Schittler Dominates, Yankees Eliminate Sox (10/2/25)

The unfortunate 2025 season came to an end for the Boston Red Sox as they were eliminated by the New York Yankees in Game 4 of their 2025 Wild Card Series. Cam Schlittler, the local hero held the Sox scoreless for 8 innings, striking out 12 in the process. With Lucas Giolito out with a dead arm, the Sox turned to Connelly Early to get them to the next round. Thanks to shoddy defense and timely hitting by the Yankees, New York knocked early out with a four run rally in the fourth inning. That would be all the offense the Yankees would need with Schlittler earning a place in Yankees lore with the start for the ages. The Yankees knocked the Sox out of the playoffs with a 4-0 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                                            It had to be HIM?

Schlittler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran lined out to second to start. Trevor Story popped up to first and it looked like the inning was over but Ben Rice dropped a pop up from Alex Bregman for a foul ball error. Didn't matter anyway as Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning. Early got the ball in the bottom of the first and he froze Trent Grisham for strike three to start. Aaron Judge flied out to right and Cody Bellinger grounded out to short to end the inning.

Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to left to start the top of the second but Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Nathaniel Lowe took strike three and Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Giancarlo Stanton doubled to left to start the bottom of the second but Rice struck out swinging. Amed Rosario flied out to right and Jazz Chisholm Jr took strike three to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to start the top of the third inning and Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging. Duran also went down hacking to end the inning. Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third before Austin Wells was frozen for strike three. Grisham singled to right but Judge grounded out to third to end the inning.

Story flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Bregman flied out to right as well. Yoshida got a base hit to center but Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fourth as Rafaela failed to catch a double by Bellinger to start. Stanton walked but Rice struck out swinging. Rosario got a base hit to left to score Bellinger and Chisholm got a base hit to right. Volpe got a base hit to right to score Stanton and Wells hit a routine grounder to first....booted for an error by Lowe to score both Rosario and Chisholm. Grisham flied out to right and Sox manager Alex Cora yanked Early for the analytical matchups. Early was let down by his defense as he allowed 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings off 6 hits and a walk. Justin Slaten hit Judge with a pitch but Bellinger flied out to center to end the inning with the game all but over with the Sox down 4-0.

                                                      Early deserved better

Lowe tried to atone for his error with a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Narvaez struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging but Gonzalez singled to right. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Stanton flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Rice flied out to center. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan McMahon came in for Rosario to start the top of the sixth inning and Story singled to left. Bregman forced Story at second and Yoshida struck out swinging. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Steven Matz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Chisholm singled to right to start. Volpe took strike three before Wells forced Jazz at second. Grisham popped up to third to end the inning.

Lowe flied out to right to start the top of the seventh before Narvaez hit one up the elevator shaft. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Judge flied out to right to start. Bellinger grounded out to first and Stanton grounded out to short to end the inning.

Schittler returned for the top of the eighth and Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Duran popped up to third and Story grounded out to short to end the inning. Schlittler dominated the Sox, holding them to five hits while striking out 12 batters.

                                                             Tip your cap to Cam

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Paul Goldschmidt pinch hit for Rice. Goldschmidt singled to center but McMahon took strike three. Chisholm Jr took strike three and Volpe struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Bednar came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bregman walked to start. Yoshida forced Bregman at second before Rafaela struck out swinging. Lowe popped up to third to end the game. The Yankees had eliminated the Red Sox with a 4-0 win.

                                                             Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Nathaniel Lowe. His two run error iced the game and he made the final out of the game.

                                                                 Nice job Jackass

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3.

Justin Slaten tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Steven Matz tossed a scoreless inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Connelly Early took the loss allowing 4 runs (3 earned) in 3 2/3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 and committed an error.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

