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.

Basebawful Report of The Month

Wilyer Abreu - 3 Good, 5 Bad, 15 Ugly, 2 Hero

Brayan Bello - 3 Good

Jake Bennett - 2 Good, 3 Hero

Aroldis Chapman - 10 Good, 1 Ugly

Tsung-Che Cheng - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly

Willson Contreras - 10 Good, 1 Bad, 5 Ugly, 4 Hero, 

Danny Coulombe - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Jarren Duran - 10 Good, 7 Bad, 5 Ugly, 2 Hero

Caleb Durbin - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 11 Ugly, 3 Hero

Nate Eaton - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly

Alec Gamboa - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Romy Gonzalez - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Hero

Sonny Gray - 2 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Tyron Guerrero - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Brett Harris - 1 Ugly

Jahmai Jones - 6 Good, 3 Bad

Curtis Mead - 1 Good

Andruw Monasterio - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly, 2 Hero

Jovani Moran - 6 Good, 3 Bad

Carlos Narvaez - 3 Good, 4 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Ceddanne Rafaela - 10 good, 3 Bad, 10 Ugly, 2 Hero

Eduardo Rivera - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Patrick Sandoval - 3 Good, 1 Bad

Anthony Seigler - 7 Good, 5 Bad, 8 Ugly

Justin Slaten - 7 Good, 1 Bad

Nick Sogard - 1 Good, 1 Ugly

Ranger Suarez - 1 Good, 2 Bad

Payton Tolle - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Ryan Watson - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Greg Weissert - 9 Good, 2 Bad

Garrett Whitlock - 12 Good, 1 Bad

Connor Wong - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 5 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Masataka Yoshida - 10 Good, 4 Bad, 5 Ugly

Most Valuable Player with 12 Good is Garrett Whitlock

Least Valuable Player with 7 Bad is Jarren Duran

Ugliest Player of The Month with 15 Ugly is Wilyer Abreu

Hero of The Month is Willson Contreras with 4 Hero

The Jackasses of the Month are Payton Tolle, Eduardo Rivera, Ryan Watson and Sonny Gray with 1 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Connor Wong with 2 Honorable Mention

Sox Rally Past Dodgers (7/31/26)

Its too bad the month of July had to come to an end for the Boston Red Sox. They set a franchise record by playing 25 games and winning 21 of them including tonight's game against the back to back world series champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Things looked good early on when Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida drove in runs against the Dodgers "bullpen gamers" to take a 3-0 lead. Then things went south as Ranger Suarez got tagged for 3 runs and Jovani Moran gave up a two run home run to Shohei Ohtani in the bottom of the fifth to give LA a 4-3 lead. Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the seventh for five big runs, two of them courtesy of a Ceddanne Rafaela two run home run. Andruw Monasterio, Carlos Narvaez and Duran knocked in some insurance runs but the game belonged to Brayan Bello (3-6, 5.30 ERA). With Moran struggling, Bello locked in to toss 4 scoreless innings to earn the win. The Sox had won their third straight game and fourth out of five with a 9-4 win at Dodger Stadium.

                                                           Karliah approves of the win

Edgardo Henriquez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard flied out to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center then immediately stole second, but Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Willson Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Shohei Ohtani took strike three to start. Andy Pages walked and Miguel Rojas grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Will Klein came in to pitch the top of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Caleb Durbin walked and then made it all the way to third when Klein threw the pickoff throw away. Andruw Monasterio took strike three right down the middle but the much maligned Jarren Duran ripped a base hit to center to score Durbin. A wild pitch moved Duran to second but Carlos Narvaez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Duran with a big hit

Freddie Freeman grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and old pal Mr. Mookie Betts took strike three. Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Sogard got a base hit to left to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right to move Sogard to third but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras was hit with a pitch right in the head to load the bases and that was it for Klein. Cole Irvin came in to face Yoshida and Masataka got a base hit inside the bag at first to score both Sogard & Rafaela. Durbin flied out to left and Monasterio lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Yoshida picks up Contreras

The blow to the head apparently was too much for Contreras to bear and he left the game in the bottom of the third, forcing Anthony Seigler to take his spot in the lineup but with Sogard playing first. Kyle Tucker grounded out to first, old pal Enrique Hernandez grounded out to short and Eliezer Alfonzo's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Suarez to end the inning.

