Rafaela, Sox Walkoff Rays (7/11/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made two roster moves. Alex Bregman was finally activated off the Injured List and returned to active duty tonight. Also activated for tonight's game was Hunter Dobbins. David Hamilton and Isaiah Campbell was sent down to Worcester to make room for them. Kudos to Isaiah Campbell for eating key innings on Wednesday night so the Sox bullpen could rest for last night's win. Hamilton will be back if and when someone is traded or hurt.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, for most of it things looked like April & May. Starter Hunter Dobbins came off the injured list and lasted just 1 2/3 innings before being knocked out with a knee injury. Then in the top of the third, a two out error and a passed ball led to three unearned runs scoring to give the Rays a 4-1 lead. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth for two runs but couldn't deliver the knockout blow. The Sox had chances to do it but failed each time. Then with one out in the ninth, Sox manager Alex Cora sent in Roman Anthony to pinch hit. Anthony walked and the red hot Ceddanne Rafaela mashed a a two run home run to win the game. The Sox had won their eighth game in a row and second straight over the Rays 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                8 in a row....ah ah ah

The Rays jumped on Dobbins in the top of the first inning as Yandy Diaz walked to start. Jonathan Aranda took strike three but Jake Mangum and Junior Caminero stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Josh Lowe beat out a double play ball to score Diaz and put the Rays up just 5 batters into the game. Taylor Walls struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                           Caminero loads the bases

Rasmussen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran lined out to first to start. The returning Alex Bregman grounded out to third but Masataka Yoshida doubled to left. Carlos Narvaez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Things went south in the top of the second inning as Jose Caballero grounded out to second to start. Chandler Simpson hit a routine grounder to first but Dobbins fell down grabbing his knee and screaming after stepping on the back. Dobbins had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Jorge Alcala came in ice cold and Danny Jansen doubled to center only for Diaz to ground out to short to end the inning. The Sox had lost their starter just 2 innings into the game.

                                                          Dobbins is hurt

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to center to start. Trevor Story walked but Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging. Abraham "El" Toro beat out a double play ball and Ceddanne Rafaela drilled a base hit to right to score Abreu. Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Rafaela drives in a run

Everything fell apart in the top of the third as Aranda doubled to left to start. Mangum got a base hit to left to move Aranda to third but Caminero popped up to first. Lowe popped up to first but Mangum stole second. Walls walked to load the bases and chase Alcala. Brennan Bernardino came in and Caballero hit a routine grounder to first.....booted by Toro for an error to score Aranda. Back to back passed balls on Narvaez scored both Mangum and Walls before Simpson walked. Jansen flied out to right to end the inning but the game was over with the Sox down 4-1 on 2 passed balls and an error.

                                                      Carlos couldn't catch a cold

The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the third with Joe Boyle now on the mound. Bregman took strike three, Yoshida flied out to left and Narvaez popped up to second to end the inning.

Diaz grounded out to second to begin the top of the fourth but Aranda got a base hit to left. Mangum flied out to right and Caminero struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox suddenly rallied in in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu walked to start. Story got a base hit to right and Mayer doubled to center to score Abreu. El Toro made up for his error by grounding out to second to score Story, moving Mayer to third. Naturally Rafaela hit a bullet right to Walls, who doubled off Mayer to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                           Mayer drives in a run

Lowe grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Walls grounded out to short. Caballero struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran popped up to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Bregman grounded out to third. Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning.

Greg Weissert took over on the mound for the top of the sixth and Simpson doubled to center to start. Jansen struck out swinging but Simpson moved to third on the grounder to second by Diaz. Aranda popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Narvaez walked to start. Abreu lined out to right but Story got a base hit to right. Mayer flied out to center and El Toro hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mangum walked to start. Caminero struck out swinging and Lowe forced Mangum at second. Walls got a base hit to left but Lowe was thrown out by Narvaez trying to steal third to end the inning. Kevin Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to second to start. Durran grounded out to first but Bregman doubled to center. Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jordan Hicks took over on the mound for the top of the eighth and Caminero grounded out to second to start. Simpson grounded out to second and Jansen took strike three to end the inning. Narvaez grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the eighth and Garrett Cleavinger was brought in to face Abreu. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by pinch hitting Rob Refsnyder. Refsnyder and Story both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chris Murphy (2-0, 0.00 ERA) came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Story made an absolutely amazing catch and throw to rob Diaz of a hit to start. Aranda flied out to center and Mangum took strike three to end the inning. Pete Fairbanks came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and things looked bleak when Mayer grounded out to second to start. Then Cora made a bold move by sending in rookie Roman Anthony ice cold to pinch hit for El Toro. The gamble worked as Anthony walked and Rafaela mauled a walkoff two run bomb to win the game. The Sox had stunned the Rays 5-4.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of The Night is obviously Ceddanne Rafaela. He drove in 3 runs including the walkoff home run to win the game.