And that's that. This season had more twists and turns than a roller coasted but it all comes crashing down in 3 games at Yankee Stadium. Too many injuries led to Alex Cora basically shooting his load in Game 2 and having nothing left for Game 3. Connelly Early was game but he never should have started. Too bad Lucas Giolito, Dick Fitts, Hunter Dobbins, Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck were all out for the season and Dustin May & Walker Buehler were completely useless. The losses of Triston Casas and Roman Anthony for the season were also devastating but none more than the trade of Rafael Devers. Ironically the Sox best hitter after Anthony went down was Masataka Yoshida, its a shame his September and early October efforts went for naught. The Sox also wasted a once in a lifetime season by Aroldis Chapman and a damn good one by Garrett Whitlock. Alex Bregman has all but announced he's opting out of his contract so the Sox need to get TWO big bats in the off-season. With the current front office allergic to spending money, that might be a problem. If Giolito is gone, they're going to need a number 2 and number 3 starter because going into the season with Garrett Crochet, Brayan Bello and the previously mentioned pitchers isn't going to cut it. One of the reasons the Sox struggled all season is Alex Cora doesn't stress defense and it cost him the series. You'd think management would want to hold him accountable after 3 sub-par defensive seasons but they're too busy doing their Scrooge McDuck impression from all the sellouts in September while the Sox fought for the playoffs. Like I mentioned all season, this team had no brains but tons of heart. They played hard, they tried and they deserved better. The Sox have a lot of work to do in the off-season but if they get two big bats and a number 2 starter, they'd be right up there with the Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays. Speaking of the Blue Jays, if they beat the Yankees then all the work THEY did to win this series would be for naught. Still, the Sox need to concentrate on their own business if they want to bounce back in 2026. Hopefully ownership takes the leash of Craig Breslow and lets him spend. Otherwise we'll be right back here next year doing the exact same postmortem eulogy. Here's to 2026. 

Yankees Drop Whitlock, Sox in Game 2 (10/1/25)

Well the post-season dominance by the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees finally ended in Game 2 of the American League Wild Card Series. Facing a scared Brayan Bello, the Yankees got to the Sox bullpen and forced Sox manager Alex Cora to ride everyone for as long as they could. The Yankees scored two quick runs against Bello but Trevor Story got two back against Carlos Rodon. Jarren Dropped a catchable ball to allow the Yankees to score a third run but a Story home run tied it again. In the bottom of the eighth, an exhausted Garrett Whitlock coughed up an rbi single to Austin Wells, scoring Jazz Chisholm. The Yankees bullpen slammed the door after Rodon left the game to tie the series up with a 4-3 victory over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

                                                               The final image

Rodon got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Alex Bregman flied out to left to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trent Grisham flied out to left on the first pitch. Aaron Judge grounded out to third but Cody Bellinger got a base hit to right. Naturally Ben Rice hit a home run all the way to the moon to put the Yankees up. Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to short to end the inning but New York was up 2-0.

                                                              Yankees strike first again

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the second as Romy Gonzalez flied out to right to start. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center and Nate Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning. Jazz Chisholm Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Austin Wells walked. Anthony Volpe grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Jarren Duran ripped a base it to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and Nick Sogard caught Rodon asleep with a bunt, with Carlos throwing it away for an error to load the bases. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Story lined a base hit to center to score Duran and Rafaela to tie the game. Bregman grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                  Story ties it

The Yankees finished off Bello in the bottom of the third as Ryan McMahon singled to right to start. Grisham forced McMahon at second but Judge ripped a base hit to center. Sox manager Alex Cora saw that Bello was a deer in the headlights and yanked him after just 2 2/3 innings and 2 runs allowed. Justin Wilson came in and Grisham stole third with Judge taking second on a passed ball. Bellinger flied out to left and Rice lined out to Eaton to end the inning.

                                                           So much for Bello

Gonzalez popped up to second to start the top of the fourth before Narvaez struck out swinging. Eaton got a base hit to right but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Stanton grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth before Chisholm popped up to first. Wells grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rafaela took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Sogard lined out to left. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth against Justin Slaten as Volpe flied out to center to start. McMahon grounded back to the mound but Grisham walked. A wild pitch moved Trent to second and Duran dropped a sinking liner by Judge to score Grisham to put the Yankees on top. Steven Matz came in to get Bellinger to ground out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-2.

