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

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

                                           Jeremy Swayman approves of the shutout win

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

                                                             Sox strike first

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

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

                                                             Abreu watches it go

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

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

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

                                                         Good work Gray

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

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

                                                       Sox score another run

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

                                                       Durbin drives in a run

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

                                                                     Sox win

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

                                                             Gray Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

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

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                                    OUT

                                                                      IN

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

                                                    Russell Henley approves of the win

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

                                                      A grand salami for Durbin

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

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

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

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

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

                                                       Vargas puts Chicago on the board

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

                                                              Abreu hits one out

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

                                                           Not great but it'll do

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

                                                             Rafaela adds to the lead

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

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

                                                       Second home run for Abreu

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

                                                              Sox win

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

                                                             Caleb Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erik Miller struck out the only man he faced.

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

The Bad:

Eli White grounded out as a pinch hitter.

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

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Off-Day News: Sox Make Blockbuster Trades (8/3/26)

Today's trade deadline might have just propelled the Boston Red Sox into 2026 World Series contention or it just sank the franchise for years to come. Sox GM Craig Breslow cashed in ALL his chips in order to win now with 3 trades, two of which were huge. The big one was the Sox sent top pitching prospects Anthony Eyanson & Kyson Witherspoon along with outfield prospects Enddy Azocar & Harold Rivas, a Player To Be Named Later and catcher Carlos Narvaez to the Baltimore Orioles for backup catcher Jake Rogers and all-star catcher Adley Rutschman. More on that in a moment. The second trade was the Sox sent relief pitcher Tyler Uberstine to the Atlanta Braves for utility outfielder Eli White. More on that later as well. The third trade was the most shocking, the Sox shipped former top prospect Marcelo Mayer to the San Francisco Giants for lefty relief pitcher Erik Miller. Jesus.....

                                                                         OUT

                                                                           IN

As usual we'll start with who did they give up? Harold Rivas is an 18 year old Venezuelan teenager that hit .241 with 6 home runs for the Florida Complex Red Sox this season. The true definition of a throw-in. Enddy Azocar is a 19 year old Venezuelan teenager that was promoted to Greenville this season and hit 12 home runs in 46 games before the trade. The 21 year old Witherspoon was Boston's first round pick last season who was struggling going 3-5 with a 4.78 ERA for Greenville. The centerpiece was Anthony Eyanson, the 21 year old phenom that dominated the Portland Sea Dogs before becoming the Worcester Red Sox' ace, going 4-0 with a 1.69 ERA. Tyler Uberstine was a 19th round pick back in 2021 who bounced back from Tommy John surgery to earn a cup of coffee in April with Boston. He had a 2.81 ERA for Worcester at the time of the trade. Finally Marcelo Mayer is now considered one of the biggest busts in franchise history. Taken 4th overall in the 2021 draft, Mayer managed to suffer mid-season injuries three seasons in a row including the minors and never return. When he was active in 2025 and this season, he hit .223 in 114 games. At least Jed Lowrie hit well when he was healthy, Mayer couldn't even do that. Narvaez was traded to the Red Sox the same day they got Garrett Crochet last year after a 6 game cup of coffee with the New York Yankees in 2024. He was everything they could have asked for in 2025 hitting .241 with 15 home runs becoming the starting catcher. This year he was mysteriously benched by Alex Cora in early April for being late to a pre-game meeting and then completely collapsed after. He was hitting .187 with 3 home runs at the time of this trade. The rumor (which may not be true) is his wife caught him cheating and publicly blasted him. Think Troy O'Leary in 2000 situation. The bottom line is the Sox are parting with all these youngsters banking on A. winning this year and B. there is no next year.

