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.

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

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

                                                                    OUT

                                                                      IN

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

                                                    Russell Henley approves of the win

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

                                                      A grand salami for Durbin

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

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

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

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

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

                                                       Vargas puts Chicago on the board

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

                                                              Abreu hits one out

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

                                                           Not great but it'll do

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

                                                             Rafaela adds to the lead

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

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

                                                       Second home run for Abreu

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

                                                              Sox win

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

                                                             Caleb Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Erik Miller struck out the only man he faced.

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

The Bad:

Eli White grounded out as a pinch hitter.

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

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally Past Dodgers (7/31/26)

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

                                                           Karliah approves of the win

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

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

                                                          Duran with a big hit

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

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

                                                        Yoshida picks up Contreras

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

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

                                                              Dodgers fight back

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

                                                         "Dammit Tracy!" - RS

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

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

                                                            Monasterio with the killshot

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

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

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

                                                            Narvaez drives in a run

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

                                                                      Sox win

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

                                                        Hero Rafaela

The Good:

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

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

Jahmai Jones scored a run as a pinch runner.

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

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

Brayan Bello tossed 4 scoreless innings to earn the win.

The Bad:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 3.

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

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

The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Rivera Routed, O's Snap Streak in Game 2 (7/22/26)

Before Game 2 of the doubleheader the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Alec Gamboa was called up to be the 27th man for tonight only.

                                                                            IN

As for the game, all good things must come to an end and the Red Sox 15 game win streak was snapped by the Baltimore Orioles. Ranger Suarez had a cold so the Sox sent Eduardo Rivera (0-1, 6.30 ERA) to be the opener and it backfired. Rivera allowed 4 runs without even getting out of the first inning. Meanwhile Kyle Bradish held the Sox bats to just 1 run and 4 hits as the offense finally crashed down to earth. Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings but Jovani Moran allowed the final run. The bats did nothing and the pitching wasn't good enough as the Orioles won the second game of the doubleheader 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         So much for the streak

Rivera got the ball to start the top of the first inning and crapped his pants. Taylor Ward flied out to right but Pete Alonso hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Gunnar Henderson walked and Tyler O'Neill beat out a roller to Caleb Durbin to load the bases. Somehow Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging but a wild pitch scored Alonso and a base hit to center by Dylan Beavers scored the other two runners. Jonathan Rodriguez doubled to left to score Beavers and effectively end the game just like that. Jackson Holliday walked and Rivera got booed as Sox manager Chad Tracy yanked him. Brayan Bello came in and Chadwick Tromp grounded out to third to end the inning with the game already over 4-0 Orioles.

                                                          O's end it early

Bradish got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler grounded out to second to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Ward was hit with a pitch to start the top of the second but Alonso lined out to short. Henderson grounded into a double play to end the inning. Willson Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second. Caleb Durbin walked but Jarren Duran lined out to left to end the inning.

O'Neill got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Strand struck out swinging. Rodriguez and Holliday both struck out swinging to end the inning. Colton Cowser came in for O'Neill to start the bottom of the third and Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left....but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center and Seigler struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tromp struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Ward got a base hit to right. Alonso took strike three but Ward stole second. Henderson was hit by a pitch and Cowser walked to load the bases...but Strand lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Abreu struck out swinging but Contreras hit a ground rule double into the bullpen. Yoshida got a base hit to left to score Contreras but Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                            Yoshida isn't ready to quit

Beavers flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Rodriguez got a base hit to right. Holliday grounded into a double play to end the inning. Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Monasterio singled to left. Narvaez struck out swinging and Seigler grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Tromp grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Yeoman's effort from Bello to toss 5 1/3 shutout innings after Rivera left a mess.

                                                       Bello did well

Rafaela flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left. Contreras was plunked but Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. How do you let the 6-9 Kyle Bradish toss 6 innings of 1 run ball?

