Gilbert, Mariners Shut Down Sox (6/21/26)

Who needs momentum when you're the 2026 Boston Red Sox? After looking great the past two games, the Sox crashed down to Earth in today's loss to the Seattle Mariners. Logan Gilbert held the Sox to one measly run and just 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Payton Tolle (3-5, 3.08 ERA) tossed six solid innings but got tagged for 3 runs. Dominic Canzone homered for Seattle but Nate Eaton countered with an upper deck shot for Boston. Young and Canzone drove in runs against Tolle but the Sox bats went silent again. They had just 5 hits as a team as they dropped to 0-41 when trailing after 8 innings and 0-31 when trailing by multiple runs 3-1 at T-Mobile Park.

                                                               0-41 trailing after 8

Gilbert got the ball in the top of the first and Anthony Seigler took a 98 mph fastball right down the middle to start. Ceddanne Rafaela stuck his bat out and beat out a roller to second. Mickey Gasper popped up to first on the first pitch he saw but Rafaela swiped second. Willson Contreras swung and strike three in the dirt to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and JP Crawford lined out to first to start. Cal Raleigh popped up to first and Julio Rodriguez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Jarren Duran led off the top of the second with a grounder to first and Caleb Durbin struck out swinging. Marcelo Mayer also went down hacking to end the inning. Josh Naylor flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Rob Refsnyder popped up to first. Dominic Canzone hit a home run all the way to Cuba to put the Mariners on top. Victor Robles took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0.

                                                           Canzone hits one out

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Connor Wong grounded out to short to start. Somehow Nate Eaton pounded his first home run of the season to tie the game. Seigler flied out to center and Rafaela grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. 

                                                        Eaton ties it

Weston grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the third and Young grounded out to first. Crawford grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Gasper walked to start the top of the fourth but Contreras grounded into a double play. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Raleigh struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Rodriguez walked. Naylor walked but Refsnyder grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Durbin blooped a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth but immediately got picked off. Mayer struck out swinging and Wong popped up to short to end the inning. The Mariners took command in the bottom of the fifth as Canzone lined out to right to start. Robles flied out to left but Weston got a base hit to left. Wesson stole second and scored on the Young base hit to left. Crawford caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line but Raleigh forced him at second to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-1.

                                                            Seattle goes up for good

Eaton walked to start the top of the sixth and took second on a wild pitch. Seigler struck out swinging and Eaton ran all the way home on a liner to center by Rafaela, getting doubled off second to end the inning. Rodriguez got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Naylor flied out to center but Mayer went OLE on a grounder by Refsnyder to put runners on the corners. Canzone grounded out to short to score Rodriguez to ice the game. Robles flied out to left to end the inning with the Mariners up 3-1. That was it for Tolle after just 79 pitches allowing 3 runs in 6 innings.

                                                            "How about some runs?" - PT

Luke Raley came in for Canzone to start the top of the seventh and Gasper hit a routine grounder to first. Naylor threw low and Gilbert fell down making the play for an error. Contreras struck out swinging and that was it for Gilbert. Gabe Speier came in to face Duran amd Jarren naturally struck out swinging. Durbin doubled to left and Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Mayer. Naturally he struck out swinging to end the inning. Danny Coulolmbe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wilson grounded out to third to start. Young popped up to short but Crawford walked. Raleigh flied out to left to end the inning. 

Old pal Eduard Bazardo came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Wong. Yoshida flied out to left, Eaton took strike three and Seigler grounded out to second to end the inning. Carlos Narvaez took over behind the plate with Ryan Watson now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Rodriguez lined out to first and Naylor struck out swinging. Colt Emerson pinch hit for Refsnyder and took strike three to end the inning. 

Andres Munoz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Gasper got a base hit to right but Contreras struck out swinging. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Mariners had won it 3-1.

                                                              Mariners win

Jackass of The Night is Willson Contreras. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts, leaving multiple men on base.

                                                       Jackass Contreras

The Good:

Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 3.

Nate Eaton was 1 for 2 with a home run and a walk.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Payton Tolle tossed six solid innings allowing just 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Andruw Monasterio struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Carlos Narvaez caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Sox put together two competent wins in a row but fall flat in their face today. Granted, Logan Gilbert is damn good but the fact is they're putting out utility players such as Seigler, Eaton and Gasper in the every day lineup due to injuries and incompetence. The Sox can't possibly get any momentum going with their lack of offense. Until Sox GM Craig Breslow makes a trade or calls up someone like Kristian Campbell or Mikey Romero, they won't be a winner. Fans want to tell the whole team and who can blame them? Now it appears Willson Contreras is losing it mentally and its come out Carlos Narvaez hasn't been playing well because he's going through an embarrassing public breakup. Think Troy O'Leary in 2000. Its all adding up to a lost season and maybe the best thing Breslow can do is play for next year. Garrett Crochet & Ranger Suarez when healthy with another year of maturity from Connelly Early and Payton Tolle gives the Sox a four man punch that will be tough to beat. This year appears to be a washout a month out from the trade deadline. Do we event want Breslow to take charge of yet another rebuild? The loss dropped the Sox to 31-44, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Colorado for a three game set with the equally terrible Rockies. Jake Bennett (1-3, 4.79 ERA) takes on Ryan Feltner of Colorado. The game begins tomorrow night at 8:40 PM eastern time at Coors Field.