                                               "I got it, I got it....I don't got it" - Duran

The lead lasted 8 seconds as Story smashed his first home run of the post-season to tie the game in the top of the sixth. Bregman walked on four pitches not even close but the Sox let him off the hook. On just two pitches, Gonzalez popped up to second and Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Story ties it again

Rice got a base hit down the third base line to start the bottom of the sixth but Stanton lined out to left. Chisholm struck out swinging but Wells got a base hit to left. Cora rolled the dice by bringing in Zack Kelly to face Volpe and somehow struck him out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Eaton walked to start. A wild pitch moved Eaton to second and Duran was drilled to send Rodon to the showers. Fernando Cruz came in and Rafaela blew it by popping up the bunt to him. Sogard flied out to left and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Refsnyder. Yoshida beat out a roller past second but Eaton didn't even try for home to load the bases. Naturally Story flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Cora then put the game in the hands of his best pitchers available as Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. McMahon struck out swinging but Grisham doubled to right. Judge was frozen for strike three and Bellinger flied out to right to end the inning.

Devin Williams came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bregman got a base hit to left to start. Cora then brought in Nathaniel Lowe to pinch hit for Gonzalez.....who grounded in to a double play. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck in the bottom of the eighth as Rice struck out swinging to start. Stanton grounded out to short but Chisholm walked. Wells dumped a base hit into the right field corner and Eaton failed to throw home in time, allowing Chisholm to score all the way from first. An exhausted Whitlock allowed a single to left by Volpe and a walk to McMahon to end his night after 47 pitches. Payton Tolle came in to make his post-season debut one month after making his ML debut with the bases loaded and got Grisham to ground out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-3.

                                                               Yankees take the lead

David Bednar came in to close out the top of the ninth and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Eaton. Abreu struck out swinging, Duran took strike three right down the middle and Rafaela flied out to right to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-3.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Nate Eaton. He failed to score the go-ahead run for the Sox and failed to prevent the go-ahead run for the Yankees scoring.

                                                                Eaton Jackass

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida got a base hit in his only at-bat.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with 3 total rbis and a home run.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Wilson tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Steven Matz tossed a full scoreless inning.

Zack Kelly got the final out of the sixth inning.

Payton Tolle got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Nathaniel Lowe grounded into a double play in his only at-bat.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Sogard was 0 for 2.

Brayan Bello crapped his pants allowing 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings, getting yanked after 4 hits and 2 walks.

Justin Slaten allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings of work to take the loss.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a run scored but dropped a huge fly ball that turned into a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Like I mentioned in Game 1, if that was it for the season, I'd be proud of this team. This game proved why they were frustrating to watch all season. With the game on the line, they couldn't get it done. Eaton not scoring in the seventh inning, not preventing the run in the 8th, Duran dropping the fly ball and on and on. The worst part was Cora pushed Whitlock as far as he could because he knows they're essentially screwed in Game 3. If he pulls Bello after 2 2/3 innings, what's he going to do when Connelly Early gets in trouble tomorrow night, a bullpen game? The only silver lining is they didn't use Arolids Chapman so he's available tonight. But good luck getting to him with all that's left is Greg Weissert after everyone else worked yesterday. If the Sox want to keep their season alive, they get a lead early for once. Playing from behind every game isn't sustainable. With Lucas Giolito out and Bello peeing down his leg, even if the Sox win Game 3, they have zero chance against Toronto on Saturday. But, there can't be a Saturday if they don't win tomorrow night. Cora will have to manage the game of his life if he wants to avoid elimination. The Sox look to keep their season alive in winner take all Game 3 tomorrow night. Connelly Early takes on fellow rookie Cam Schlittler. The game has been pushed back to 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Crochet, Sox Drop Yankees In Game 1 (9/30/25)

If the Boston Red Sox just won their final game of the season, Sox fans should be proud of the team this year. In their first playoff action in four years, the Sox opened the American League Wild Card Series by knocking off the New York Yankees for the 9th time in their last 10 post-season games. Garrett Crochet was a man possessed in his first post-season start. He held the Yankees to a single run in 7 2/3 innings allowing just 4 hits. The Sox accomplished nothing offensively against Yankees starter Max Fried and an Anthony Volpe home run put the Yankees up 1-0 going into the seventh. Yankees manager Aaron Boone foolishly yanked Fried and Luke Weaver allowed a backbreaking 2 run single to pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida. An Alex Bregman rbi double in the ninth followed by Aroldis Chapman Houdini'ng out of his own jam added up to a 3-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                 "That's one, Skip" - Crochet