Jovani Moran came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Henderson tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. A wild pitch scored Henderson and Cowser walked. Strand dropped down a bunt to move Cowser to second and Colton moved to third on a grounder to first by Beavers. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                             It was Baltimore's night

Yennier Cano came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Durbin grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to first and Monasterio grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Holliday got a base hit to right to start. Tromp flied out to right, Ward flied out to left and Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Narvaez. Jones struck out swinging but Seigler got a base hit to center. A passed ball moved Seigler to second but Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu also flied out to center to end the inning. 

Alec Gamboa came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Connor Wong now behind the plate. Henderson grounded out to second, Cowser struck out swinging and Strand popped up to second to end the inning. Tyler Wells came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Contreras was hit with a pitch again. Yoshida flied out to left, Durbin popped up to short and Duran popped up to second to end the game. The 15 game win streak was over as the O's won the game 5-1.

                                                               O's win

Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rivera. He put the Sox in a 4 run hole they couldn't climb out of

                                                               Jackass Rivera

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 1 for 2 with 2 hit by pitches and a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 3.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and a walk.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Alec Gamboa pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Jahmai Jones struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the worst losses of the season for all the wrong reasons. 15 game win streak down the drain because Ranger Suarez couldn't pitch with the sniffles and Brayan Bello doesn't have the mental capacity to start the first inning. It should never have come to Eduardo Rodriguez starting the second game of a doubleheader to keep a 15 game win streak alive. Kyle Bradish has nine losses on the season but his ERA is on par with guys like Suarez and Payton Tolle, meaning he was bound to pitch a good game. The bats just didn't have it tonight and now the idiotic Sox fans that want to sell and blow the team up have all the ammo they need to get that wagon train moving again. There's still over a week before the deadline and another win streak would shut them up big time. The bloom appears to be off the rose for Anthony Seigler and the Sox need to do something about Narvaez and Duran because they're giving the Sox almost nothing. At least with Narvaez you can start Connor Wong but Duran is a black hole and without Roman Anthony, there's not much you can do there. The win streak and winning 20 out of 22 games brought the season back from the brink and they're still the third wild card team by 2 games over Seattle and still 1 behind the Cleveland Guardians for the 2nd spot. The New York Yankees are only 4.5 ahead of them as well so this season is not over yet. The loss dropped the Sox to 52-49, 7 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night against the last place Toronto Blue Jays. Both pitchers have yet to be determined but the game starts at 7:15 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep Mets in 10 Innings (7/12/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Danny Coulombe was designated for assignment last night and super sleuths discovered that he would have gotten a cash bonus if he made 30 appearances.....and last night was appearance 29. Not that he didn't deserve to be DFA'd, but they couldn't have waited one more game? In his place the Sox called up Brayan Bello from Worcester. The rumor is he's going to piggyback Payton Tolle to save Tolle's bullets for later.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, three weeks ago if the Red Sox were trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning the game was over. They hadn't won a game trailing in the ninth or by multiple runs all season. Now after the Red Sox had won 8 straight games and 13 out of 15, Sox fans thought the Sox had a chance. Turns out they were right. The New York Mets behind rookie Zach Thornton built a 2-0 lead with runs against Payton Tolle and Brayan Bello as Thornton allowed just 2 hits in 7 innings. In the ninth inning Devin Williams came in to lock it down, instead the Sox rallied to load the bases. Andruw Monasterio walked home Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran blooped a base hit to score Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it. In the tenth inning, Anthony Seigler hit a sac fly to score Masataka Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Garrett Whitlock shut the door in the ninth inning and the Sox not only had swept the Mets, but had won their ninth straight game heading into the all-star break. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings at Citi Field.

                                                               Tom Kim approves of the win

Thornton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler grounded out to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. The Mets wasted no time getting to Tolle in the bottom of the first as AJ Ewing doubled over the head of Seigler to start.  A wild pitch moved Ewing to third but Juan Soto struck out swinging. Francisco Lindor doubled to left to score Ewing and a wild pitch moved Lindor to third. Eric Wagaman took strike three and Carson Benge struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mets up 1-0.