Early, Sox Beat Mariners (6/20/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been placed on the Injured List with forearm inflammation and the Sox called up Kristian Campbell to take his place.....just kidding. They called up Anthony Seigler and fans are throwing their hands up wondering what's the point of Campbell and Mikey Romero being in Worcester if they're not going to be used. Just more mismanagement by the management.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have won two in a row. They did it with clutch hits and timely pitching. Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) bounced back from his recent struggles to shut down the Seattle Mariners. He hit 3 batters and walked two, but allowed just two hits and a run in six solid innings. After allowing a run in the first, the Sox took the lead on a 2 run home run by Wilyer Abreu in the fourth. Then the Sox rallied for three runs in the top of the sixth highlighted by clutch hits from the resurging Caleb Durbin and the much maligned Marcelo Mayer. A trio of relievers with Danny Coulombe being the final one slammed the door as the Sox took this one 6-1 at T-Mobile Park.

                                                 Poncho Woody approves of the win

Hancock got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler took strike three right down the middle to start. Masataka Yoshida flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. The Mariners got to Early in the bottom of the first as JP Crawford walked to start. Raleigh singled to left and Julio Rodriguez beat out a double play ball. Josh Naylor got a base hit to center to score Crawford, putting the Mariners up. Rodriguez was thrown out at third trying to steal and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0.

                                                             Naylor drives in a run

As usual the Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Willson Contreras flied out to center to start. Jarren Duran lined out to third and Caleb Durbin popped up to first to end the inning. Cole Young was plunked to start the bottom of the second and Mitch Garver took strike three. Connor Joe grounded into a double play. Colt Emerson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Marcelo Mayer took strike three to open the top of the third and Carlos Narvaez watched strike three go by. Nate Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning. Crawford flied out to left to start the bottom of the third and Raleigh walked. Rodriguez flied out to right and Naylor forced Raleigh at second to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the fourth as Seigler got a base hit to left to start. Yoshida took strike three right down the middle but Abreu blasted his ninth home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Contreras struck out swinging and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                              Kiss that one goodbye

Refsnyder grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Young struck out swinging. Garver also went down hacking to end the inning.

Durbin got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth but naturally Mayer grounded into a double play. Joe dropped a routine pop up by Narvaez for an error to put Carlos at second but Eaton popped up to first to end the inning. Joe struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Emerson did the same. Crawford flied out to center to end the inning.

Seigler grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth but Yoshida got a base hit to right. Yoshida stole second and Abreu walked before a wild pitch moved both runners over. Contreras walked to load the bases and chase Hancock from the game. Jose Ferrer came in to pitch and naturally Duran forced Yoshida at home. Somehow Ferrer bounced a wild pitch that scored Abreu to increase the lead. Durbin then beat out a roller to short to score Contreras and Mayer beat out a roller to second to score Duran. Durbin stole third but kept going and was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                             Durbin gets it done

Raleigh grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Rodriguez was plunked. Naylor struck out swinging but Rodriguez stole second. Refsnyder was also hit with a pitch but Young flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Early who allowed just 1 run in 6 innings off 2 hits, 2 walks and 3 hit batsmen.

                                                            Early with the big lift

Nick Davila came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Narvaez walked to start. Eaton walked but Sox manager Chad Tracy refused to bunt, allowing Seigler to strike out swinging. Yoshida beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Abreu flied out to center to end the inning. Tyron Guerrero came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Andruw Monasterio came in for Seigler. Luke Railey pinch hit for Garver and struck out swinging. Dominic Canzone pinch hit for Joe and lined out to second. Emerson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Michael Rucker came in to pitch the top of the eighth and he hit Contreras to start. Duran struck out swinging and Durbin forced Contreras at second. Durbin swiped second but Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Crawford popped up to short to start. Raleigh struck out swinging and Rodriguez lined out to right to end the inning.

Former Sox prospect Alex Hoppe came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Narvaez struck out swinging to start. Eaton struck out swinging and Monasterio lined out to right to end the inning.

                                              Traded for a guy hitting .217 in Single A

Danny Coulombe came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Naylor grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder lined out to center and Young popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-1.

                                                                       Sox win

Hero of The Night is Connelly Early. He held the Mariners to just 1 run in 6 innings to get the win.

