Dr. Meister. Add to that Garrett Crochet and Trevor Story are out for the season and nobody has seen Kutter Crawford since Spring Training last year, losing Suarez to a pulled groin is the last thing this team needs. Still, Patrick Sandoval is ready to make his debut and the mental case known as Brayan Bello is in Worcester so the depth is there. The quality remains to be seen. This overshadowed a great win by the Sox with the veterans Contreras and Duran supplying the power and the bullpen having to toss 6 1/3 innings. Thank goodness tomorrow is an off-day to rest everyone because it was all hands on deck tonight. The only blemishes were once again Slaten and also Chapman. At least in Chapmans case, he throws nothing but gas so eventually someone is going to get a piece of one. Slaten's never been the same since he got hurt last year. The Sox can flip a prospect for a relief pitcher at the deadline but still. The good news is the New York Yankees are falling apart without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton while the Baltimore Orioles are awful and the Toronto Blue Jays have a definite "world series hangover". If the Sox can remain red hot going into the All-Star break, they might be out of last place by then. The win improved the Sox to 40-48, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox remain on the road as they play some old friends in Chicago against the White Sox. Payton Tolle (4-6, 3.39 ERA) looks to rebound from his last start against Washington against Noah Schultz of Chicago. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.