Now who did they get? Eli White is a utility outfielder that hit 10 home runs last year in 105 games and can play all 3 outfield positions. White is another Jahmai Jones type that's good against lefties but all but useless against righties. This was strictly a depth move to get guys rest moving forward. Jake Rogers is a backup catcher who's best year was in 2023 with the Detroit Tigers hitting .286 with 21 home runs. He was traded from the Tigers on July 30th to the Orioles and played just 3 games. As a backup catcher, he'll be battling Connor Wong for playing time unless the Sox dump one of them after Adley Rutschman comes back. Speaking of which, Rutchsman is the centerpiece of the deal. The first overall pick of the 2019 draft, he was supposed to be the franchise cornerstone catcher they haven't had in...ever really, unless you count Matt Wieters. He was second in AL Rookie of The Year voting in 2022 and made the all-star team in 2023 hitting .277 with 20 home runs. He hit .250 with 19 home runs in 2024 but fell off in 2025, hitting .220 in 90 games. He's battled a wrist injury this season but still hit .251 with 8 home runs before going on the Injured List on July 19th. Finally, Erik Miller is the lefty relief pitcher they desperately needed. He also was drafted in 2019 like Rutschman and made his ML debut in 2024. He's been virtually unhittable the last two seasons with a 1.50 ERA in 2025 and 2.76 this season. His problem is control, he walks as many batters as he strikes out. Still, if he can harness that control or be used properly, he's a weapon out of the bullpen for sure.

So as usual let's go glass half empty and half full. The half empty is Craig Breslow just said screw the future, let's win now. If it doesn't work, it sets them back years. Connelly Early, Carlos Narvaez, Marcelo Mayer, Anthony Eyanson and Kyson Witherspoon were supposed to be the future and now all of them are gone. If there is no season in 2027, when 2028 comes around they are going to be screwed if a salary cap has been established. They won't be able to pull a Tampa Bay Rays and build through the draft because all their studs are gone. As for this year, Rutschman is already injured, Rogers and White are just backups and Miller has control issues. Rutschman and Miller might blow up in Breslow's face and you sacrificed the future for THEM? Not to mention Eyanson looked like the real deal and with all the lefties the Sox have, they needed a right handed ace to replace Sonny Gray when the time came. Now they got nothing. Also, who knows if Curtis Mead, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet even come back this season. Rutchsman might play 20 games before going on the Injured List saying his wrist is screwed. Then you're stuck with Connor Wong and Jake Rogers the rest of the season and god forbid either one get hurt. Fans remember the Sox trading for Eric Hosmer in 2022 and he lasted two weeks. Or they remember James Paxton, Rich Hill, Lucas Sims and Luis Garcia in 2024 and none of them lasted beyond August. This is the crap shot of the century, a 100 foot birdie putt and a blindfolded bullseye dart toss all rolled into one.

The glass half full is FINALLY they said screw the future, we need to win now. The rest of the American League is weak with only the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees any real threats, and the Yankees are down 3 guys on offense as well. The Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros are all .500 teams so if the Sox bolster their lineup and bullpen with an already stacked rotation, they have as good as shot as anyone. Rutschman on top of being a switch hitter is also a fantastic defensive catcher. He calls games as good as anyone and is an elite framer. If he comes back healthy, their defense is as improved as their offense. White and Rogers bolster the team depth, especially with the second half of the season being a slog. They can give guys days off and keep guys from wearing down. White can play all three outfield positions and even though all three outfielders Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran are damn good defensively, White can spell them in later innings on days they're down or up by 5 runs. Lastly, Miller is the lefty reliever they desperately needed. Remember when one of the only losses in July was Dylan Cease tossing a complete game shutout? That's why the Sox got Rutschman and Mead, to give the Sox more right handed options to face a guy like that. The other night Sox manager Chad Tracy brought in Jovani Moran to face Shohei Ohtani and Ohtani hit an absolute moonshot. Breslow realized that in the playoffs, you're going to have to do better than Moran against elite lefty hitting players. Miller when he's not walking the ballpark is the guy you bring in to face Ohtani, Ben Rice and Yordan Alvarez late in a game. Not to mention if he's on, the bullpen is now six guys deep. On a night Jake Bennett goes six innings, you bring in Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman. Now the following night if Payton Tolle goes six innings, now you have Miller along with Tyron Guerrero and Greg Weissert to fill in as the B-Team. If you're way behind you still have Ryan Watson and Brayan Bello to keep you in games rather than makes things worse (unless Johan Oviedo replaces Watson). The Sox are going for it this season just 5 games back of the best record in the American League. If Rutschman, Miller and Mead eventually work out, Breslow will be seen as a genius.