                                                             Connelly Hero

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Willson Contreras walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 stolen bases.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error but scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Nate Eaton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Some day there will be a book written about the 2026 Red Sox season where they explain how the Sox are a completely different team on the road than at home. The pitching is good wherever they go but the offense has come alive in the last two games. Not just driving in runs but driving in runs with 2 outs and/or runners in scoring position. Both Durbin and Mayer both came through in the clutch and most fans thought the game was over when they were down 1-0. Abreu's two run shot and Early's strong start turned the tide in this one and the rest of the team pitched in. If word comes out that Craig Breslow has something to do with the Sox being terrible at home, he can't be fired fast enough. Fans are already talking about trading everyone in sight and the 35 year old Guerrero pumping in 101 on the black will turn some heads for sure. Still, if certain guys get healthy and certain guys stay hot, the season isn't over yet. A nice win streak would help. The win improved the Sox to 31-43, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Mariners out of Seattle tomorrow afternoon when Peyton Tolle (3-4, 2.93 ERA) takes on Mariners ace Logan Gilbert. The game begins at 4:05 PM eastern time at T-Mobile Park.

Suarez, Sox Drop Mariners (6/19/26)

The Boston Red Sox may be awful this year but for whatever reason they play a lot better on the road. Ranger Suarez (3-3, 2.93 ERA) had a no-hitter through six innings and left after 6 2/3 shutout innings. Meanwhile the Sox bats woke up as Caleb Durbin belted a home run and Marcelo Mayer drove in three runs as well. Carlos Narvaez added a sac fly and Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch to pace the offense. Suarez left the bases loaded but Justin Slaten escaped the seventh inning jam. Tommy Kahnle gave up a two run home run to Julio Rodriguez in the bottom of the ninth but suffered no further damage. The Red Sox had snapped their losing streak with a 6-2 victory over the Mariners at T-Mobile Park.

                                                     Alex Freeman approves of the win

Miller got the ball in the top of the first and Mickey Gasper flied out to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center and Wilyer Abreu did the same to end the inning. Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and old friend Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Cal Raleigh struck out swinging and Julio Rodriguez also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start. Jarren Duran also struck out swinging but Caleb Durbin launched his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Durbin does it again

Josh Naylor took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Dominic Canzone went down hacking. Cole Young grounded out to second to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to begin the top of the third but Andruw Monasterio singled to left. Gasper grounded into a double play to end the inning. Victor Robles flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Colt Emerson grounded out to second. Weston Wilson flied out to left to end the inning.

Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Abreu got a base hit to right. Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal and Contreras grounded out to short to end the inning. Refsnyder grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Raleigh walked. Rodriguez took strike three and Naylor lined out to second to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Durbin did the same. Mayer grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Canzone grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fifth and Young grounded out to second. Robles flied out to left to end the inning.

Luis Castillo came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Narvaez struck out swinging to start. Monasterio took strike three and Gasper flied out to left to end the inning. Emerson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Wilson flied out to left. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning and Suarez had a no-hitter going.

Rafaela doubled to right to start the top of the seventh and moved to third on the Abreu liner to center. Somehow Castillo uncorked a wild pitch and Rafaela scored to increase the lead. Contreras got a base hit to center, Duran got a base hit to left and Durbin also got a base hit to left to load the bases. As usual Mayer....GOT A BASE HIT TO RIGHT! Canzone was so shocked Mayer did something he threw the ball away to allow both Contreras and Duran to score, moving the remaining runners over. Narvaez hit a sac fly to center to score Durbin but Monasterio flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                         Mayer drives in a run

Raleigh walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Rodriguez flied out to center. Naylor broke up the no-no with a double to the right field wall but Canzone grounded back to the mound. Young walked to load the bases and chase Suarez. Ranger ran out of gas but he tossed 6 2/3 innings allowing just one hit while walking three. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to face pinch hitter JP Crawford and struck him out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Outstanding start by Suarez

Connor Joe came in for Crawford to start the top of the eighth and Gasper grounded out to first to start. Rafaela struck out swinging and Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Emerson lined out to short to start. Wilson grounded out to short and Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the ninth although Contreras flied out to right to start. Duran struck out swinging but Durbin doubled to center. Mayer doubled to left to score Durbin but Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                          Another rbi from Mayer

Tommy Kahnle came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Raleigh walked to start. Naturally Rodriguez belted a home run into the Pacific Ocean to cut the lead. Canzone struck out swinging and Young popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

Hero of The Night is Ranger Suarez. He allowed just 1 hit in 6 2/3 shutout innings while walking 3.

                                                                Hero Suarez

The Good:

Caleb Durbin was 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3.

Justin Slaten struck out the only batter he faced.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Mickey Gasper was 0 for 4.