                                                             Ice water veined Hero

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Roman Anthony walked and scored as a pinch hitter.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Chris Murphy got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 passed balls but drew a walk.

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

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 with an error but drove in a run.

Hunter Dobbins allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings before leaving with injury.

Jorge Alcala was charged with 3 earned runs but none of them were earned.

Final Thoughts:

Is it time to start believing in this team? After the Sox took 7 of 9 from the New York Yankees and the Rays, including the three game sweep, Fenway Park was rocking. Then the Sox traded Rafael Devers and after winning 3 of the next 4 games, they started their 1-8 slide. Now after winning 8 games in a row, Fenway is alive again. Beating up on bad teams is one thing, winning two in a row against a playoff position team like the Rays is another. Not only that, the Sox went into this series 2-32 when trailing after 7 innings and won both games in the later innings. Rafaela was snubbed for the All-Star game and he's put them on his back with Devers traded and Alex Bregman out until today. Someone had to step up and he did. Its unfortunate that Dobbins got hurt again but kudos to the bullpen to limit the damage. Because of El Toro's error and the two passed balls, all three runs allowed by Alcala were unearned. The bullpen essentially didn't allow an earned run after Dobbins left and it was a big part in the win. The much maligned Jordan Hicks pitching a clean inning with Weissert and Wilson overcoming men on base, the Sox had little margin for error and still found a way. The bad news was the Sox had to deplete their bullpen in tonight's game, the good news is Garrett Crochet is going tomorrow afternoon. Before the series started I wanted the Sox to take 3 out of 4 and tonight's game was the one I'd thought they'd lose. Instead, they've won the first two games and have Crochet and the rejuvenated Brayan Bello ready for the final two. A series sweep is a tall task but just got a little bit more believable. Can they not trade anyone please? Rumors are swirling about the San Diego Padres desperately wanting Jarren Duran and Aroldis Chapman is the most sought after reliever in baseball. If I was Craig Breslow, I'd be looking to deal some of the prospects for a second starter. If Dobbins' knee injury is serious, the Sox are looking at a rotation of Crochet, Giolito, Buehler, Bello and Fitts. Buehler and Fitts have been inconsistent and they need something more solid. Still, the team as it is now is rolling and it just got Bregman and Yoshida back. The Sox look to make it 9 in a row tomorrow afternoon when they send ace Garrett Crochet (9-4, 2.39 ERA) to the mound against Shane Baz of Tampa. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Beat Devers, Giants (6/20/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an expected roster moving. After struggling since his April tear, Kristian Campbell was sent down to Worcester with a .223 batting average. In his place the Sox activated Wilyer Abreu from the Injured List. Campbell jumped from Portland straight to Boston and looked great in April before crashing down. The rumor is they'll be using him at first in Worcester to get him some reps. Abreu at least gives the Sox some power back with Rafael Devers on the other side now.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Red Sox had to win not only against the San Francisco Giants, but their new designated hitter Rafael Devers as well. The Sox bats woke up with 11 hits in this one and a few timely home runs as well. The struggling David Hamilton socked a two run home run and Ceddanne Rafaela hit a solo home run as well. The much maligned Alex Cora managed the pitchers flawlessly in this one. Hunter Dobbins got tagged for five runs in four innings but Brennan Bernardino (3-2, 3.10 ERA) led a Boston bullpen charge that didn't allow a run the rest of the game. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox beat Devers and the Giants 7-5 at Oracle Park.

                                                    Alura Jenson approves of the win

Hayden Birdsong got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran popped up to third to start. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging and Roman Anthony flied out to left to end the inning. Dobbins got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Yastrzemski walked to start. Yaz moved to second on the Heliot Ramos grounder to first and to third on the Rafael Devers grounder to first. Wilmer Flores it a routine grounder to second but David Hamilton threw his glove at the ball and fell down backwards for an error that scored Yaz. Jung Hoo Lee flied out to right to end the inning with the Giants up 1-0.