Fried got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging but Alex Bregman got a base hit to right. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Paul Goldschmidt singled to left to start. Aaron Judge ripped a base hit to left but somehow Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton banged into a double play to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Nate Eaton grounded out to second. Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Ahmed Rosario grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the second before Trent Grisham struck out swinging. Anthony Volpe then hit a home run all the way to Queens to put the Yankees up early. Austin Wells popped up to first to end the inning but it was over already with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                               Yankees strike first

Fried laughed at the Red Sox in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to start. Nick Sogard got a base hit to left but Refsnyder flied out to center. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Caballero struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the third before Goldschmidt went down hacking as well. Judge flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Bregman struck out swinging to start. Gonzalez grounded out to third but Narvaez walked. Eaton slashed a double to right but Duran swung at strike three up in his eyes to end the inning. Bellinger grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Stanton struck out swinging. Rosario grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fifth as Rafaela grounded out to second to start. Sogard flied out to center but Refsnyder walked. Story got a base hit in the hole at short but Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning. Grisham took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Volpe struck out swinging. Wells took strike three to end the inning.

Gonzalez struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth but Narvaez drew a 9 pitch walk. Eaton grounded into a double play to end the inning but Fried was up to 99 pitches. Caballero flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Goldschmidt flied out to left. Judge struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to first to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Fried who tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings. Luke Weaver came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne drew an 11 pitch walk. Sogard somehow doubled to right when Judge lollygagged after the base hit and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Refsnyder. The gamble worked as Yoshida blooped a base hit to center to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Weaver as Fernando Cruz came in to face Story. Story struck out swinging but Bregman walked. Nathaniel Lowe pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                    Yoshida gives the Sox the lead

Sox manager Alex Cora rolled the dice by bringing back Crochet for the bottom of the seventh and Bellinger popped up to short to start. Stanton grounded out to third and Rosario did the same to end the inning on just 6 pitches.

Jazz Chisholm Jr took over for Rosario with Devin Williams now on the mound to start the 8th inning. Narvaez walked and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Eaton. Eaton and Duran both popped up to third and Rafaela flied out to left to end the inning. Crochet returned for the bottom of the eighth and Grisham struck out swinging to start. Volpe got a base hit to center but Crochet froze Wells for strike three to end his night. He threw 117 pitches allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 11. Aroldis Chapman came in for the four out save and Volpe took second on a disengagement violation. Caballero then hit a ball to right and Abreu damn near cleaned out Rafaela running to catch the ball to end the inning.

                                                The War Pig gets the job done

The Sox added some insurance in the top of the ninth as David Bednar came in to pitch. Sogard took strike three and Yoshida grounded out to second, but Story got  abase hit to left. It looked like Story had second base stolen but Boone challenged the call.....safe, call stands. Bregman made the Yankees pay with a double down the left field line to score Story. Tim Hill came in to pitch to Lowe and Nathaniel lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                        Bregman the Yankee killer

Chapman returned for the bottom of the ninth and immediately got in trouble. Goldschmidt, Judge and Bellinger all stroked base hits to load the bases with nobody out. Yankee fans gladhanded each other saying it was in the bag but Stanton struck out swinging. Chisholm popped up to right, failing to score Goldschmidt and Grisham went down hacking to end the game. The Sox had stolen the game 3-1.

                                             Chapman pulls the Houdini to save the game

We have Co-Heroes of the Night. Hero number 1 is Garrett Crochet. He battled for 7 2/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed 4 hits and a run while striking out 11.

                                                Narvaez acknowledges our Hero

Hero number 2 is Masataka Yoshida. He was Boston's best hitter in September and his 2 run single put the Sox up for good in this one.

                                                      Jose Flores with our Hero

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Carlos Narvaez walked 3 times in 4 plate appearances.