Tommy Kahnle allowed a 2 run home run in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

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

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Why can't the Sox play the rest of their games on the road? They play a lot better for whatever reason. The sad part is THIS is what Sox GM Craig Breslow was hoping for with the young guns Mayer, Durbin and Narvaez driving in runs with Suarez pitching well. The sad part is Durbin's hot streak has his batting average at .203 and Duran is down to .210. Mayer is .222 and Narvaez is .202. That's pretty much four automatic outs and you can't win with that. Still, for one night the sophomores got it done. Suarez had a no-hitter going for 6 2/3 and if it wasn't for Kahnle, it would have been another shutout win. The rumors are swirling of who's going to get traded but winning cures everything. It would be nice to see them go on a win streak but they're allergic to momentum. The win improved the Sox to 30-43, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in row tomorrow night in Seattle when Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) looks to get back on track against Emerson Hancock. The game begins at 10:10 PM at T-Mobile Park.

Jays Sweep Chapman, Sox (6/18/26)

Once again the Boston Red Sox found a new way to lose in 2026. The team that was winless when trailing by 3 runs and trailing after 8 innings remained that way as the Jays rallied late to drop them on their fourth straight loss. The Jays got to Sonny Gray for 3 runs in 7 innings while the Sox amounted nothing against Trey Yesavage the first six innings. The Sox scratched out a run in the bottom of the seventh and from out of nowhere got back to back jacks by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin to tie the game. Only for indomitable closer Aroldis Chapman (0-2, 0.83 ERA) to allow an rbi double by Brandon Valenzuela to put the Jays ahead in the top of the ninth. The 0-39 Sox after 8 innings went quietly in the ninth to drop to 0-40, lose the game and get swept by the Jays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    0-40 when trailing after 8 innings

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and George Springer struck out swinging to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to put the Jays up just two batters into the game. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to first but Yohendrick Pinango walked. Ernie Clement flied out to left to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                Jays up early again

Yesavage got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Gasper hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to second and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Nathan Lukes grounded out to first to start the top of the second but Kazuma Okamoto doubled to left. Brandon Valenzuela got a base hit to right to move Okamoto to third and Kazuma scored on the sac fly to left by Andres Gimenez. Springer doubled to left but Guerrero Jr grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                          Jays get another run

Willson Contreras grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Isiah Kiner-Falefa popped up to second to end the inning.

Sanchez flied out to center to start the top of the third and Pinango popped up to third. Clement lined out to left to end the inning. Caleb Durbin flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Connor Wong struck out swinging. Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lukes flied out to center to start the top of the fourth and Okamoto grounded out to third. Valenzuela 

took strike three to end the inning. Gasper pounded a ground rule double down the right field line to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela dropped down a bunt to move Mickey to third. Naturally Abreu popped up to center and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning as the crowd booed.

Gimenez grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Springer grounded out to short. Guerrero Jr grounded out to short as well to end the inning. Duran lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Kiner hit one up the elevator shaft. Durbin popped up to second to end the inning.

Sanchez got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth and moved the second on the Pinango grounder to first. Clement hit a roller to short and Sanchez was thrown out at third. Clement was picked off to end the inning. Bad baserunning. Wong took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Monasterio popped up to first. Gasper flied out to center to end the inning.

The Jays finished off Gray in the top of the seventh as Lukes hit a home run all the way to Cleveland to start. Okamoto struck out swinging, Valenzuela flied out to center and Gimenez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0. That was it for Gray who allowed 3 runs in 7 innings, normally that would be good enough to win.

                                                      Gray deserved better

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the seventh as Rafaela doubled to left to start. Abreu lined out to right to move Ceddanne to third and Contreras grounded out to short to score Rafaela. Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                                Sox get on the board

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Springer got a base hit to right to start. Guerrero Jr flied out to right and Sanchez struck out swinging, but Pinango doubled to center. Springer came around but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Davis Schneider came in for Sanchez, Myles Straw took over for Pinango and Kiner somehow launched his second home run of the year to start the bottom of the eighth. Durbin then went back to back with his fourth home run of the season to tie the game. Wong grounded out to short and that was it for Yesavage. Tommy Nance came in and Monasterio flied out to right. Gasper got a single in the hole at short and Nate Eaton ran for him. Eaton stole second to put the go-ahead run at second....but Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                          Durbin ties it up

Aroldis Chapman came in to blow the game in the top of the ninth as Clement got a base hit past the mound to start. Lukes popped up a bunt to Wong and Okamoto struck out swinging. Valenzuela then hit one up the elevator shaft.....NO! Wong dropped the ball and Valenzuela was given new life. Naturally he doubled high off the monster to score Clement all the way to first to suck the life out of the park. Gimenez popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-3.