                                                  Devers on another team seems wrong

Abraham "El" Toro popped up to second to start the top of the second before Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging. Trevor Story popped up to first to end the inning. The Giants struck again in the bottom of the first as Wily Adames walked to start. Casey Schmitt and Patrick Bailey both walked to load the bases and former Sox prospect "Boss" Christian Koss banged into a double play to score Adames. Yaz hit a roller past Dobbins for a base hit to score Schmitt but Ramos took strike three to end the inning with the Giants up 3-0.

                                                           Yaz does it again

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Marcelo Mayer grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to left and Hamilton atoned for his error with a 2 run bomb to cut the lead. Duran got a base hit to center but Narvaez struck out swinging. Anthony walked and Toro flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                          Hamilton hits one out

Devers flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Flores popped up to short. Lee lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox tied it in the top of the fourth as Abreu doubled to right to start. Story struck out swinging but Mayer grounded out to second to move Abreu to third. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Abreu to tie the game. Hamilton lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                               Rafaela ties it up

The Giants took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Adames got a base hit to left to start. Schmitt got a base hit down the third base line and Bailey walked to load the bases. "Boss" Koss grounded into a double play but Adames scored to give SF the lead. Yaz grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Giants up 4-3.

                                                            Adames scores a run

The Sox answered in the top of the fifth as Duran got a base hit to center to start. Narvaez flied out to left but Duran swiped second base. Anthony got a base hit to center to score Duran and took second on the throw home. Koss then booted a grounder by Toro for an error that scored Anthony with the go-ahead run. That was it for Birdsong as Sean Hjelle came in to face Abreu. Wilyer forced Toro at second and Story forced Abreu to end the inning with the Sox up 5-4.

                                                               Anthony scores

Ramos got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth and that was it for Dobbins. He didn't have it in this one as he allowed 5 runs in 4 innings off 4 hits and FIVE walks. Brennan Bernardino came in and Devers grounded out to short to move Ramos to second. Flores got a base hit to center to score Ramos but Wilmer was thrown out at second by Navarez. Lee grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Dobbins didn't have it tonight

The Sox once again answered in the top of the sixth as Mayer grounded out to first to start. Rafaela then crushed his seventh home run of the season to put Boston on top. Hamilton got a base hit to right to chase Hjelle. Erik Miller struck out Duran swinging and Narvaez lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-5.

                                                            Rafaela puts the Sox ahead

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Adames struck out swinging to begin. Schmitt struck out swinging but Bailey walked. Daniel Johnson pinch hit for Koss and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Justin Wilson to face him. The Giants countered by pinch hitting Tyler Fitzgerald for Johnson and Bailey moved to second on a wild pitch. Fitzgerald struck out swinging to end the inning.

Joey Lucchesi came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Anthony struck out swinging to start. Toro doubled to right and Abreu scored him with a base hit to right. Ryan Walker came in to pitch to Story and Trevor went down hacking. Mayer took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 7-5.

                                                      Another rbi for Abreu

Yaz popped up to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Ramos got a base hit to center. Devers flied out to center and Greg Weissert came in to face Flores. Wilmer grounded into a force to end the inning.

Rafaela grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth and Hamilton flied out to left. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Lee flied out to center to start. Adames walked but Schmitt singled to center. Bailey struck out swinging and old pal Dominic Smith pinch hit for Fitzgerald. Smith walked to load the bases and Brett Wisely ran for him. Yaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Spencer Bivens came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Narvaez took strike three to start. Anthony flied out to left and Toro took strike three to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Ramos struck out swinging to start. Devers went down hacking and Flores popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-5.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. He tied the game with an rbi single and later hit the go-ahead home run.

                                                           Ceddanne Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a stolen base and a run scored.

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

David Hamilton was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Brennan Bernardino got the win with a scoreless fifth inning.

Zack Kelly tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Justin Wilson tossed a full scoreless inning.

Greg Weissert got the final out of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 14th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hunter Dobbins got rocked for 5 runs (4 earned) in just 4 innings. He allowed 4 hits and five walks.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 5 with an error and a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

So far so good for the Red Sox after the Rafael Devers trade.  He was 0 for 5 tonight and the Sox have won 4 out of 5 since the trade. The offense picked it up against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays and carried over after the trade so far. Masataka Yoshida and Alex Bregman are due to return soon so the trade created some room. The Sox are going to need one of them to step up big because that was still a huge bat to lose. They can't sustain success with Rob Refsnyder, Romy Gonzalez and Abraham Toro getting consistent reps. Its just a question of when the bottom drops out on a team of utility players. More so, Dobbins getting roughed up was concerning but the bullpen came through big time. The win improved the Sox to 40-37, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 2 in a row against the Giants tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (3-1, 3.49 ERA) takes on Landen Roupp of San Francisco. The game begins at 4:10 PM Eastern time at Oracle Park.