Nate Eaton was 1 for 3.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Aroldis Chapman earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Nathaniel Lowe was 0 for 2.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 but walked and a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

As mentioned earlier, if this was it for the Red Sox this season, kudos to them for a successful season. The Sox did the best they could with what they had this season despite all the injuries. Losing Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Dustin May, Triston Casas, Liam Hendricks, Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and now Lucas Giolito for the season and being one win away from the American League Division Series is a miracle. Alex Cora for the first time all season managed with his eyes instead of the computer by letting Crochet going as far as he could and asking Chapman to get four big outs. Now the Sox have a victory and the rest of the bullpen arms are rested for tomorrow. Its amazing how it was Boone that pulled the starter too early and not Cora. Some Yankee fans said the Sox have the managerial advantage and its hard to argue that. Cora put on a masterclass with his pitchers and pinch hitting Yoshida to knock in the go-ahead runs. Once again the Sox had woes with men on base but they drove in the three big ones that mattered. Just the fact the Sox are one win away from knocking out the Yankees is a miracle, but here we are. Even if they get killed the next two games, Sox fans shouldn't get mad since they pushed it as far as possible with all the injuries they had to endure. Still, they might actually win tomorrow and advance. Alex Cora manages in October flying by the seat of his pants and he's going to have to with only 2 experienced starters remaining. The Sox look to finish off the Yankees tomorrow night when Brayan Bello makes his first ever post-season start against Carlos Rodon of New York. The game begins at 6:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Royals Snap Sox Streak (8/6/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization released two prospects from the Greenville Drive roster. 22 year old outfielder Kelvin Diaz and 26 year old right handed pitcher Darvin Garcia were released. Diaz was a Dominican teenager signed in 2019 and hit just .234 in 2021 with the DoSox. He hit .242 in 2022 but at least had 6 home runs. He hit .298 for the Florida Complex League in 2024 but hit just .214 upon his callup to Salem. He hit .176 to start this season for Salem then was 2 for 32 once he was called up to Greenville. If he can't hit High A pitching, its time to cut your losses. Garcia was picked up from the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Rule 5 draft and allowed 43 runs in 36 innings for the Drive. If he's 26 and can't get High A batters out, time to retire.

                                                                          OUT

As for the game, the Boston Red Sox seven game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the mediocre Kansas City Royals. The Sox got two first inning runs against old friend Michael Wacha but Dustin May (6-8, 4.93 ERA) got rocked for 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Jordan Hicks and Isaiah Campbell allowed four combined runs to put the game away. The Sox bats scored just 1 run after the first inning and lost the game 7-3 at Fenway Park.

May got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Yastrzemski singled to right. Bobby Witt Jr flied out to right and Vinnie Pasquantino struck out swinging, but Maikel Garcia walked. Salvador Perez flied out to center to end the inning. Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Roman Anthony flied out to right to start. Alex Bregman got a base hit to left but Trevor Story forced him at second. Jarren Duran singled to right to move Story to third and Romy Gonzalez doubled off the Monster to score both runners. Wilyer Abreu flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                        Romy drives in a pair

Adam Frazier flied out to left to start the top of the second inning but Bregman booted a grounder by Jonathan India for an error. John Rave struck out swinging and Kyle Isbel was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to center. Connor Wong grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Royals struck back in the top of the third as Yaz hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Witt Jr got a base hit to left to score Yaz to cut the lead. Witt stole second and took third on the Pasquantino grounder to second. Garcia grounded out to short and Perez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals down 2-1.

                                                              Royals get one back

Anthony flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Bregman grounded out to second. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals took command in the top of the fourth inning as Frazier walked to start. Frazier was thrown out at second trying to steal but India singled to left. Rave got a base hit to center and India made it to third, Rave taking second on the throw. Duran dove and missed a base hit by Isbel to score both runners, putting Kansas City up for good. Yaz popped up to second but Witt was hit with a pitch, and that was it for May. The big trade deadline pickup lasted just 3 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs on 6 hits, a walk and a hit by pitch. Chris Murphy came in and struck out Pasquantino swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 3-2.

                                                         May gets hammered

Duran flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Gonzalez doubled to left. Abreu grounded out to second to move Gonzalez to third but Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning.

Garcia flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Perez grounded out to short. Frazier struck out swinging to end the inning. Rafaela flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Wong grounded out to short. Yastrzemski then jumped over the wall to rob Anthony of a home run to end the inning.