                                                             Brandon watches it go

The Sox were 0-31 when trailing by 3 runs and 0-39 when trailing after eight innings going into the bottom of the ninth with Mason Fluharty now on the mound. Abreu flied out to center, Contreras grounded out to third and Duran popped up to third to end the game. Opposing closers were now 40 for 40 against the Sox as the Jays won 4-3.

                                                             Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Connor Wong. He dropped an easy pop up that would have ended the ninth inning, instead the Jays took the lead.

                                                              Jackass Wong

The Good:

Mickey Gasper was 2 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Sonny Gray tossed 7 solid innings allowed 3 runs off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Aroldis Chapman took the loss by allowing a run in the ninth.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Nate Eaton ran for Gasper in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Bad teams find a way to lose and the Red Sox do it every day. The Sox hadn't won a game when trailing by 3 or in the ninth all year and they were just about to pull it off. They somehow rallied down 3-0 to tie the game and had 2 outs in the top of the ninth....and Wong drops an easy pop up followed by a rare Chapman blown save. Why Sox GM Craig Breslow still has a job is beyond anyone's rational thinking. The Sox roll over and die in the ninth every single game and its an organizational failure. Opposing pitchers are pounding the strike zone at will because this team doesn't hit home runs. That's why they rarely draw a walk because pitchers don't have to be afraid. Kiner and Durbin tagging Yesavage was the aberration instead of the normal. Any other GM would be making trades or bringing up rookies from AAA to give them a shot to create a spark. Breslow literally puts his hands behind his head and watches every single game. This is one of the worst teams in Sox history and its all on him now. Can't use Rafael Devers or Alex Cora as a boogeyman anymore. John Henry, Sam Kennedy and Craig Breslow should all face their shame. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-43, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Seattle for a three game set with the Mariners out west. Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.21 ERA) takes on Bryce Miller of the Mariners. The game begins at 10:10 PM eastern time at T-Mobile Park.

Off-Day News: 2023 MLB Draft Revisited (6/15/26)

Ex-Boston Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom was sent packing in September 2023 after an epic collapse that sank the team into last place. Bloom's inactivity at the trade deadline was one of the big reasons why. Still, he did leave the Sox with one last draft that would somewhat pan out. Let's take a look at how the class of 2023 is doing three years later.

1st Round - C Kyle Teel

One of the bright sides of finishing in last place in 2022 was the Sox got the 14th overall pick. The Sox scored when they took Virginia University catcher Kyle Teel. The word on him was he had a major league ready bat right away and they weren't kidding. Teel hit .363 with 2 home runs in 26 games for the Florida Complex Sox, Greenville Drive and Portland Sea Dogs to end the 2023 season. In 2024, he was part of the "Goldust Trio" with Marcello Mayer and Roman Anthony in Portland and the Worcester Red Sox hitting .288 with 13 home runs. Then came the trade. The Red Sox sent Teel, Chase Meidrorth, Wikelman Gonzalez and Braden Montgomery to the Chicago White Sox for ace Garrett Crochet in December 2024. Teel made his ML debut with the White Sox in 2025 hitting .273 with 8 home runs. Unfortunately he hasn't played this year due to injuries but when he comes back, he's going to be a terror for years. Meanwhile Crochet has barely pitched this year and might get shoulder surgery. Either way this was a slam dunk for Bloom for sure.

2nd Round - SS Nazzan Zanetello

And on the opposite end of the spectrum, we get another spectacular whiff in the second round. For the fourth year in a row, the Red Sox took a high school shortstop in the top 50 when they took Nazzan Zanetello 50th overall. He hit a pathetic .156 for the Salem Red Sox in 2024 and just .173 for Greenville in 2025. He had 2 hits in 18 at-bats this year before being put on the Injured List. Quite simply this guy can't hit, at all. Even a utility infielder can hit .200. Worse yet, five guys drafted after Zanetello in the second round made the majors so far including the Seattle Mariners' Ben Williamson. One of the reasons Chaim Bloom is no longer the GM is botching too many top draft picks. This was one of them.

3rd Round - SS Antonio Anderson

Wait, you think Chaim Bloom was done botching top picks? Oh ho ho, sit down son. Learning nothing about drafting nothing but high school shortstops, Bloom said "HOW ABOUT ANOTHER ONE??" In the third round the Sox took North Atlanta High School shortstop Antonio Anderson. You won't be surprised but....he can't hit either. He hit just .186 in 100 games for Salem in 2024 and just .248 between Salem and Greenville in 2025. This year he's hitting .176 and its fairly obvious he can't hit just like Zanetello. Worse yet, four guys have made the majors from the third round after Anderson including the Houston Astros' Jake Bloss. The bottom line is one of the reasons the Sox are in the shape they've been in the last few years is too many swings and misses in the first three rounds.

