Sox Rally Past Marlins (8/24/26)

As of June 27th, the Boston Red Sox had not had a win when trailing after 7 innings. For the fourth consecutive game, the Red Sox have rallied in the late innings to win a game. The Red Sox battled the Miami Marlins to a 1-1 tie after 5 innings with Ranger Suarez holding Miami with Sandy Alcantara clogging up the Sox. Then in the bottom of the seventh Xavier Edwards knocked in a run to put the Marlins on top against Brayan Bello. Wilyer Abreu scored on a wild pitch in the eighth and the Sox rallied in the ninth. Pete Fairbanks hurt himself walking Gasper and Anthony Siegler tripled off Tyler Zuber to score Mickey. Nick Sogard singled home Siegler and the Sox were in command. Aroldis Chapman locked it down in the ninth inning and the Sox completed their fourth consecutive late rally with a 4-2 victory over the Marlins at Loan Depot Park.

                                                Brenda Castillo approves of the win

Alcantara got the ball in the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third and Wilyer Abreu did the same to end the inning. Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otto Lopez lined out to first to start. Heriberto Hernandez got a base hit to right but Kyle Stowers forced him at second. Agustin Ramriez walked but Xavier Edwards struck out swinging to end the inning.

Willson Contreras grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Adley Rutschman grounded out to second. Caleb Durbin flied out to center to end the inning. Jakob Marsee was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second and Javier Sanoja walked. Esteury Ruiz was also hit with a pitch to load the bases but Joe Mack struck out looking. Lopez hit a sac fly to center to score Marsee but Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning with the Marlins up 1-0.

                                                              Marlins strike first

Jarren Duran got a base hit to center to start the top of the third and Mickey Gasper got a base hit to right to move Duran to third. Anthony Seigler grounded out to third to move Gasper to second but Sogard struck out swinging. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. Stowers doubled to center to start the bottom of the third but Ramirez flied out to center. Edwards struck out swinging but Marsee walked. Sanoja grounded out to second to end the inning.

Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Contreras popped up to second. Rutschman struck out swinging to end the inning. Ruiz flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Mack caught Durbin asleep with a bunt single. Lopez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Durbin got a base hit to left to start. Duran forced Caleb at second then Gasper doubled to center to score Jarren. Seigler flied out to left and Sogard did the same to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                Gasper ties it up

Hernandez got a base hit to left to begin the bottom of the fifth and Stowers walked. Ramirez struck out swinging and Edwards beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Marsee lined out to left to end the inning. That was it for Suarez after just 93 pitches after allowing just 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 4 walks.

                                                  Suarez holds the Marlins to 1 run

Rafaela got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but naturally Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras grounded out to third and Rutschman did the same to end the inning. Brayan Bello came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sanoja lined out to center to start. Griffin Conine pinch hit for Ruiz and grounded out to first followed by Mack grounding back to the mound to end the inning.

Durbin flied out to left to start the top of the seventh but Duran doubled to right. Gasper and Siegler drew back to back walks but naturally Sogard struck out swinging. Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning. The Marlins struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Lopez doubled to left to start. Hernadez walked but Stowers struck out swinging. Owen Caisse pinch hit for Ramirez and walked to load the bases. Edwards got a base hit to right to score Lopez but Contreras robbed Marsee of a hit, forcing Hernandez at home. Sanoja grounded out to short to end the inning with the Marlins up 2-1.

                                                              Edwards drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the eighth with Josh Ekness now on the mound. Abreu doubled to right to start and Contreras was hit with a pitch. Rutschman flied out to center to move Abreu to third and Wilyer scored on a wild pitch to tie the game. Contreras moved to second but Durbin flied out to right. Duran struck out swinging to end the game with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Sox tie it up

Erik Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Conine grounded out to short to start. Leo Jimenez pinch hit for Mack and Duran dropped a fly ball for an error to put Leo at second. Lopez beat out a bunt down the third base line to put runners at the corners but Hernandez hit a grounder to the mound. Jimenez got literally run over by Rutschman on the ensuing rundown for the second out and Stowers struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              PAIN TRAIN!