Dobbins, Sox Hold Off Yankees (6/14/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a trade. Brian Van Belle was traded to the Cincinnati Reds for a big sack full of money. They had to get someone off the 40 man roster to get Jorge Alcala on it and this was the casualty. He seemed to have it figured out in Worcester, maybe he'll make his ML debut for the Reds this season.

                                                                 OUT

As for the game, don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have won four games in a row not just in this recent stretch but against the New York Yankees as well. Tonight it was "War Pig" Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 3.74 ERA) that dominated the Yankees for six innings. The Boston bats stepped up against Yankees starter Carlos Rodon tagging him for four runs. Romy Gonzalez, Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story all drove in runs to help the cause. Then the Sox bullpen almost blew it. Luis Guerrero was tagged for two runs in the seventh and Greg Weissert got tagged in the ninth for another run. With the tying run at second base, Austin Wells flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Sammi Chaos approves of the win

Dobbins got the ball in the top of the first inning and right off the bat, Kristian Campbell booted a grounder by Trent Grisham for an error. Aaron Judge struck out swinging and Ben Rice grounded into a double play. The Sox wasted no time getting to Rodon in the bottom of the first as Rob Refsnyder doubled to left to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Romy Gonzalez flied out to right. Carlos Narvaez singled in the whole at short and Anthony Volpe threw the ball away, allowing Refsnyder to score. Jarren Duran popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

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

Paul Goldschmidt took strike three to start the top of the second before Jazz Chisholm got a base hit to left. Volpe walked and Jasson Dominguez flied out to center to move Jazz to third. Austin Wells popped up to third to end the inning. Trevor Story popped up to short to start the bottom of the second before Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third. Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning.

DJ LeMahieu grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Grisham struck out swinging. Judge also went down hacking again to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Campbell walked to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Devers banged into a double play. Gonzalez flied out to right to end the inning.

Rice grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Goldschmidt flied out to right. Chisholm grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Narvaez doubled to left to start. Duran lined out to left but Story doubled to center to score Narvaez. Rafaela flied out to right and Mayer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                  Story with the hustle double

Volpe got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth but Duran made a great running catch off a Dominguez liner. Wells popped up to third and LeMahieu flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Campbell was hit with a pitch to start. Refsnyder lined out to right but Devers struck out swinging. Gonzalez doubled to center to score Campbell with another run. Narvaez walked but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Romy drives in a run

Dobbins returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Grisham struck out swinging to start. Judge grounded out to third and Rice also grounded out to third to end the inning. Thanks to Mr. "No Third Time Through The Order" Cora, Dobbins went six innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

                                                          Dobbins gets it done

The Sox chased Rodon in the bottom of the sixth when Story doubled to left to start. Yerry De Los Santos came in and Rafaela shockingly dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Trevor over. Mayer hit a sac fly to left to score Story and show that small ball is indeed possible. Campbell grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                               Mayer drives in a run

The Yankees rallied against Luis Guerrero in the top of the seventh with David Hamilton now playing second. Goldschmidt and Chisholm drew back to back walks before Volpe lined out to short. Dominguez singled up the middle to score Goldschmidt and chase Guerrero. Justin Wilson allowed a base hit to left by Wells to score Chisholm but struck out LeMahieu swinging. The alert Narvaez picked off Dominguez to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.

                                                               Yerrrrr out

Roman Anthony pinch hit for Refsnyder to start the bottom of the seventh and grounded out to short. Devers flied out to right and Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.

Wilson returned for the top of the eighth and Grisham lined out to center to start. Judge was rung up for strike three on a check swing and Rice whiffed to end the inning. Narvaez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth but Duran walked. Story grounded into a double play to end the inning.

To give Aroldis Chapman another day off, Cora rolled the dice and brought in Greg Weissert to close out the game. Goldschmidt immediately doubled under the garage door in left and Chisholm grounded out to first to move Paul to third. Volpe grounded out to second to score Goldschmidt and Dominguez also doubled under the garage door in left. With the tying run on second, Wells hit a ball deep to center....caught by a running Rafaela to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                       Sox win

Hero of The Night is Hunter Dobbins. Facing intense scrutiny from the New York media for last week's comments, Hunter shrugged them off to allow just 2 hits and a walk in 6 shutout innings to earn the win.