4th Round - RHP Matt Duffy

Bad luck runs deep in this draft and that goes for fourth round pick, right handed pitcher Matt Duffy out of Canisius University. He pitched in just 3 games to end the 2023 season but seemed to find himself in 2024. He went 4-5 with a 2.83 ERA in 21 starts for Salem....and blew his arm out in 2025, having Tommy John surgery. He should be back in July but its a shame he lost essentially 3 years of his career. He might still make an impact, but that was a big set back. 

4th Round - SS Kristian Campbell

Chaim Bloom scored and then the organization failed fourth round pick Kristian Campbell. When Xander Bogaerts signed with San Diego, the Sox got an extra fourth round pick and they used it to pick the Georgia Tech infielder. He lived up to his billing hitting .309 to finish the 2023 season between the Complex in Greenville. He shined in 2024 hitting .330 with 20 home runs between Portland and Worcester which bopped his way to the Boston Red Sox opening day roster. He was damn near American League rookie of the month in April before faltering in May and June. He was sent back to Worcester where he hit .273 with 8 home runs to end the season. This year he's completely falling apart hitting .223 with just 2 home runs...in Worcester. Whatever current Sox GM Craig Breslow's Driveline spreadsheets they did, they ruined Kristian. On top of that, Breslow signed him to a four year extension at 7 million a year so he's going to be their Rusney Castillo until 2028. Bloom made the right pick, but Breslow blew it.

4th Round - SS Justin Riemer

With the fourth round pick the Sox got for compensation to losing Nathan Eovaldi, Bloom picked....ANOTHER SHORTSTOP! Justin Riemer tore his ACL just 12 games into his 2023 season for Wright State and Bloom chose him for whatever reason knowing he wasn't going to play until late in 2024. He hit .252 between the Complex and Greenville in 38 games and with a full season in 2025....he hit .231 between Salem and Greenville. He was traded after the season to the Oakland A's organization for Ryan Watson. He hit .213 in 29 games for Single A and just .182 for the Midland Rock Hounds in 9 games before going on the Injured List. This was a misfire and worse yet, the New York Mets took AJ Ewing just one pick after Riemer in the draft. Bloom's nonstop shortstops clearly didn't work.

5th Round - LHP Connelly Early

Somehow Bloom, the master of drafting shortstops that can't hit....might have drafted the next Red Sox left handed ace in the fifth round. Connelly Early was taken out of Virginia University and his record was 3-9 in 2024 but with a deceptive 3.99 ERA in 23 starts. In 2025 he dominated the Portland Sea Dogs going 7-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 15 games to get sent up to Worcester. He was 3-1 with a 2.83 ERA for the WooSox when injuries and ineffectiveness forced the Boston Red Sox to call up Early on September 9th. He was 1-2 with a 2.33 ERA and started the ill-fated Game 3 playoff game against the New York Yankees and Cam Schlittler. This year he's 5-4 with a 3.30 ERA and looks to be a future stud. He'd have an even better record if the Sox had a decent offense so he might be a 20 game winner if his health holds up & Boston gets better bats. Say what you will, but Bloom scored on this one.

6th Round - RHP CJ Weins

The Sox have a habit of making bad trades lately and 6th round pick, right handed pitcher CJ Weins might be another one. Weins was 0-2 with a 4.81 ERA out of the Salem bullpen when he was traded in July 2024 to the Detroit Tigers for Trey Wingenter. Wingenter, much like everyone else Breslow got at the 2024 trade deadline, totally sucked. Meanwhile Weins found himself as he went 3-1 with a 3.95 ERA for the West Michigan Whitecaps in 2025. This year he's 4-0 with a 2.10 ERA for the White Caps and a promotion to AA looks imminent. He may make it, he may not, but the bottom line is the Sox traded him for nothing in the end. Worse yet, 15 picks after Weins, the Philadelphia Phillies took George Klassen who had a cup of coffee with the Los Angeles Angels this year. That's more than the Sox got out of Weins....or Wingenter for that matter.

7th Round - OF Caden Rose

It was back to normal in the seventh round when the Sox took Alabama University outfielder Caden Rose in the seventh round. He hit just .232 with 4 home runs between Salem and Greenville in 2024 and last year hit just .160 in 86 games for Portland. This year he's only hitting .248 with one home run and that's not going to get him very far. Thankfully no one else from the seventh round has made it yet, otherwise this would be yet another wasted pick.

8th Round - RHP Trennor O'Donnell

More bad luck in the 8th round when the Sox took right handed pitcher Trennor O'Donnell out of Ball State University. At first this pick seemed like a mistake when he went 3-7 with a 4.00 ERA in 2024 with Salem and then 1-3 with a 4.70 ERA in 2025 before he had internal brace surgery. He JUST came back with a rehab start on the 12th with the Florida Complex so the jury is still out on this one. Worse yet, 4 picks after O'Donnell the Milwaukee Brewers took Craig Yoho who got in 2 games for the Brewers this year. That's more than O'Donnell so far.