Brian Navarreto came in for Jimenez with Pete Fairbanks coming in to pitch the top of the ninth. Gasper walked and Fairbanks suddenly came out of the game injured. Tyler Zuber came in with Eli White running for Gasper and Siegler greeted him with a triple to put the Sox ahead. Sogard got a base hit to right to score Siegler then moved to second on a Rafaela grounder to second. Cade Gibson came in to face Abreu and Wilyer walked. Contreras grounded out to second to move the runners over but Rutschman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                     Sogard does it again

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Caissie got a base hit to right to start. Edwards foolishly dropped down a bunt to move Caissie to second and Marsee struck out swinging. Sanoja grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-2.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Anthony Siegler. His rbi triple put the Sox on top in the ninth inning.

                                                          Hero Seagulls

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Mickey Gasper was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Eli White scored a run as a pinch runner.

Ranger Suarez allowed just 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 4 walks.

Erik Miller got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 30th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Adley Rutschman was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

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

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4.

Brayan Bello allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox went almost half the year without any comeback wins and they just won four straight games where they trailed in them. The problem is Abreu, Durbin and Contreras hit a bit of a snag and quite frankly Rutschman's been almost useless at the plate since he came off the Injured List. If it wasn't for Sogard, Gasper and Rafaela the Sox might have lost the last four games. The problem is the Sox have relied on Erik Miller and Aroldis Chapman a lot with both Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten out with injury. The good news was they delivered big time tonight. The role players such as Seigler and Sogard stepped up and the Sox have a big time decision to make. Trevor Story is due to come off the injured list and he could make or break this team depending on who gets sent down. If he comes back and hits like Adley Rutschman, they're screwed for the next week until September callups. The Sox have the biggest series of the season starting on Friday with the New York Yankees and provided the Sox don't lose to the Marlins in the mean time, this could be the Sox chance to snag the first wild card. Still, overlooking the next two games is a bad idea and the Sox themselves need to stay focused on beating them. The only other bad news was the Tampa Bay Rays won again and you have to give them credit. The Red Sox were the second worst team in baseball on June 24th and throughout this entire comeback run, the only team they didn't blow right by was the Rays. Tampa maintained an 8 game lead on the Sox as of last week and still remain six in front. There's only 31 games left so overtaking them seems unlikely. If the Sox make a statement by finishing off the Marlins and taking 3 of 4 from New York, their playoff chances are all but a given. The win improved the Sox to 72-59, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fifth straight game and second in a row against Miami when Peyton Tolle (8-6, 3.08 ERA) takes on Captain TBD of the Marlins. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

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

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

                                                                        OUT

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

                                                    Angel Eyes approves of the win

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

                                                             Rafaela hits one out

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

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

                                                         Hernandez puts LA ahead

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

                                                           Rafaela with another one

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

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

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

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

                                                       Tolle held the Dodgers in check

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

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

                                                        The Sox take the lead

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

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

                                                            Sox win

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

                                                          Rafaela Hero

The Good:

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3.

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

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

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                                Live look at Duran

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

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

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

                                                                 A's strike first

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

                                                            Walton drives in a run

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

                                                           Rafaela ties it up

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

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

                                                        "Run!!!" - Duran

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

                                                           A's take the lead

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

                                                     Gray did the best he could

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

                                                        Abreu ties it up

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

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

                                                          Sox win

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

                                                          Hero Contreras

The Good:

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

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

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

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts

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

Final Thoughts:

It'll be interesting to see how this plays out in the days ahead. Duran has been a headache all season and you can deal with that if a guy is hitting .300 or so like prime Manny Ramirez or 2000 Carl Everett. Duran isn't hitting .200 and at what point is he not worth it anymore? We're just days away from the trade deadline and between his outbursts against fans, shouting at teammates and hitting .200 his trade value is non-existent. Abreu and Contreras could have easily gotten in his face in the dugout but they didn't. Sox manager Chad Tracy after the game said it was a nothing burger but we'll know sooner or later if he's right. The incident overshadowed another great comeback where they rallied in the later innings. Contreras has been a hell of a trade pickup and he's inspired Abreu to be a better player as well. The two of them aren't quite as potent as David Ortiz and Manny but they've been great this year. Gray looks like he's coming back to Earth but he was still battling. Weissert and Chapman shut the door pretty good and like I mentioned yesterday, the Sox are five guys deep in the bullpen. If Chapman and Weissert are unavailable in tomorrow night's game, you still have Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Tyron Guerrero to step up. That's crucial for the final 2 months of the season if they can stay healthy.  The win improved the Sox to 57-51, 7 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to end their historic month tomorrow night on NBC Sunday Night baseball against the Dodgers. Jake Bennett (6-4) takes on Emmet Sheehan of Los Angeles. The game begins at 7:20 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Durbin, Sox Drop O's for 15th Straight Win in Game 1 (7/22/26)

2 months ago the Boston Red Sox had won of the worst offenses in franchise history, today they tied the franchise record for most consecutive wins with the 1946 American League Champion Red Sox. A rainout turned today into a double-header and the Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles in Game 1. Jake Bennett (6-3, 2.58 ERA) tossed 5 2/3 gutty innings holding the Orioles to just 3 runs despite nine hits. The story of the game was the rally in the first inning against Baltimore starter Dean Kremer. Caleb Durbin drove in the first two runs and a Jarren Duran triple drove int he next two. Duran added another rbi and Ceddanne Rafaela belted a home run to put the game out of reach. The Triangle of Terror Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox made it 15 wins in a row with a 6-3 victory in Game 1 over the Orioles at Fenway Park.

                                                  Tex Hughson approves of the win

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Taylor Ward struck out swinging to start. Pete Alonso grounded out to short but Gunnar Henderson singled past Jake. Tyler O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning. Kremer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit in the hole at second but Wilyer Abreu lined out to first. Willson Contreras got a base hit to left to load the bases and Caleb Durbin got a base hit to center to score both Yoshida & Rafaela. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Jarren Duran tripled into the right field corner to clear the bases. Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Run Duran! Run!

Coby Mayo popped up to second to start the top of the second and Leody Taveras lined out to right. Christian Encarnacion-Strand got a base hit to center and Jackson Holliday got a base hit to left but Sam Huff struck out swinging to end the inning. Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Yoshida walked. Rafaela flied out to center and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. 

The O's struck back in the top of the third as Ward lined out to right to start. Alonso hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Henderson struck out swinging. O'Neill doubled to center to score Alonso but Mayo flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 4-1.

                                                            O's get a run back

The Sox answered in the bottom of the third as Contreras struck out swinging to start. Durbin beat out a roller to third, Gonzalez doubled off the Monster and Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Durbin. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1

                                                         Duran drives in another run

The Os refused to give up in the top of the fourth as Wong snuffed out a bunt by Taveras to start. Encarnacion-Strand hit his second home run of the series to cut the lead but Holliday grounded out to first. Huff grounded out to third to end the inning with the Os down 5-2.

                                                           Strand again?

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the fourth as Cheng grounded out to second to start. Yoshida flied out to left but Rafaela launched his 9th home run of the year to increase the lead. Abreu grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                        Rafaela jacks one

Ward lined out to Bennett to start the top of the fifth but Alonso got a base hit to center. Henderson flied out to right and Henderson struck out swinging to end the inning. Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Durbin grounded out to second. Gonzalez flied out to right to end the inning. 

Bennett ran out of gas in the top of the sixth as Mayo doubled to left to start. Taveras grounded out to first to move Mayo to third and Encarnacion-Strand got a base hit to left to score Coby. A wild pitch moved Strand to second but Holliday flied out to left. Johnathan Rodriguez pinch hit for Huff and Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled Bennett. He was game, allowing 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 9 hits. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and the O's swapped out Rodriguez with Dylan Beavers. Beavers popped up to third to end the inning with the Os down 6-3.

                                                                Good work Jake

Chadwick Tromp took over behind the plate for the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to first to start. Wong grounded out to second and Cheng lined out to right to end the inning. 