India was hit with a pitch to start the top of the sixth and Rave was as well. Isbel bunted foul for strike three and Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Yaz. Duran made a leaping grab to rob Grichuk of a triple but Rafaela threw the relay throw away for an error to move the runners up. Witt Jr was intentionally walked but Pasquantino grounded out to first to end the inning. Bregman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Story got a base hit to center. Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jordan Hicks came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Garcia grounded out to short to start. Perez got a base hit to left, Frazier got a base hit to left and India hit a home run all the way into the Charles River to ice the game. Rave struck out swinging and Isbel grounded out to second to end the inning with the Royals ahead 6-2.

                                                         India blasts one

Hunter Harvey came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Abreu walked and moved to second on the Yoshida grounder to second. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Isaiah Campbell came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Grichuk was plunked to start. Tyler Tolbert ran for him and promptly stole second. Witt Jr popped up to first then Tolbert stole third. Pasquantino got a bae hit to right to score Tolbert but Garcia grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Royals up 7-2.

                                                        Another run for Kansas City

Lucas Erceg came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wong got a base hit to center to start. Wong moved to second on the Anthony grounder to short but Bregman grounded out to third. Story got a base hit to center to score Wong but Duran grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 7-3.

                                                             Story drives in a run

Perez struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth and Frazier got a base hit to right. India struck out swinging but Rave got a base hit to left. Isbel grounded out to third to end the inning. Carlos Estevez came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Abreu struck out swinging and Yoshida grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Royals had won it 7-3.

                                                              Royals win

Jackass of The Night is Jordan Hicks. He came into a 3-2 game and allowed 3 runs to put it out of reach.

                                                                  Jordan Jackass

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Chris Murphy tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with an error and a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dustin May got clobbered for 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings to take the loss off 6 hits and a walk.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Isaiah Campbell allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to an end but the concerning part was Dustin May didn't look good at all. Maybe it was first start jitters with his new team but if you're going to trade a top prospect like James Tibbs, you expect more than that out of the piece you get back. Not only that but the bats were asleep in this one as old pal Wacha shut them down for six innings. If anything the Sox should have traded Tibbs for HIM instead. The Sox are back in the thick of things after a torrid July and the Sox are going to need May to step up in future games if they have any hope of toppling the Toronto Blue Jays. Speaking of the Blue Jays, they annihilated the Colorado Rockies 20-1 tonight. At least the Sox didn't play THAT badly in this one. Just have to tip your cap to the Royals for getting the hits and making the plays that they needed to win. The loss dropped the Sox to 64-52, 4 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox go out west to face Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres beginning Friday night. Walker Buehler (6-6) looks to pick the team up when he faces old pal Nick Pivetta of San Diego. The game begins Friday night at 9:40 PM eastern time at Petco Park.

Crochet, Sox Drop Royals (8/5/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a mercy roster move. Jorge Alcala was designated for assignment and the Sox called up Isaiah Campbell to take his place. Alcala started off in low leverage situations but once he was put into big game trouble, he crumbled. Now he can't even pitch in garbage time without giving up runs and baserunners. Campbell isn't much better, but he can't be worse...right?

                                                                          OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, make it seven wins in a row for the red hot Boston Red Sox. Garrett Crochet (13-4, 2.24 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young Award by tossing 7 innings where he allowed just 2 runs against the Kansas City Royals. Offensively the two teams fought to a 1-1 tie going into the sixth when  Trevor Story knocked in two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Royals got a run in Crochet's final inning but Wilyer Abreu hit a 2 run single. Story added another rbi and the bullpen locked it down. The Sox had taken their seventh game in a row with a 6-2 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                     Naomi Russell approves of the win

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jonathan India grounded out to short to start. Bobby Witt Jr struck out swinging and Vinnie Pasquantino hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Bergert got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to right to start. Alex Bregman lined out to center and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Maikel Garcia struck out swinging to start the top of the second inning before Salvador Perez grounded out to short. Randal Grichuk struck out swinging to end the inning. Trevor Story led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to third. Masataka Yoshida walked but Carlos Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Nick Loftin struck out swinging to open the top of the third inning before Luke Maile went down hacking. John Rave grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to second to start. Romy Gonzalez got a base hit to center and took second on a fly out to center by David Hamilton. Duran ripped a double off the Monster to score Gonzalez to put Boston on top. Bregman flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Duran drives in a run

India took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Witt Jr tripled into the centerfield triangle. Somehow Pasquantino grounded out to first but Garcia doubled off the Monster to score Witt. Perez flied out to a running Abreu at the wall to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                          Garcia ties it up

Abreu popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Story took strike three. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Grichuk grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Loftin flied out to right. Maile got a base hit to left but Rave lined out to first to end the inning. Narvaez grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth and El Toro lined out to second. Gonzalez lined out to right to end the inning.

India grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth before Witt grounded out to second. Pasquantino grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Hamilton flied out to left to start. Duran grounded out to first but Bregman walked. Angel Zerpa came in to face Abreu and Wilyer doubled to left. Story then ripped a base hit to center to score both runners. Yoshida got a base hit to left and Ceddanne Rafaela ran for him. Narvaez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                               Story drives in a pair

The Royals struck back in the top of the seventh as Garcia walked to start. Perez flied out to right but Grichuk doubled off the Monster just our of reach of Duran to score Garcia. Loftin and Maile both struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Sale who allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings off 4 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

                                                                    Crochet gets it done

The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh with John Schreiber now on the mound. El Toro flied out to right and Gonzalez grounded out to third, but Hamilton walked. Duran singled to center and Bregman walked to load the bases. Abreu smacked a base hit to right to score both Hamilton and Duran. Story added a base hit to center to score Bregman with another run. Daniel Lynch 4th came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 6-2.

                                                           Abreu supplying the insurance runs

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rave flied out to right to start. Bregman booted a grounder by India for an error but Witt Jr popped up to second. Pasquantino flied out to center to end the inning. Narvaez flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth before El Toro grounded out to short. Gonzalez singled to right but Hamilton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Garcia singled to left to start. A wild pitch moved Garcia to second but Perez grounded out to short. Mike Yastrzemski pinch hit for Grichuk and popped up to third. Adam Frazier pinch hit for Loftin and grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He held the Royals to just 2 runs in 7 dominant innings. He struck out 8 batters.

                                                                Hero Crochet

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 2 with an error but walked twice and scored 2 runs.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are rolling again and its been a total turnaround since falling to 41-44 on June 29th. The New York Yankees have also totally collapsed, going from 9 games up to now 3.5 games behind. Crochet continues to be worth every penny and prospect traded to get him and the Sox have a serious shot at October with him as the ace. The offense still may not have a lot of talent on paper but they've been getting on base. More importantly, unlike April, May and parts of June, the Sox are driving in runs with men on base. The Sox don't just score a few runs and try to sit on the lead anymore, they add to it. If Hicks ever learns how to control his fastball, the Sox would have one of the most devastating bullpens in baseball. Once Justin Slaten comes back, they're going to be VERY tough to beat. Still, if they can't beat or pass Toronto, they don't deserve to go anywhere when the weather gets cold. The win improved the Sox to 64-51, 3 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 8 wins in a row and a series sweep tomorrow night when Dustin May makes his Red Sox debut against old pal Michael Wacha of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold Off Royals (8/4/25)

For seven innings the Boston Red Sox were cruising to an easy victory over the Kansas City Royals. The Sox jumped on Royals starter Bailey Falter for five quick runs in the bottom of the first, capped off by a Jarren Duran three run blast. Rob Refsnyder, Alex Bregman and Wilyer Abreu all drove in runs to add to the lead. Brayan Bello (8-5, 3.03 ERA) gutted through six solid innings allowing just one run. Then in the top of the eighth both Jorge Alcala and Justin Wilson got rocked for 4 runs, causing Sox manager Alex Cora to turn to his closing tag team in a game they led by 7. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the Sox won the game 8-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Kody Evans approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jonathan India struck out swinging to start. Bobby Witt Jr popped up to third and Vinnie Pasquantino flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Falter in the bottom of the first as Romy Gonzalez got a base hit to right to start. Alex Bregman got a base hit to center and Wilyer Abreu walked to load the bases. Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score both Gonzalez and Bregman, but Trevor Story popped up to third. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first but Jarren Duran smoked a three run home run to dead center to put the Sox up big. Abraham Toro grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were up 5-0.