Duran got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Narvaez struck out swinging. Sogard walked but was forced at second by Rafaela to put runners at the corners. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Ohtani doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Pages grounded out to short. Rojas flied out to center to move Ohtani to third and Shohei scored on the Freeman base hit to center. Betts forced Freeman at second to end the inning with the Dodgers down 3-1.

                                                              Dodgers fight back

Seigler grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Yoshida flied out to center. Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning. Teoscar Hernandez flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth but Tucker walked. Enrique Hernandez got a base hit to center and Alfonzo got a base hit to center to score Tucker....but Enrique was thrown out at second. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged Hernandez was safe at second but the umpires held up the call. When play resumed....Ranger Suarez asked out of the game because he didn't want to pitch anymore. He lasted just 4 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 4 hits and 2 walks. Jovani Moran came in and immediately zipped a wild pitch that moved Alfonzo to second before Ohtani hit a home run all the way back to Japan to put the Dodgers on top. Pages got a base hit to left but Rojas flied out to left to end the inning with Dodgers ahead 4-3.

                                                         "Dammit Tracy!" - RS

Monasterio flied out to right to start the top of the sixth and Duran grounded back to the mound. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Freeman got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth and finally, Brayan Bello was summoned to put the fire out. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to left and both runners moved over on a grounder to short. Tucker took strike three and Max Muncy pinch hit for Hernandez. Alfonzo grounded out to short to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as Sogard walked to start. Rafaela then clobbered his 12th home run of the year to put the Sox back on top. Abreu singled inside the bag at first but Seigler flied out to center. Yoshida beat out a roller to third and Durbin managed to beat out a bunt down the third base line to load the bases. Monasterio doubled into the left field corner to score both Abreu and Yoshida. Duran grounded back to the mound but Durbin scored to increase the lead. Narvaez was hit with a pitch but Sogard struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                            Monasterio with the killshot

Ohtani grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Pages did the same. Rojas grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Abreu walked. Seigler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Freeman got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Mr. Mookie flied out to right. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging but Kyle Tucker singled to right. Muncy grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox got a run in the top of the ninth as Yoshida got a base hit to right to start. Durbin doubled to left but Monasterio grounded out to short to chase Irvin. Evan Phillips came in and Jahmai Jones ran for Yoshida. Duran was intentionally walked to load the bases for Narvaez and Carlos hit a sac fly to center to score Jones. Sogard flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                                            Narvaez drives in a run

Bello returned to finish the bottom of the ninth and Alfonzo flied out to center to start. Ohtani grounded out to second and Pages took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                                      Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Hero Rafaela

The Good:

Willson Contreras was hit with a pitch before leaving the game.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jahmai Jones scored a run as a pinch runner.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Brayan Bello tossed 4 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 3.

Ranger Suarez allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored two runs.