Ward got a base hit to left to start the top of the seventh but Alonso lined out to center. Henderson flied out to right and O'Neill took strike three down the middle to end the inning. Anthony Nunez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to third to start. Rafaela popped up to first and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Colton Cowser pinch hit for Mayo. Cowser flied out to rightt, Taveras grounded out to second and Strand also grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Durbin forced him at second. Gonzalez popped up to first and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Holliday got a base hit to center to start. Tromp banged into a double play but Ward walked. Ward took second on defense indifference but Alonso grounded out to short to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Caleb Durbin. His two run single in the first set the tone for the game

                                                             Hero Durbin

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 3 rbis.

Jake Bennett got the win allowing 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 9 hits.

Justin Slaten tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 23rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

This is absolutely unbelievable. They were dead in the water, 14 games under .500 and 1 game ahead of the worst team in baseball that just beat them 2 out of 3 games......and one month later they've won 15 in a row and 20 out of 22 to tie a franchise record. Its gotten to the point where one loss will have a certain amount of fans going "Thats it, its all over. Sell the team, sell all the players, fire Breslow and blow up Fenway Park. Its over." The solution is to just not lose. The franchise hasn't won 15 games in a row in 80 years and that team went on to the World Series. Meanwhile this win streak just put them just 4 games over .500. Bennett tired by the end of the sixth and that's the big concern is the rookie wall is going to hit Connelly Early, Payton Tolle and Bennett hard. Its important to get Ranger Suarez back physically healthy and Brayan Bello mentally healthy because they're going to need them with Garrett Crochet out. It was good to see Duran contribute big time and the turnaround for Durbin has been Dustin Pedroia 2007-esque. Sox fans still want to trade Chapman but the three headed monster with Chapman, Whitlock and Slaten is as good as anyone in the league. One of the way they've won 15 in a row is by shortening games with lights out relief pitching. The Sox just need to keep doing what they're doing and they'll be right there in the end. Sox GM Craig Breslow might pull some voodoo magic at the trade deadline or he might stand pat and hope Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Garrett Crochet come back. Just enjoy this streak while it lasts. The win improved the Sox to 52-48, no sense posting the standings yet. The Sox look to set an all-time franchise record with their 16th win in a row in Game 2 of the series in a few hours with Eduardo Rivera (0-0, 2.89 ERA) going for the Sox against Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past O's For 14th Straight Win (7/20/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization made a roster move. Outfielder Matt Lloyd was released by the Worcester Red Sox after hitting just .206 with 5 home runs in 30 games. With the incoming crop of draft picks and Dominican kids, not to mention the trade deadline, a lot of guys are going to be coming up. Lloyd hitting just .206 wasn't going to cut it.

                                                                     Bye bye Lloyd

As for the game, the Boston Red Sox came into this game riding a 13 game win streak while the Baltimore Orioles had won 7 in a row themselves. Somebody's O had got to go and luckily for the Red Sox, they hung on to win this one. In what was arguably the best back and forth game of the year the Sox rallied against the Orioles three times after the O's took a 1-0 lead off the bat against Payton Tolle of Boston. The Sox answered in the bottom of the second and scored two more in the third to take the lead. The O's rallied for 3 runs in the top of the sixth but the Sox got one back to tie it in the bottom of the frame. The O's got to Tyron Guerrero for a run in the seventh but Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it again. Caleb Durbin then struck the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth and Cheng made a game saving stab in the ninth to save Aroldis Chapman & the streak. The Sox made it 14 straight with a 6-5 victory at Fenway Park.

                                               Stephanie McMahon approves of the win

The O's wasted not time getting to Tolle in the top of the first inning as Taylor Ward popped up to first to start. Pete Alonso struck out swinging but Gunnar Henderson doubled into the gap in left. Old friend Tyler O'Neill hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Gunnar but Coby Mayo struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                            It had to be him?