                                                               Mets struck first

Romy Gonzalez walked to start the top of the second and Caleb Durbin dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Andruw Monasterio flied out to right and Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyrone Taylor walked to start the bottom of the second but Luis Torrens took strike three. Brett Baty struck out swinging and Zach Short flied out to center to end the inning.

Nate Eaton struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Connor Wong popped up to second. Seigler flied out to right to end the inning. Ewing struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Soto flied out to right. Lindor flied out to left to end the inning.

Rafaela flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Abreu lined back to the mound. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Wagaman grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Benge took strike three. Taylor doubled to left and that was it for Tolle. Sox manager Chad Tracy wanted to conserve Tolle's arm for the second half of the season and pulled him after 3 2/3 innings and allowing a run. The much maligned Brayan Bello came in and struck out Torrens swingingh to end the inning.

                                                          Short and sweet for Tolle.

Durbin lined out to center to start the top of the fifth but Monasterio doubled to left. Duran struck out swinging and Eaton grounded out to short to end the inning. Baty grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Short struck out swinging. Ewing struck out swinging to end the inning.

Wong got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth and Seigler flied out to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. The Mets struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Soto was retired on a swinging bunt to start. Lindor then hit a home run all the way to Yankee Stadium to increase the lead. Wagaman grounded out to first and Benge grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mets up 2-0.

                                                            Home run Lindor

Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Durbin struck out swinging. Wagaman dropped a pop up by Monasterio in foul territory for an error allowing Andruw to walk. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Taylor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Torrens got a base hit to right. Baty grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Luke Weaver came in for Thornton to start the top of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings. If Garrett Crochet comes back, the Tolle/Bello combo might work.

                                                                Good work Bello

Devin Williams came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jared Young taking over at first. Rafaela got a base hit to left but Abreu popped up to second. The game was over when Gonzalez hit a double play ball to Lindor....booted for an error. Given new life, Tsung-Che Cheng ran for Gonzalez and Durbin walked to load the bases. Monasterio walked to score Rafaela and Duran blooped a base hit to right that Benge trapped to score Cheng with the tying run. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Eaton and hit a bullet....right to Short who doubled of Monasterio to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                               The game is tied

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Lindor popped up to second to start. Young got a base hit to right but Benge struck out swinging. Taylor flied out to left to end the inning.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Yoshida starting at second base. To show Alex Cora wasn't around anymore, Wong dropped down a bunt to move Yoshida to third and Seigler hit a sac fly to left to score Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Seigler puts Boston on top

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Taylor starting at second base. Jorge Polanco pinch hit for Torrens and struck out swinging before Baty flied out to left. Bo Bichette pinch hit for Short and grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jarren Duran. His RBI single tied the game in the ninth and led the team to victory.

                                                           Hero Duran

The Good:

Tsung-Che Cheng scored a run as a pinch runner.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a crucial sacrifice bunt.

Payton Tolle went 3 2/3 innings allowing 3 hits, a walk and a run.

Brayan Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings of 2 hits.

Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Garrett Whitlock earned the save with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Nate Eaton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 but drove in the winning run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Chad Durbin was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored the winning run.

Final Thoughts:

3 weeks ago the game was over when they fell behind 2-0 but ironically the two times they rallied in the ninth was against New York teams. First the Yankees and now the Mets. Two years in a row the Sox rallied before the all-star break. Last year it was a ten game win streak, but this year not only was it a nine game win streak but they had won 5 out of 7 beforehand. The Sox have won 14 out of 16 to get back into this thing and not only are they 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East lead but they're 0.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third wild card. Apart from the Rays and Yankees the rest of the American League is clustered together. If the Sox can get Contreras back on Friday night (he's suspended Game 1) and hopefully get some of their injured guys back healthy like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and Triston Casas, they might have a September run in them. Just the fact the Sox went from blow everything up territory after dropping 2 of 3 to the Rockies to winning 14 of 16 is remarkable. Enjoy it while it lasts. The win improved the Sox to 46-48, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now hit the all-star break and don't come back until the big doubleheader Friday the 17th. Nobody knows who's pitching until then.