So there you have it. Lot of people are mad they gave up A LOT for these guys while others are happy they finally grew some balls and traded prospects for proven talent. Rutschman seems like a huge overpay but if he's launching bombs out of Fenway in October, they'll be thanking Breslow. If Rutschman barely plays and Miller can't handle the pressure in Boston, Breslow will be on the unemployment line in October. 

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the Chicago White Sox at home. Davis Martin goes for Chicago against Captain TBD of the Red Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Boston's Home Run Parade Sweeps Dodgers (8/2/26)

Last night the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers on the back of shutdown pitching and timely hitting. Tonight the Sox completed a three game sweep of the back to back champs by bashing balls out of the park. The Sox as a team played home run derby by slugging four home runs, three of them in the third inning. The Sox got two runs in the first inning against LA starter Emmet Sheehan on rbis from Masataka Yoshida and Caleb Durbin. The Dodgers then got to Sox starter Jake Bennett (7-4, 2.90 ERA) for three runs in the bottom of the second. Then in the top of the third Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Yoshida went yard to put the Sox on top. Jarren Duran added a home run in the sixth inning while the Sox tacked on two more runs in the eighth. Despite a Dodger slanted NBC broadcast, the Sox had swept the Dodgers and won their fifth straight game 8-4 at Dodger Stadium.

                                                  Michael Thorbjornsen approves of the win

Sheehan got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard walked on a questionable full count ball to start. Ceddanne Rafaela forced Sogard at second but Wilyer Abreu got a base hit up the middle. Willson Contreras flied out to left but Masataka Yoshida slapped a base hit to left to score Rafaela. Caleb Durbin ripped a base hit to right to score Abreu and move Yoshida to third, but Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Durbin adds to the lead

Bennett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shohei Ohtani got a base hit to right to start. Andy Pages struck out swinging and Tommy Edman did the same. Freddie Freeman grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Carlos Narvaez did the same. Sogard took strike three to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to short to start the bottom of the second but Kyle Tucker ripped a base hit to center. Teoscar Hernandez split the D with a base hit up the middle and Max Muncy rocketed a ball off the right field wall but Tucker got fooled so instead of scoring, it just loaded the bases. Eliezer Alfonzo grounded out to short to score Tucker and Ohtani was intentionally walked to reload the bases. Pages made them pay with a base hit past the diving Contreras to score both Hernandez and Muncy. Edman forced Pages at second to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-2.

                                                          Happy Hernandez

The Sox came back in the top of the third as Rafaela clocked his 15th home run to tie the game to start. Abreu smashed his 17th home run of the season to put the Sox on top but Contreras flied out to center. Yoshida belted his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead but Durbin grounded out to short. Monasterio was hit with a pitch and that was it for Sheehan. Jack Dreyer came in to face Duran and Jarren grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                            Bing, bang, boom

Freeman grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third and Mr. Mookie flied out to center. Tucker looked to have walked but Narvaez challenged to change the call to strike three to end the inning.

Narvaez walked to start the top of the fourth but Sogard struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved Carlos to second but Rafaela struck out swinging. Abreu flied out to center to end the inning. Hernandez flied out to the right field wall to start the bottom of the fourth and Muncy flied out to left. Alfonso lined out to right to end the inning. 

Evan Phillips came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Contreras flied out to right to start. Yoshida hit a comebacker to Phillips and Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning. Ohtani took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and Sogard robbed Pages of a base hit. Monasterio then made a great play to rob Edman as well to end the inning. 

Kyle Hurt came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Monasterio struck out swinging to start. Duran belted his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead but Narvaez struck out swinging. Sogard flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3. 

                                                              Duran jacks one

Freeman got a base hit in the hole at second to start the bottom of the sixth but Mr. Mookie grounded into a double play. Tucker walked and that was it for Bennett as Jake allowed 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch to Hernandez and Sogard made another great play to rob Teoscar of a hit to end the inning.

                                                          Not great, but it'll do

Rafaela took strike three to start the top of the seventh but Abreu walked. Contreras struck out swinging and Yoshida hit a ball that a fan reached over the wall to grab for a fan interference out to end the inning. Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Muncy ate up Sogard on a line drive for a base hit to start. Alfonzo flied out to center but a wild pitch moved Muncy to second. Ohtani struck out swinging but Pages doubled into the left field corner to score Muncy. Edman popped up to center to end the inning with the Dodgers down 6-4.