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

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

What a month that was for the Sox. Not only did they have a historic run, on June 24th the Sox had the second worst record in all of baseball. As July 31st came to an end, they had the 3rd best record in the American League. The Sox have been doing it with never say die offense that fights to the end, something they didn't do the first three months of the season. Last month if they were down 4-3 to the Dodgers in the sixth inning, the game was over. Not anymore. The only concerns in this game is Chad Tracy pulling the plug on Ranger Suarez early and the health of Willson Contreras. If Contreras has a concussion, they're in BIG trouble with Curtis Mead not slated to come back until September if at all. The strange season of Brayan Bello continues as he's virtually unhittable coming out of the bullpen compared to when he starts in the first inning. If he's the modern day Dick Radatz, coming in for 3-4 innings at a time, why not? With Connelly Early traded and Garrett Crochet not coming back, the rotation is down to Sonny Gray, Patrick Sandoval, Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett. Having a guy eat up 3-4 innings to save the rookie bullets of Tolle and Bennett is crucial. The bad news was the New York Yankees knocked off the Chicago Cubs but the good news was both the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Guardians lost. The Sox now have a 3 game lead on the Guardians and Minnesota Twins although they're still 3.5 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card. With Cody Bellinger, Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton out for New York, their bubble may burst any time now. The Sox need to win one of the next two games with the Dodgers to send a message they can hang with MLB elite. The win improved the Sox to 58-51, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fourth straight game and second straight against Los Angeles tomorrow night when Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) takes on Dodgers ace Yoshinobu Yamamoto. The game begins at 9:10 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Tempers Flare as Sox Stun A's (7/30/26)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox once again rallied past the Sacramento A's to continue their scorching hot July, the bad news was once again Jarren Duran caused a scene. Before that, Sonny Gray (13-2, 2.93 ERA) might have lost his Cy Young Award bid by allowing 4 runs in 7 innings. The Sox kept it close with rbis from Andruw Monasterio and Ceddanne Rafaela off Sacramento starter Mason Barnett. In the top of the sixth, the Sox had second and third with one out and Duran hit a short fly ball to left. Willson Contreras at third wisely stayed put because the throw would have beaten him. Duran caused a scene screaming at him to run with Wilyer Abreu just looking at Duran like he had 3 heads. Speaking of which, it was back to back home runs by Abreu and Contreras to put the Sox ahead in the top of the eighth. Greg Weissert and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox had won the game 5-4 at Sutter Health Park.

                                                                Live look at Duran

Barnett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu went down hacking to end the inning. Gray got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nick Kurtz lined out to first to start. Jacob Wilson doubled to left and moved to third on the grounder to the mound by Tyler Soderstrom. Jonah Heim grounded out to first to end the inning.

Willson Contreras flied out to right to start the top of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to third. Caleb Durbin flied out to right to end the inning. Tommt White flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Lawrence Butler flied out to center. Jeff McNeil grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Andruw Monasterio flied out to right. Connor Wong took strike three to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the third as Carlos Cortes walked to start. Donovan Walton grounded back to the mound to move Cortes to second and Monasterio booted a grounder by Kurtz to put runners at the corners. Wilson got a base hit to center to score Cortes but Soderstrom grounded into a double play to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                                 A's strike first

Seigler flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abreu took strike three but Rafaela stole second. Contreras walked but Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning. The A's struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Heim doubled to center to start. White grounded out to short but Butler doubled to right to score Heim. McNeil got a base hit to right to move Butler to third but Cortes struck out swinging. Walton got a base hit to right to score Butler to increase the lead. Kurtz walked and Wilson popped up to second to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                            Walton drives in a run

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Durbin was hit with a pitch to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Durbin to third and Monasterio got a base hit to center to score Caleb. Wong struck out swinging and Seigler singled off the glove of McNeil. Rafaela doubled to left to score both runners and Walton threw the ball away to move Ceddanne to third. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Rafaela ties it up

Soderstrom lined out to left to start the bottom of the fifth and Heim grounded out to first. White lined out to center to end the inning.

Scott Blewett came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Contreras got a base hit to left to start. Yoshida got a base hit to right and Durbin dropped down a bunt to move both runners over. Duran then hit a short fly ball to left and Contreras stayed put, causing Duran to pitch a fit. Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning with Duran still mad at Chad Epperson and Willson Contreras.

                                                        "Run!!!" - Duran

The A's took command in the bottom of the sixth and Butler doubled to center to start. McNeil flied out to center to move Butler to third and Lawrence scored on the sac fly to left by Cortes. Walton took strike three to end the inning with the A's up 4-3.