                                                          Hunter Hero

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and picked off another runner.

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

Kristian Campbell walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 1.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Luis Guerrero got tagged for 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 2 but dropped down a key sacrifice bunt.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Justin Wilson allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Greg Weissert got the save but still allowed a run in the ninth.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the final three innings.

Final Thoughts:

Wow, what's gotten into the Red Sox? Clutch hitting, dropping down bunts, catcher's that can throw out runners, starters than can go past 4 2/3 innings? Maybe Alex Cora took a blow to the head and remembered how to manage. Normally I'd bitch about pulling Dobbins after just 6 innings but he really does have lousy stats the third time through the order. Can't really fault Cora for the bullpen allowing 3 runs because both Chapman and Brennan Bernardino are gassed and Justin Slaten is out with an injury. Still, Justin Wilson got some key outs and Weissert didn't totally puke on himself. The overall story was Dobbins putting the media attack out of his head to dominate the Yankees. That's the kind of balls you don't see every day in the neverending Sox/Yankees rivalry. Speaking of which, the Sox have now won 4 of their last 5 against the Yankees and 6 out of 8 total including the Tampa Bay Rays series. The Sox needed to make a statement and so far they have. A series sweep might be too much to ask for but if they can pull it off, they'll be closer to getting back in contention than they've been in a month. The win improved the Sox to 36-36, 7.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row tomorrow but run smack into 9-1 Yankees ace Max Fried. Brayan Bello (2-1, 3.96 ERA) looks to step up big tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Yankees (6/7/25)

That was unexpected. Facing the reigning American League Champion New York Yankees, the Boston Red Sox actually outhit them in tonight's game on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Hunter Dobbins (3-1, 4.20 ERA) allowed 3 runs to the Yankees in 5 innings but the Sox fought back with a 2 run Kristian Campbell home run in the bottom of the fifth. Carlos Narvaez hit a three run home run in the bottom of the sixth and Jarren Duran knocked in a pair of runs as well. Then Sox manger Alex Cora went completely insane using SEVEN relief pitchers to finish off the game. Managing like his life was on the line instead of a regular season game, the madness worked for the most part. The bullpen did allow four runs but home runs by Rafael Devers, Abraham Toro and Trevor Story were more than enough cushion. Funnyman Robert Stock got knocked around in the ninth inning but Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the Sox took two of three from New York with a 11-7 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                                   Chloe Amour approves of the win

Carlos Rodon got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to first and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees got to Dobbins in the bottom of the first and Ben Rice got a base hit to right to start. Aaron Judge then hit a home run all the way to Neptune to put the Yankees on top. Cody Bellinger grounded out to first, Paul Goldschmidt and Jazz Chisholm Jr grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                                  Judge hits one out

Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third. Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to third to end the inning. Anthony Volpe grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second and Trent Grisham got a base hit to right. DJ LeMahieu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Trevor Story lined out to left to start the top of the third but Chisholm threw a grounder away by Ceddanne Rafaela away for an error to move Ceddanne to second. Kristian Campbell grounded out to first to move Ceddanne to third but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. JC Escarra grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third and Rice lined out to Toro. Judge flied out to center to end the inning.

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Refsnyder flied out to right. Narvaez walked but Gonzalez flied out to right to end the inning. Bellinger flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Goldschmidt grounded out to second. Chisholm grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as El Toro popped up to third to start. Story popped up to first but Rafaela walked. Campbell then bashed his sixth home run of the year to tie the game. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Campbell gets the Wally Head

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the fifth as Volpe flied out to right to start. Grisham grounded out to first but LeMahieu hit a home run all the way to Nicaragua to put New York ahead. Escarra grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-2. That was it for Dobbins who allowed 3 runs in 5 innings off 4 hits.

                                                      Dobbins was mediocre tonight

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Devers was hit with a pitch to start. Refsnyder walked and Narvaez smashed his 6th home run of the year to put the Red Sox on top. Fernando Cruz was brought in to face Gonzalez and Romy struck out swinging. El Toro doubled to right and Story got a base hit to right to move Toro to third. Rafaela struck out swinging but Campbell walked to load the bases. Tim Hill came in to face Duran and Jarren got a base hit to center to score both Toro and Story. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                           Sox are back on top

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Rice took strike three to start. Judge walked, Bellinger singled to left and Goldschmidt walked to load the bases. Chisholm hit a sac fly to left to score Judge and Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock to put out the fire. Volpe got a base hit inside the bag at third and Grisham walked to score Bellinger. LeMahieu grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 7-5.