                                                           Pages drives in a run

Wyatt Mills came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Durbin was hit with a pitch to begin. Monasterio beat out a chopper to third and Duran dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Anthony Seigler pinch hit for Narvaez and a wild pitch scored Durbin, moving Monasterio to third. The crowd booed as a passed ball on Alfonzo scored Monasterio but Seigler popped up to left. Sogard hit a routine grounder to Betts who threw wide of first for an error. Rafaela got a base hit to center to move Sogard to third but Abreu popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                              Monasterio scores a run

Connor Wong took over behind the plate and Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Alex Call pinch hit for Freeman and doubled to left, but Betts grounded out to short. Enrique Hernandez pinch hit for Tucker and grounded out to second to move Call to third. That was it for Moran as Greg Weissert came in to face Teoscar Hernandez. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Contreras struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Yoshida walked. Durbin walked but Monasterio flied out to left. Duran popped up to first to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Muncy popped up to third to start. Alfonzo grounded out to third but Ohtani walked. Ohtani took second on defensive indifference but Pages struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wilyer Abreu. His home run in the third put the Sox up for good.

                                                                 Hero Abreu

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with a walk, a home run and 2 total rbis.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jake Bennett got the win by tossing 5 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Justin Slaten got the final out of the sixth inning.

Jovani Moran got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Greg Weissert got the final out of the eighth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tyron Guerrero allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Nick Sogard was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox just keep on rolling and the haters are running out of excuses. The "they haven't beat anyone good" just got laid to rest by sweeping the Dodgers out of Los Angeles. Not only did they win, they scored 17 runs in two of the three games. Falling behind and rallying against Sacramento and not giving up when trailing or tied with Los Angeles shows the balls this team didn't have back from April to June. Not only that, Monasterio made some errors this past week but he and Sogard couldn't miss this weekend. They beat the Dodgers with offense, pitching and defense. That's the kind of team that's going to be scary in the playoffs. As a side note, years ago you could have put New York Yankees jersies on Jess Mendoza and Matt Vasgersian during ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when the Red Sox played the Yankees and for all intents and purposes, that's what NBC did last night only Dodger blue for Jason Benetti, Orel Hershiser and Clayton Kershaw. The broadcast last night was 50% kissing Tarik Skubal's ass and 45% Hershiser and Kershaw gladhanding each other for their Dodger accomplishments. The other 5% was Lou Merloni desperately trying to point out the Red Sox were kicking the crap out of the Dodgers in this series and was the hottest team in baseball. That was a disgrace, I don't care that they were in LA. Anyway, the Sox ARE the hottest team in baseball but the question is, are they going to add or stand pat tomorrow during the trade deadline? The word is there won't be a 2027 season so if they're going to win now, they're going to have to go big. They have the talent to be a contender for years if they choose to stand pat, especially with Trevor Story, Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Curtis Mead expected back at some point this year. The bad news was the New York Yankees won but the good news was the Tampa Bay Rays lost. The Sox also have a 4 game lead on the Cleveland Guardians for the second wild card and a 5 game lead on the Texas Rangers for the third. Everything is falling into place, they just need to keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 60-51, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night at home against the Chicago White Sox. The Red Sox hasnt named a starter yet while Davis Martin goes for Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park. 

Sox Stun Yamamoto, Dodgers (8/1/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Once again Tommy Kahnle was released and probably for good this time. With everyone moving up and certain trades to be made, may as well run with the kids in AAA rather than an aging veteran like Kahnle. In other news, 2023 draft pick Jojo Ingrassia was sent to the Detroit Tigers as the PTBNL in the Jahmai Jones trade. He was 2-1 with a 3.27 ERA for the Greenville Drive. Good luck in Detroit.