                                                           A's take the lead

Wong lined out to right to start the top of the seventh and Seigler grounded out to second. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the seventh and Kurtz struck out swinging to begin. Wilson watched strike three go by and Soderstrom went down hacking to end the inning. Gray didn't have his best stuff but still battled to allow 4 runs off 7 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings.

                                                     Gray did the best he could

The Sox suddenly sprang to life in the top of the eighth with Luis Medina now on the mound. Abreu smashed his 16th home run of the year to tie the game and Contreras clobbered his 23rd home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Yoshida struck out swinging, Durbin grounded back to the mound and Duran grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                        Abreu ties it up

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Heim got a base hit to center off the glove of Abreu to start. Henry Bolte pinch ran for Heim but White grounded into a double play. Butler struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brian Serven came in to catch and Elvis Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the ninth. Monasterio struck out swinging but Wong walked. Seigler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and McNeil grounded out to thrid to start. Alika Williams pinch hit for Cortes and doubled to left before Colby Thomas pinch hit for Walton. Thomas struck out looking and Kurtz struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                          Sox win

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

                                                          Hero Contreras

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 26th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit the game tying home run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error but drove in a run & scored a run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts

Sonny Gray got the win by lasting 7 innings but allowed 4 runs off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Final Thoughts:

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the days ahead. Duran has been a headache all season and you can deal with that if a guy is hitting .300 or so like prime Manny Ramirez or 2000 Carl Everett. Duran isn't hitting .200 and at what point is he not worth it anymore? We're just days away from the trade deadline and between his outbursts against fans, shouting at teammates and hitting .200 his trade value is non-existent. Abreu and Contreras could have easily gotten in his face in the dugout but they didn't. Sox manager Chad Tracy after the game said it was a nothing burger but we'll know sooner or later if he's right. The incident overshadowed another great comeback where they rallied in the later innings. Contreras has been a hell of a trade pickup and he's inspired Abreu to be a better player as well. The two of them aren't quite as potent as David Ortiz and Manny but they've been great this year. Gray looks like he's coming back to Earth but he was still battling. Weissert and Chapman shut the door pretty good and like I mentioned yesterday, the Sox are five guys deep in the bullpen. If Chapman and Weissert are unavailable in tomorrow night's game, you still have Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Tyron Guerrero to step up. That's crucial for the final 2 months of the season if they can stay healthy.  The

Sox Knock Out A's in 10 Innings (7/29/31)

For five innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed to their second straight loss against the last place Sacramento A's. Patrick Sandoval lasted just 5 innings for the Sox allowing a Jonah Heim home run in the bottom of the second and a Lawrence Butler home run in the bottom of the fifth. The only run scored by the Sox was a Jahmai Jones home run in the top of the fifth. Then in the top of the sixth Nick Sogard drove in a run and the Red Sox bullpen stepped up big time to pitch shutout ball the rest of the way. After Aroldis Chapman (2-3, 1.77 ERA) finished the ninth, Andruw Monasterio blasted a 2 run home run in the top of the tenth to put the Sox on top. Greg Weissert struck out two of the three guys he faced to get the save and the Sox had won this one 4-2 in 10 innings at Sutter Health Park.

                                                             Sapphire approves of the win

Lopez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jahmai Jones walked to start Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu popped up to third, but Willson Contreras walked. Caleb Durbin popped up to third to end the inning. Sandoval got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson flied out to center to start. Nick Kurtz was hit with a pitch and moved to second on the Tommy White grounder back to the mound. Tyler Soderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jeff McNeil came in for Kurtz to start the top of the second and Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to right and Nick Sogard struck out swinging. Connor Wong popped up to second to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second as Jonah Heim hit a home run all the way to Washington DC to start. Colby Thomas struck out swinging but Henry Bolte walked. Bolte was thrown out at second trying to steal but Lawrence Butler walked. Alika Williams forced Butler at second to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                      Heim jacks one