9th Round - RHP Blake Wehunt

One of the reasons Chaim Bloom doesn't have a job is drafting bums in college and expecting anything out of them. 9th round pick Blake Wehunt was 4-4 with a 4.83 ERA for Kennesaw State which doesn't scream top prospect. Naturally Blake went 1-6 with a 4.42 ERA for Greenville in 2024 and 2-8 with a 5.68 ERA for Portland in 2025. This year he's 2-4 with a 4.39 ERA and if he's struggling already, he won't even make it to Worcester. No other 9th round pick has made the majors yet so the Sox are safe on that front....for now.

10th Round - LHP Ryan Ammons

You gotta feel for the Red Sox' 10th round pick, left handed pitcher Ryan Ammons out of Clemson University. He never got to pitch for the Florida Complex Sox due to injury and he was traded in December to the New York Mets for current Sox reliever Justin "Incinerator" Slaten. Out of the bullpen he had a damn good 2024 season for the St. Lucie Mets and Brooklyn Cyclones going 4-4 with a 2.18 ERA. Last year he was 7-2 with a 2.92 ERA for the Cyclones and this year was supposed to be his breakout year. Instead he is missing the entire 2026 season due to injury. Slaten has had his ups and downs with the Red Sox but you'll make this trade 10 times out of 10. Maybe Ammons will come back stronger in 2027.

11th Round - OF Nelly Taylor

In the 11th round, the Boston Red Sox chose outfielder Nelly Taylor out of Polk State. Much like most o the draft, this one looks like a bust too. Taylor hit .233 with 8 home runs in 2024 between Salem and Greenville before hitting just .216 with 7 home runs in 2025 for Greenville. This year he's hitting a paltry .174 with 3 home runs for Portland. If he can't hit AA pitching, the likelihood of hitting AAA or major league pitching seems remote. Worse yet, one pick after Taylor the Chicago White Sox took Rikuu Nishida who played 12 games for the White Sox this year. That might be more than the Sox get out of Taylor.

12th Round - RHP Max Carlson

In the 12th round the Sox took right handed pitcher Max Carlson out of UNC. Once again this looks like another wasted pick as in 2024 looked good, going 6-2 with a 2.73 ERA between Salem and Greenville. He regressed in 2025 going 3-1 with a 4.08 for Greenville in just 11 games due to injury. This year he's 2-1 with a hideous 6.46 ERA for Portland and if he's struggling at the AA level, what's he going to do when he gets to AAA if at all? Worse yet, 9 picks after the Sox chose Carlson the Seattle Mariners took Logan Evans who's in their starting rotation. The Sox blew this one too.

13th Round - RHP Cade Feeney

The Sox made a similar mistake in the 13th round when they took right handed pitcher Cade Feeney out of North Dakota State. Feeney was 0-1 with a 3.66 ERA in 20 games for Greenville in 2024 before missing all of 2025. He returned to Portland and Worcester this year where he's allowed 28 runs in 37 innings between them. Once again, if he's struggling against AA batters, doesn't look likely he'll make the show. No other 13th round pick has made the majors so this one hasn't come back to bite them...yet.

14th Round - LHP Jojo Ingrassia

In the 14th round the Sox took left handed pitcher Jojo Ingrassia out of Cal-State Fullerton. He looked to be the real deal early when he went 3-1 with a 1.85 ERA for Salem in 2024 but pitched just 17 innings and 4 games in 2025. This year he's allowed just 3 runs in 20 innings for Greenville and a call up to Portland looks in the cards. While he seems to still have hope, 11 picks after the Sox took Ingrassia, the Atlanta Braves took Mitch Farris who's currently in the Los Angeles Angels bullpen. Hopefully Ingrassia can develop because the Angels are the ones enjoying the fruits right now.

15th Round - OF Phoenix Call

The first non-signee came in the 15th round when the Sox took Calabasas High School outfielder Phoenix Call. He spurned the Sox and ended up going to UCLA. His batting average in 3 years has been .222, .256 and .216 although he did get a walk-off HBP a few weeks ago. Call better pick up the hitting or he may not be drafted again once his time is up. No other 15th round pick has made the majors so this hasn't come back to haunt them yet. Sox might have dodged a bullet here.

16th Round - RHP Isaac Stebens

It was an unfortunate turn of events for their 16th round pick, right handed pitcher Isaac Stebens out of Oklahoma State. Stebens allowed just 1 earned run for Salem in 2024 before being promoted to Greenville. He was 3-3 with a 3.68 ERA to finish the season. Last year he was Greenville's best pitcher, going 6-0 with a 2.15 ERA and 9 saves although strangely didn't get a call to Portland. This was supposed to be the year, right? Well he had internal brace surgery in in spring training and won't be back until next year. Its a shame that he looked like he was getting it only to go down, see you in 2027 Isaac.