                                                     Duran puts the Sox up big

Maikel Garcia grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second but Salvador Perez doubled to center. Mike Yastrzemski struck out swinging and Adam Frazier lined out to short to end the inning. Connor Wong took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Gonzalez lined out to right. Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals threatened in the top of the third as John Rave got a base hit to center to start. Kyle Isbel ate up Bello on a grounder who threw the ball away for an error to move both runners into scoring position. Bello battled back to strike out India swinging, but India walked to load the bases. Pasquantino lined out to second and Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning. Abreu ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Refsnyder banged into a double play. Story walked and promptly stole second. Rafaela stepped up with a base hit to center to score Trevor with another run. Rafaela swiped second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                               Rafaela drives in a run.

Things went south in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez booted a grounder by Perez to start. Yaz doubled to center and Frazier hit a sac fly to left to score Perez. Rave grounded out to first to move Yaz to third and Isbel lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                          Perez scores a run

El Toro got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to second on a Wong grounder to second. Gonzalez grounded out to short but Bregman got a base hit to left to score Toro. Abreu flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 7-1.

                                                             Bregman drives in another

India flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Witt Jr got a base hit to left. Pasquantino grounded into a double play to end the inning. Taylor Clarke came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Refsnyder grounded out to third to start. Story got a base hit off the glove of Clarke but Rafaela banged into a double play to end the inning.

Bello came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Garcia singled to right to start. Perez struck out swinging and Yaz hit one up the elevator shaft. Frazier flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 solid innings allowing 1 run, 6 hits and a walk.

                                                          Bello gets the job done

Sam Long came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Toro struck out swinging and Wong popped up to second to end the inning.

Steven Matz came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Nick Loftin grounded out to third to start. Isbel grounded out to short but India walked. Witt Jr took strike three to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Gonzalez doubled down the first base line to start. Bregman walked but Abreu singled to right to score Gonzalez. Refsnyder flied out to right to move Bregman to third but Story struck out swinging. Angel Zerpa came in to pitch to Rafaela and Ceddanne flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                     Abreu with the killshot

Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pasquantino hit a home run to Kelly's Roast Beef to start. Maikel Garcia then hit a home run all the way to Bill & Bob's as the crowd booed. Perez struck out swinging but Yaz got a base hit to left. The ball went under Duran's glove to move Yaz to third and that was it for Alcala. Justin Wilson came in but Frazier got a base hit to center to score Yaz. Loftin doubled to center to score Frazier and Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Isbel. Grichuk struck out swinging and Garrett Whitlock had to come into the game. India walked to load the base and put the tying run at the plate. Witt Jr singled to right but Abreu gunned down Loftin at home to end the inning with the Sox up 8-5.

                                                           Yerrrr out!

Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and El Toro flied out to left. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with David Hamilton at second base and Pasquantino struck out swinging to start. Garcia flied out to center and Perez grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-5.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Wilyer Abreu. He drove in 2 big runs and gunned down Loftin at the plate to preserve a 3 run lead.

                                                           Abreu Hero

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a stolen base, walk and a run scored.

Brayan Bello got the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock got the final out of the eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jorge Alcala was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Justin Wilson allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

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

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Think its time to end the Jorge Alcala experiment as the Sox just got Steven Matz and have Brennan Bernardino buried in Worcester. The Sox had this game won and had no need to use Chapman and Whitlock. Cora was visibly angry with Alcala because he knows the less wear and tear on Aroldis and Garrett means possibly bullets left in October. If Steven Matz can keep doing what he's doing, that gives the Sox a 7-8-9 of Matz, Chapman and Whitlock which would be tough to beat. Bello did the good job and the Sox bats once again did a good job piling on rather than sit on the lead. The Sox are getting timely hitting and they'll take any run they can get. The Toronto Blue Jays crushed the Colorado Rockies tonight but the Texas Rangers beat the New York Yankees. The Sox now are up 2.5 games on them for the first wild card and 4 games in front of Texas for the third wild card. Its too early for a magic number but it would be 44 as of today. They still can set their sights on the first seed if they can catch Toronto and Detroit since they're only 3 games out. Winning 6 games in a row is great and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 63-51, 3 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it seven wins in a row tomorrow night when Garrett Crochet (12-4, 2.23 ERA) takes on Ryan Bergert of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.