Jones struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abreu lined out to left and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Wilson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and McNeil lined out to center. White struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Gonzalez popped up to short. Monasterio got a base hit to left and Sogard got a base hit to right to load the bases. Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning. Soderstrom struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Heim singled to right. Thomas popped up to second and Bolte struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Jones smashed his fourth home run of the season to start. Rafaela struck out swinging and Abreu did the same. Contreras went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Jones ties it up

The A's finished off Sandoval in the bottom of the fifth as Butler hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to start. Williams lined out to left but Wilson got a base hit to center. McNeil got a base hit to right but White struck out swinging. Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning with the A's up 2-1. Yeoman's effort from Sandoval to hold the A's to 2 runs in 5 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Sandoval goes five innings

The Sox fought back in the top of the sixth as Durbin got a base hit to left to start. Gonzalez flied out to right and that was it for Lopez. Hayden Juenger came in to pitch and Monasterio popped up to short. Sogard got a base hit to center to score Durbin to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Wong and grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Sogard drives in the tying run

Carlos Narvaez took over behind the plate with Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero now on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. Heim popped up to third to start and Carlos Cortes pinch hit for Thomas. Cortes struck out swinging and Thomas grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Jarren Duran pinch hit for Jones to start the top of the seventh and flied out to center. Rafaela doubled to center then moved to third on the Abreu grounder to first. Contreras walked to chase Juenger. Elvis Alvarado came in to pitch and Durbin walked to load the bases. Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Butler lined out to left to start. Donovan Walton pinch hit for Williams and flied out to center. Monasterio threw a ball away by Wilson for an error and McNeil singled to right to move Wilson to third. McNeil stole second but White struck out swinging to end the inning.

Monasterio was plunked to start the top of the eighth and took second on a balk. Sogard and Narvaez both struck out swinging to chase Alvarado. Brady Basso came in to get Duran to ground out to first to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Soderstrom flied out to left to start. Heim got a base hit to center but Cortes took strike three. Bolte forced Heim at second to end the inning.

Rafaela took strike three to start the top of the ninth and Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras singled to left and Durbin did the same. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Butler doubled to center to start. Walton dropped down a bunt to move Butler to third but Wilson struck out swinging. McNeil struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jose Suarez came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Gonzalez starting at second base. Monasterio clobbered his sixth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Sogard popped up to second, Narvaez flied out to center and Duran lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                           Sox take the lead

Greg Weissert came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with McNeil starting at second base. White took strike three, Soderstrom struck out swinging and Heim flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Andruw Monasterio. His 2 run home run put the Sox ahead for good.

                                                               Hero Monasterio

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Caleb Durbin was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Patrick Sandoval allowed just 2 runs in 5 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Greg Weissert earned his first save of the season with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

This has been a hell of a month and Sox fans don't want it to end. Just one month ago if other teams had the lead after 5 innings the game was over. Now they win games no matter what inning it is. Not only that, entrusting Greg Weissert with a man on base was suicide and now he gets them 1-2-3. The Sox with Weissert, Whitlock, Chapman, Slaten and Guerrero are five men deep and if Chad Tracy lets the starters go past 6 innings with a lead, the game is essentially over. Alex Cora used to burn the bullpen every single season by yanking guys after 5 and using the same 2 or 3 guys until they had nothing left. If Tracy wants to avoid a similar collapse (2021, 2023, 2024), he needs to trust his starters and rotate the bullpen. As for this game, 2 months ago everyone wanted Sox GM Craig Breslow fired for trading Kyle Harrison for Anthony Seigler, Durbin and Monasterio (and Owen Hull). Now Monasteiro is getting big hits in the later innings and Durbin went from hitting .166 on May 17 to .244 tonight. The team believes they can win and they're locked in. The bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays won but the good news is the New York Yankees lost. The Sox trimmed a 15 game lead on June 24 down to 4.5 and Yankee fans are starting to get rattled. This would be hilarious if the Sox pulled a reverse 1978. Hopefully the Sox can pull that off. The win improved the Sox to 56-51, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow night against the A's when Sonny Gray (12-2) takes on Mason Barnett of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM at Sutter Health Field.