17th Round - OF Dylan Schlaegel

Another wasted pick came in the 17th round when the Sox took Legacy High School outfielder Dylan Schlaegel. He told the Red Sox to piss off and enrolled in Dallas Baptist instead. After red shirting 2024, he hit just .250 in 2025 but this year he hit .279 with 12 home runs. Granted, he's not exactly playing in the SEC so who knows how he'd do in the pros until the time comes. Nobody else has made the majors from the 17th round so this pick didn't bite the Sox too hard, but the fact they got NOTHING out of it is just bad scouting.

18th Round - LHP Zach Fogell

Its one thing for someone like Isaac Stebens to get hurt in the pros, its another to get hurt no matter where you are. Such was the case for 18th round pick, left handed pitcher Zach Fogell out of Brown and UConn. So Fogell had a miserable season at Brown in 2019 and then missed the next two years because not only did Covid wipe out the 2020 season, but famously the Ivy League didn't play in 2021. He was garbage in 12 games for Brown in 2022 and then because he had another year of eligibility left, he chose to play 2023 at UConn. He was 8-1 with a 1.49 ERA as a 23 year old and the Sox took a chance on him. He pitched in just 3 games to end the 2023 season but flourished in Greenville in 2024. He was 5-2 with a 3.32 ERA for the Drive but was hurt to start the 2025 season. He pitched in 8 games and decided to have Tommy John surgery in July. He probably won't pitch this entire season as well and its a shame because he'll be 26 in July. Injuries and idiotic Ivy League decisions derailed his career badly.

19th Round - OF Stanley Tucker

At first it seemed like yet another wasted draft pick when the Sox took Texas A & M outfielder Stanley Tucker in the 19th round. He had just 10 hits in 67 at bats for the Complex and Salem to end the 2023 season. He suffered a torn labrum 69 games into the 2024 season and suffered a season ending wrist injury early in 2025. Now he's healthy and he recently got promoted to Portland after hitting .304 with 4 home runs for the Salem Ridge Yaks. Nobody else from the 19th round has made the show so this pick doesn't hurt just yet. Still, injuries suck....and there seems to be a lot of them in this draft.

20th Round - RHP Robert Orloski

The final wasted draft pick was right handed pitcher Robert Orloski out of Middleton High School in the 20th round. He chose not to sign and instead went to University of Texas San Antonio. He had an awful freshman season going 3-5 with a 5.94 ERA but rebounded in 2025 going 8-0 with a 3.36 ERA. Unfortunately he got hurt in his first game in 2026 and missed the whole season. The Sox may have dodged a bullet here if he can't get healthy and do better. 20th round picks are cucka anyway but at least others have at least signed.

UFA - C Drew Ehrhard

Sometimes you just have to be in the right place at the right time. After the 2023 draft the Sox took 2021 draft pick Zach Ehrhard's older brother Drew out of Tampa University. He played in just 32 games in 2023 and 2024 as a backup catcher and hit .235 with Portland in 2025. This year he was hitting just .132 in Portland when he retired to become the Boston Red Sox' bullpen catcher. Oh yes, after Alex Cora and his whole coaching staff was fired earlier this season, Drew was hired to be the bullpen catcher. Not bad for a guy hitting .132 in AA.

UFA - RHP Cooper Adams

You gotta feel for undrafted rookie free agent Cooper Adams. Adams was 8-3 with a 5.03 ERA for Mt. St Mary's private college so who in their right mind would take a flier on him? Well the Sox did and in 2024 he was 2-5 with a 5.08 ERA right on cue. Then something weird happened. He was 2-3 with a respectable 3.95 ERA for Greenville last year then got a 10 game cup of coffee in Portland where he was unhittable, going 2-0 with a 0.69 ERA. Would he capitalize in 2026? NO! He's currently 6-3 with a 6.34 ERA for Portland and it looks like he's hit the wall. For an undrafted guy, getting this far is an accomplishment. If he gets released or is hammered in AAA, he can say for 10 games he had it all.

This draft was a titanic disaster with the exception of Kyle Teel, Connelly Early and Kristian Campbell...and the Sox might have ruined Campbell. The worst was drafting high school shortstops in the second and third rounds, which they didn't need, and they sucked anyway. Apart from Early, none of the pitchers look like they'll pan out and there were definitely a ton of injuries, can't really blame Bloom for that. Still, the name of the game is development and almost none of these guys did and we're 3 years in. That's an indictment on Bloom and one of the main reasons he's not here anymore. Another reason the Sox are in the shape they're in is they get no help from the minors due to bad drafting. Hopefully that changes one of these days.