                                                                        OUT

As for the game, its a new month but the same red hot Red Sox. Facing the ace of the back to back world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, the Sox needed someone to step up. Sox starter Payton Tolle gutted through six innings to hold LA to a two run Teoscar Hernandez home run while Ceddanne Rafaela went deep twice against Yamamoto. In the eighth inning the Sox had first and third with nobody out and Connor Wong banged into a double play, but Andruw Monasterio scored the go-ahead run. The trio of Justin Slaten (2-4, 4.45 ERA), Tyron Guerrero and Aroldis Chapman held the fort and the Sox had beaten the Dodgers and Yamamoto 3-2 at Dodger Stadium

                                                    Angel Eyes approves of the win

Yamamoto got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela then clobbered his 13th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second and Caleb Durbin grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Rafaela hits one out

Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shohei Ohtani got a base hit to center to start. Andy Pages hit a rocket to right and Ohtani tried to tag up and go to second, only to be gunned down by Abreu at second. Tommy Edman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Masataka Yoshida took strike three to start the top of the second but Nick Sogard walked. Andruw Monasterio flied out to center and Jarren Duran forced Sogard at second to end the inning. The Dodgers struck back in the bottom of the second as Freddie Freeman got a base hit to left to start. Enrique Hernandez popped up to second but Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run all the way back in time to the medieval era to put LA on top. Max Muncy got a base hit to right and Miguel Rojas doubled to left, but Dalton Rushing flied out to center. Ohtani was intentionally walked to load the bases and Pages grounded out to second to end the inning with the Dodgers up 2-1.

                                                         Hernandez puts LA ahead

Connor Wong flied out to right to start the top of the third and Seigler took strike three. Rafaela then smashed his second home run of the game to tie it up. Abreu popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Rafaela with another one

Edman walked to start the bottom of the third but Freeman grounded into a double play. Enrique Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin popped up to first to start the top of the fourth and Yoshida flied out to center. Sogard grounded out to first to end the inning. Teoscar Hernandez singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Muncy struck out swinging. Rojas took strike three and Rushing struck out swinging to end the inning.

Monasterio grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Duran lined out to center. Wong flied out to center to end the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Pages got a a base hit to right. Pages tried to stretch a double but slid off the bag and was tagged out. Edman flied out to right to end the inning.

Seigler took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Rafaela flied out to right. Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning. Freeman got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Enrique Hernandez flied out to right. Teoscar Hernandez got a base hit to left but Muncy took strike three. Rojas flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Tolle who allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks. 

                                                       Tolle held the Dodgers in check

Durbin popped up to third to start the top of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to first. Sogard grounded out to first to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rushing grounded out to second to start. Ohtani grounded out to second and Pages took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox surged ahead in the top of the eighth as Mr. Mookie Betts came in for Rojas. Monasterio hit a ground rule double into the left field stands and Duran caught Freeman asleep with a bunt single to put runners at the corners. Wong grounded into a double play but Monasterio scored to give the Sox the lead. Seigler lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                        The Sox take the lead

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Edman grounded out to second to start. Freeman got a base hit to right but Kyle Tucker pinch hit for Enrique Hernandez. Tucker flied out to center and Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Alex Vesia came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Rafaela grounded out to second to start. Abreu struck out swinging and Durbin popped up to second to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Muncy took strike three to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Alex Call pinch hit for Rushing. Call flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His 2 home runs off one of the best pitchers in the game kept the Sox in it.

                                                          Rafaela Hero

The Good:

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3.

Payton Tolle tossed 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs off 9 hits and 2 walks.

Justin Slaten got the win by pitching a scoreless seventh inning.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 27th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Once again this was not a game the Sox would have won from April to June. They were held to just 4 hits and found a way to win. Lights out pitching against the world champs apart from one swing from Teoscar Hernandez sealed the deal. Rafaela hitting the two bombs off Yamamoto and Monasterio's ground rule double followed by Duran's bunt was just the offense they needed. The trade deadline is 2 days away and Sox GM Craig Breslow has to decide whether to hope & pray Curtis Mead, Trevor Story, Roman Anthony, etc come back healthy or make a trade for another bat to go for it all. There probably isn't a 2027 season next year so may as well go for broke. As for this game, maybe now the talking heads will shut up about "The Sox haven't beaten good teams." They just beat Yamamoto and the world champs with a bullpen that's five guys deep and a rookie starter that isn't afraid of anything. The more the Sox win, the more they establish themselves as a legitimate threat in the American League. Just have to keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 59-51, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Dodgers tomorrow night on NBC's Sunday Night Baseball and run their win streak to five games when Jake Bennett (6--4) takes on Emmet Sheehan of Los Angeles. The game begins at 7:20 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.