Sox Rally Falls Short in Sacramento (7/28/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some grim roster moves. It was revealed Curtis Mead fractured his wrist and will be out the rest of the season proving this franchise is cursed again. Gave up the career of Connelly Early for 2 at-bats of Curtis Mead. Nick Sogard was called up to replace him but since they didn't want to pay for a cross country flight last second, he won't even be available until Wednesday's game at least. In other news, the Portland Sea Dogs released Raudelis Martinez. The 24 year old catcher was picked up in the Rule 5 draft last year and hit .262 with 1 home run as a backup. Doesn't seem like he was failing hard but, oh well.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, sometimes games are decided by one swing of the bat but in tonight's game it was two. The Sacramento A's knocked off the Red Sox when Jake Bennett (6-4, 2.74 ERA) was tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball but a Brian Serven two run home run seemingly put the game out of reach. The Sox got a run back on a Wilyer Abreu rbi against Gage Jump but the A's got another run off Ryan Watson. Game over right? Not so fast. The Sox rallied in the ninth when Connor Wong belted a 2 run shot and Anthony Seigler hit a rocket that would have been a home run....if Henry Bolte didn't leap up and catch it for the final out. Had that ball been 5 feet higher the Sox might have won, instead they fell 4-3 to the A's at Sutter Health Park.

                                                     "The Sox lost again"

Jump got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jahmai Jones doubled to left to start. Romy Gonzalez popped up to first but Willson Contreras walked. Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bennett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson grounded out to third to start. Nick Kurtz flied out to right and Jonah Heim grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Caleb Durbin got a base hit to right. Durbin stole second but Jarren Duran took strike three. Andruw Monasterio walked but Carlos Narvaez took strike three to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second as Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to short to start. Tommy White got a base hit inside the bag at third then took second on a sacrifice bunt by Colby Thomas. Henry Bolte got a base hit to center to score White to put the A's up for good just two innings into it. Alika Williams flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                          Bolte puts the A's on top

Jones grounded out to second to start the top of the third but Gonzalez walked. Contreras grounded into a double play to end the inning. Serven grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Wilson grounded out to third. Kurtz grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Abreu flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Rafaela grounded out to third. Durbin flied out to right to end the inning. Heim popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Soderstrom took strike three. White singled to right but Thomas flied out to left to end the inning.

Duran caught Kurtz asleep with a bunt to start the top of the fifth but naturally got picked off. Monasterio struck out swinging but Narvaez walked. Jones took strike three to end the inning. Bolte reached on a bunt single to third to start the bottom of the fifth but Williams flied out to right. Bolte swiped second but Severn took strike three. Wilson flied out to right to end the inning.

Gonzalez struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth and Contreras did the same. Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. Kurtz was called for strike three to start the bottom of the sixth but Heim walked. Soderstrom struck out swinging but White singled to center. Thomas grounded out to short to end the inning.

Luis Medina came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela took second on the sacrifice bunt by Durbin but, naturally, Duran struck out swinging and Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning. The A's iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Bolte walked to start. Williams dropped down a bunt to move him to second but Serven hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to put the game out of reach. That was it for Bennett who pitched well but that last home run killed his outing. He went 6 1/3 allowing 6 hits, 2 walks and 3 runs. Jovani Moran came in to pitch to Wilson and Jacob doubled to left. Kurtz took strike three but Wilson stole second. Heim lined out to second to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                      Bennett deserved better

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez and got a base hit to right. Anthony Seigler pinch hit for Jones and walked.....only for Gonzalez to ground into a double play. Contreras walked to chase Medina. Hogan Harris came in to face Abreu and Wilyer got a base hit to right to score Yoshida. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                          Abreu doesn't want to give up

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Connor Wong now behind the plate. Soderstrom was retired on a tapper in front of the plate but White got a base hit to left. Lawrence Butler pinch hit for Thomas and doubled to center to score White. Bolte flied out to right to move Butler to third but Williams grounded out to short to end the inning with the A's up 4-1.