                                                                 Yankees inch closer

Jonathan Loaisiga came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder. Abreu flied out to left and Narvaez grounded out to third. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Austin Wells pinch hit for Escarra. Wells struck out swinging and Rice did the same. Judge got a base hit in the hole at short and Bellinger popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the eighth when El Toro belted his fourth home run of the season to start. Story mashed his eighth home run of the season for back to back jacks. Rafaela struck out swinging and Brent Headrick came in to face Campbell. Kristian got a base hit to right and David Hamilton ran for him. Hamilton was picked off and Duran lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5.

                                                                Back to back home runs

Marcelo Mayer came in for Gonzalez and Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Goldschmidt singled to center but Chisholm popped up to short. Volpe doubled to left and that was it for Kelly. Greg Weissert came in to strike out Grisham swinging and LeMahieu lined out to right to end the inning.

The homer parade continued in the top of the ninth when Devers launched his 14th of the season to start. Abreu lined out to left but Narvaez got a base hit to right. Mayer forced Narvaez at second and Toro doubled to left to score Marcelo. Ian Hamilton came in to pitch and Story walked, but Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 11-5.

                                                                Devers hits one out

Robert Stock came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Wells walked to start. Rice flied out to right but Judge hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to cut the lead. Bellinger walked but Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Bellinger took second on defensive indifference and Chisholm Jr walked. Sox manager Alex Cora took no chances after Bellinger took third on defensive indifference and called upon Aroldis Chapman to close it out. Volpe struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-7.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Carlos Narvaez. His 3 run home run in the sixth put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Hero Narvaez

The Good:

Abraham Toro was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 total runs scored.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 3 with a 2 run home run and a walk.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Zack Kelly got the first out of the eighth inning.

Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 11th save by striking out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was picked off as a pinch runner.

Brennan Bernardino was charged with 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Robert Stock allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored 2 runs.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 1 but scored a run.

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

Hunter Dobbins got the win but allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings off 4 hits.

Garrett Whitlock allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Its not every day the Sox outslug the Bronx Bombers but tonight they did on national television. The Sox as a team hit five home runs and the big one was ex-Yankee farmhand Carlos Narvaez. It was also ex-Yankee farmhand Garrett Whitlock that put the fire out in the sixth inning. Shout out to the role players such as Abraham Toro and Kristian Campbell that both hit home runs as well. The only blemish was the Yankees kept coming and it took the Sox best relievers to stop them. This might not mean much, but the Sox middle relievers need to be able to get the defending AL Champs out if they want to make the playoffs this year. Rumors are swirling with management still unhappy with Devers refusing to play first base but can't argue his bat. He hit another home run in New York and that kind of bat you just can't replace. All in all it was a good win and taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees might jumpstart them back into contention. The win improved the Sox to 32-35, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a three game set with the Tampa Bay Rays beginning tomorrow night. Brayan Bello goes for the Sox against Shane Baz of Tampa Bay. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Early Rally Drop Sox (6/2/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Nate Eaton was sent back to Worcester and Romy Gonzalez was activated from the Injured List. Not much to say about this one, one utility guy swapped out for another.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                     IN

Talk about a comeback for the ages that never was. The Los Angels looked to be headed for an easy victory over the Red Sox when they blasted "Big" Dick Fitts (0-3, 4.71 ERA) for six runs in the top of the first inning. Zach Neto, Mike Trout and Jo Adell all went yard to build the lead. Then the Sox rallied with a run in the third against Ty Anderson and four in the fifth with Romy Gonzalez driving in two runs to cut the lead to 1. Unfortunately Adell went yard again off Hunter Dobbins and a Ceddanne Rafaela solo shot was all Boston could do. The Angels had won the game 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                   "If only Fitts didn't suck tonight" - GL

The Angels wasted no time getting to Fitts in the top of the first inning as Zach Neto hit the first pitch of the game out of the yard to put the Angels up for good instantly. Nolan Schanuel walked, Taylor Ward got a base hit to right and Abraham Toro booted a grounder by Jorge Soler to score Nolan. Mike Trout then hit a home run all the way to Pluto to ice the game just like that. Logan O'Hoppe lined out to first but Jo Adell hit a home run onto the Mass Pike to send the fans into a booing rampage. Luis Rengifo lined out to left and Scott Kingery grounded out to short to end the inning with the Angels up 6-0. Bye bye Dick Fitts.