Baz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Anthony Seigler lined out to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela took strike three and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Leody Taveras walked to start the top of the second but Jeremiah Jackson struck out swinging. Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging and Sam Huff also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Willson Contreras got a base hit to center to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right and Contreras moved to third on a fly ball to right by Caleb Durbin. Jarren Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Contreras to tie the game but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Duran ties it

Ward grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Alonso flied out to right. Henderson doubled to left but O'Neill popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to start. Seigler flied out to left but Jackson threw a grounder by Rafaela away for an error. Abreu ripped a double to center to score Rafaela and Henderson's throw home got away to move Wilyer to third. Contreras got a base hit off the glove of Henderson to score Abreu and Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        4 errors in this one for Baltimore

Mayo struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Taveras struck out looking. Jackson grounded out to first to end the inning. Durbin flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Duran got a base hit to right. Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Strand hit a home run all the way to Portugal to start. Huff struck out swinging and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso was hit with a pitch but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Cheng struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seiger grounded out to first. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning. 

Henderson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill beat out a roller to third. Mayo struck out swinging but Taveras singled to center. Naturally Jackson singled to left to score O'Neill and Strand got a base hit to center to score Taveras, putting Baltimore on top. That was it for Tolle who once again ran out of gas after 75 pitches, allowing 4 runs off 8 hits and a walk. Tyron Guerrero froze Huff for strike three to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.

                                                           Wasn't good enough

The Sox refused to quit in the bottom of the sixth as Baz threw a ball away allowing Abreu to reach second. Contreras doubled to left to score Abreu and took third on a grounder to second by Yoshida. Unfortunately Durbin grounded out to short and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                     "This is MY house" - Contreras

Naturally the Os rallied in the top of the seventh as Ward doubled to right to start. Alonso got a base hit to center but somehow Henderson struck out swinging. O'Neill grounded out to second to score Ward to put the O's up again. Dylan Beavers pinch hit for Mayo and took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles up 5-4.

                                                           He did it again

The Sox rallied again in the bottom of the seventh as Yennier Cano came in to pitch. Wong got a base hit to left but was forced at second by Cheng. Seigler grounded out to second to move Cheng to second Rafaela got a base hit to left. Cheng came around third and Ward threw the ball away to allow Cheng to score & Rafaela to take second. Tyler Wells came in to face Abreu and Wilyer flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                          Sox tie it again

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Taveras struck out swinging to start. Jackson grounded out to second and Jackson Holliday pinch hit for Strand. Holliday grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida did as well. Suddenly Durbin crushed his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox ahead. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                             Durbin puts Boston on top

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with Colton Cowser pinch hitting for Ruff. Naturally Cowser walked after sitting all game but somehow Ward struck out swinging. Alonso struck out swinging but two strikes away from victory, Henderson doubled to left. Naturally O'Neill hit a bullet....RIGHT TO CHENG TO END THE GAME. THE RED SOX WIN 6-5!

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Caleb Durbin. His home run in the 8th inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Our Hero gets the Wally Head

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 22nd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4.

Payton Tolle got rocked for 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 8 hits and a walk.

Tyron Guerrero allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tsung-Che Cheng was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run and made the game saving catch.

Final Thoughts:

Something special might be happening here. Its one thing to go on a win streak, its another thing to run into another red hot team and find a way to win. The O's had won 7 in a row and fought to the bitter end, the Sox just happened to come out on top. The O's looked better on paper by battering the Sox for 11 hits and 5 runs but committing 5 errors and allowing the home run to Durbin was the backbreaker. The Sox got contributions from just about everyone including the unsung Tsung-Che. Fans were asking if Marcelo Mayer or Trevor Story makes that catch and the fact Cheng made it means something's brewing. The Sox have won 14 in a row and 19 out of 21 to claw their way back to respectability. Unfortunately the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all won so the Sox didn't gain any ground on them, but the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays and the Sox beat the O's to knock both Toronto & Baltimore another game back. The roar of the crowd when Durbin hit the home run was matched by the reaction in the dugout. Every big hit the last 3 weeks has the dugout pouring out for support. Anyone who wants to sell now is an absolute fool. It would be unfair for Sox fans to expect the streak to go any longer but, why not? The win improved the Sox to 51-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 15 in a row and match a franchise record tomorrow night against the Orioles when Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) comes off the Injured List to face Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.