                                                           A's with the dagger

Durbin took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Duran singled off the glove of Bolte. Monasterio took strike three but Wong somehow belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Seigler then hit a ball deep out to center but Bolte reached up and grabbed it to end the game. The Sox missed a game tying home run by 5 feet as the A's won 4-3.

                                                              Missed it by THAT much

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Watson. He allowed a run in the eighth inning that proved to be the difference in the game.

                                                             Jackass Watson

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 1 for 3.

Anthony Seigler walked as a pinch hitter and missed the game tying home run by 5 feet.

Willson Contreras walked twice in four plate appearances.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez walked in two plate appearances.

Masataka Yoshida singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong hit a 2 run home run in his only at-bat.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Jake Bennett was solid going 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Jovani Moran got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Monasterio was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The loss of Curtis Mead stings already because once again the Sox struggled to score runs against a last place team. The Sox have been on such a roll this month that a lot of fans expected that Seigler ball would go out. Just one month ago nobody even thought they would score a run. Still, they couldn't hit Jump and rallied way too late. Watson picked a bad time to give up a run and Bennett made just one mistake to Serven. We're less than a week away from the trade deadline and the question becomes, does Breslow go all in to make a move for another bat or does he sit back and wait & pray Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Curtis Mead come back healthy? With Story at short, Anthony in left and Mead at second, that puts Seigler & Monasterio as defensive replacements and most likely Duran is DFA'd. You can't hit .199 at this level in the middle of a pennant race. He's either got to pick it up like Durbin did or he's dog food. The worst part is the Tampa Bay Rays lost so the Sox missed an opportunity to gain a game on them. Just have to come back stronger in the next two games. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-51, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Rays when Patrick Sandoval goes for the Sox against Jacob Lopez of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM eastern time at Sutter Health Park.

Rafaela, Sox Slam A's (7/27/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Tsung Che-Cheng was sent back to Worcester to make room for Curtis Mead. Mead would be starting at second base moving forward. Cheng was a fun sparkplug during that 15 game win streak but now they need true power.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the bad news was Curtis Mead lasted just two at-bats as a member of the Red Sox as he took a 99 mph fastball to the wrist in his second at-bat. Leaving the game and probably won't be seen again until Spring Training next year. The good news Ceddanne Rafaela and the Boston pitching staff was up to the task against the Sacramento A's. Payton Tolle (6-6, 3.32 ERA) gave up two solo home runs but not much else in 5 1/3 gutty innings. In the top of the sixth with the A's leading 1-0, Ceddanne Rafaela belted a grand slam to put the Sox on top. The red hot Boston bullpen relieved Tolle in the bottom of the inning and didn't give up a run after. 2 men got on in the bottom of the ninth, but Aroldis Chapman struck out the final two batters. The Sox now wait on the status of Curtis Mead but they at least won tonight's game 4-2 at Sutter Health Park.

                                                   Raquel Rodriguez approves of the win

Jack Perkins got the ball in the top of the first inning and Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Curtis Mead took strike three and Willson Contreras flied out to left. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacob Wilson grounded out to third to start. Tyler Soderstrom then hit a home run all the way back to Oakland to put the A's on top. Jonah Heim took strike three but Colby Thomas singled to center. Tommy White grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                          Soderstrom hits one out

Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to short to start the top of the second and Caleb Durbin took strike three. Jarren Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Jeff McNeil singled to left to start the bottom of the second but Henry Bolte forced him at second. Alika Williams got a base hit to left but Bolte was thrown out at third trying to steal. Lawrence Butler grounded out to short to end the inning.