                                           "You suck....and get outta here!" - Narvaez

Ty Anderson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Rafael Devers did the same and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

Hunter Dobbins came in to pitch the top of the second and Neto flied out to right to start. Schanuel flied out to center and Ward struck out swinging to end the inning. Carlos Narvaez flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Romy Gonzalez singled off the glove of Rengifo. Abraham "El" Toro got a base hit to right and Trevor Story beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first to end the inning.

Soler struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Trout got a base hit to center. O'Hoppe grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third although Kristian Campbell grounded back to the mound to start. Duran doubled to center and Devers did the same to score Jarren. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Narvaez walked. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                            Devers drives in a run

Adell took strike three to begin the top of the fourth but Rengifo singled to left. Kingery forced Rengifo at second and Neto struck out swinging to end the inning. Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Story grounded out to short. Rafaela lined out to short to end the inning.

Schanuel walked to start the top of the fifth but Ward lined out to second. Soler forced Schanuel at second and Trout got a base hit to left. O'Hoppe lined out to right to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Campbell took strike three to start. Duran doubled to center, Devers walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Refsnyder got a base hit to left to score Duran and Narvaez doubled to left to score Devers. That was it for Anderson as Hunter Strickland came in only for Gonzalez to double to right to score Refsnyder and Narvaez. Toro grounded out to short to move Gonzalez to third and with the tying run 90 feet away....Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                        Sox inch closer

Naturally all the momentum was lost instantly in the top of the sixth when Adell hit a home run all the way to Oklahoma to start. Rengifo hit one up the elevator shaft, Kingery popped up to first and Neto grounded out to short to end the inning with the Angels up 7-5.

                                                         Second home run for Adell

Reid Detmers came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Rafaela reached on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start. Campbell forced Rafaela at second but Duran got a base hit to right. Devers flied out to left but Refsnyder walked to load the bases. With the tying run on second....Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Angels pitching coach Barry Enright wasn't too happy about the Refsnyder walked and he walked toward home plate umpire Chad Whitson brandishing a tire iron. Whitson tossed Enright from the game and he had to be escorted out by armed SWAT members. 

Nick Burdi made his Red Sox debut pitching the top of the seventh and naturally Gonzalez threw a grounder by Schanuel away for an error. Ward struck out swinging but Soler walked. Trout grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

                                                            Burdi with a good debut

Kevin Newman took over for Kingery in the bottom of the seventh with old pal Ryan Zeferjahn now on the mound. Gonzalez grounded back to the mound and El Toro struck out swinging. Story took strike three to end the inning.

Luis Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and O'Hoppe flied out to right to start. Adell popped up to first and Rengifo grounded out to third to end the inning. Hector Neris came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela immediately greeted him with his fourth homer of the season to cut the lead. Campbell grounded back to the mound, Duran struck out swinging and Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 7-6.

                                                           Rafaela gets the Wally Head

Newman lined out to center to start the top of the ninth and Neto grounded out to third. Schanuel grounded out to second to end the inning. Old pal Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder. Abreu struck out swinging, Narvaez flied out to center and Gonzalez flied out to right to end the game. The Angels had won it 7-6.

                                                         Angels win

Jackass of The Night is Richard Fitts. He allowed 6 runs in the first inning to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                              Jackass Fitts

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Hunter Dobbins allowed just one run in 5 innings.

Nick Burdi pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Luis Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a sucker punch to the gonads. They were down 6-0 and rallied to make it 6-5, only to give up a run. Then they get a run but can't deliver the knockout blow. Fitts melting in the first inning only for the Sox to rally was a welcomed sight to see, only problem is they didn't complete the comeback. One of the reasons the Sox have been so miserable this season is inconsistent pitching outside of Garret Crochet, Lucas Giolito and Brayan Bello. Tanner Houck was awful, Richard Fitts has been inconsistent, Walker Buehler hasn't pitched well and Hunter Dobbins isn't lighting the world on fire either. If they can get better pitching, things will work themselves out. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-33, 9 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow evening when Brayan Bello goes for the Sox against Yusei Kikuchi of Los Angeles. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.