Andruw Monasterio walked to start the top of the third but Connor Wong grounded into a double play. Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. Wilson grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third but Soderstrom walked. Heim and Thomas both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Disaster struck in the top of the fourth as Mead was hit in the wrist with a pitch to start. Contreras struck out swinging, Abreu popped up to second and Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. 

                                  "HABOOOOOWOWOWOWOWWWWW!!!!!" - Mead

White grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and McNeil hit one up the elevator shaft. Monasterio booted a grounder by Bolte but Williams struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Duran struck out swinging. Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning. All of a sudden Mead had to be helped into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU, so much for him. Anthony Seigler came in for him to start the bottom of the fifth as Butler struck out swinging to start. Wilson struck out swinging and Soderstrom grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the sixth as Wong doubled to left to start. Yoshida grounded back to the mound but Seigler grounded out to second to move Wong to third. Contreras walked and that was it for Perkins. Jose Suarez came in and Abreu walked as well. Suddenly Rafaela smashed a grand slam just over the wall in left to put the Sox on top. Durbin hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      Rafaela's first career grand slam

The A's finished off Tolle in the bottom of the sixth as Heim hit a home run to South America to start. Thomas struck out swinging and that was it for Payton. He allowed 2 runs off 5 hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and White grounded out to first. McNeil grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's down 4-2.

                                                              Tolle did his best

Elvis Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox fumbled and bumbled big time. Monasterio led off with a double only for Wong to pop up a bunt to first and Andruw getting thrown out at third trying to steal. To add insult to injury, Yoshida got a base hit to center which would have scored Monasterio. Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning, what a waste. Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bolte struck out swinging to start. Williams lined out to left but Butler took strike three to end the inning.

Hayden Juenger came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Contreras was hit with a pitch to start. Abreu popped up to third, Rafaela lined out to right and Durbin flied out to left to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jacob Wilson grounded out to first to start. Soderstrom grounded out to second and Heim took strike three to end the inning.

Hogan Harris came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran lined out to third to start. Monasterio struck out swinging and Wong flied out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Thomas singled in the hole at short to start. White struck out swinging and Nick Kurtz pinch hit for McNeil. Kurtz hit what should have been a game ending double play ball to Seigler....booted for an error. Donovan Walton came in to run for Kurtz but Bolte struck out swinging. Williams also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His first career grand slam propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                       Our Hero gets the Wally Head

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Curtis Mead was hit with a pitch before leaving with an injury.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Payton Tolle got the win by allowing just 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk.

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

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 25th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was certainly good news, bad news for sure. For all we know Mead could be out for the season with a wrist fracture and Connelly Early wins NL rookie of the year with Washington. Or, he just suffered a bruise and he'll be back tomorrow. The defense in this one wasn't up to snuff with Monasterio and Seigler booting grounders and Tolle might be at the rookie wall. Also apart from one swing of the bat by Rafaela, the offense accomplished nothing. Monasterio getting thrown out stealing third, Wong popping up a bunt and guys swinging at air against Jack Perkins reminded fans of April and May. The other side of the coin is the pitching was once again great. Jovani Moran stepped up big time in the seventh to bridge the game to Whitlock and Chapman. Chapman lately has a problem allowing baserunners but manages to get the final outs when he has to. It was a sloppy game but a win is a win. The Cleveland Guardians got rained out and the Tampa Bay Rays didn't play so the Sox gained a half game on both. The New York Yankees knocked off the Chicago White Sox so the Red Sox are now tied with Chicago for the third best record in the American League. Literally just over a month ago the Red Sox were percentage points ahead of the Colorado Rockies for the second worst record in all of baseball and now they have the third best record in the American League. This has been a hell of a comeback and hopefully Tracy's Turnaround continues. If Mead is okay, then we can laugh at this and move on. If not, this might be what get Craig Breslow fired in the end. The win improved the Sox to 55-50, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for their third straight win and second in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) takes on Gage Jump of Sacramento. The game begins at 9:40 PM eastern time at Sutter Health Park.