Duran, Sox Slam Marlins in 11th (8/25/26)

As the legend of the 2026 Boston Red Sox builds, tonight another chapter in the incredible story was etched with a memorable victory over the Miami Marlins. The Sox struck first with a second inning home run off Miami starter Tyler Phillips. Sox starter Payton Tolle was superb through four innings but allowed a 5th inning run to tie it up. Gasper launched his second home run of the game in the top of the sixth but the Marlins knocked Tolle out with a run in the bottom of the sixth. Plunged into extra innings, the Sox took the lead in the top of the tenth when Connor Wong scored on a passed ball....only for Wong to allow a passed ball to score Brian Navarreto to tie the game in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded in the top of the eleventj, the much maligned Jarren Duran smashed a grand slam to put the Sox ahead. Alec Gamboa (1-0, 1.31 ERA) shut the door in the bottom half and the Sox had beaten the Marlins 7-3 in 11 innings.

                                                      Hex Hypoxia approves of the win

Phillips got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Nick Sogard took strike three to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu also took strike three to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Otto Lopez struck out swinging to start Heriberto Hernandez flied out to left and Agustin Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Willson Contreras grounded out to third to begin the top of the second but Mickey Gasper belted his fourth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Andruw Monasterio got a base hit off Phillips but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Anthony Siegler walked but Connor Wong grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           Gasper gets the Wally Head

Javier Sanjoa's bunt was snuffed out by Contreras to start the bottom of the second and Xavier Edwards grounded out to short. Leo Jimenez walked but Griffin Conine took strike three to end the inning.

Sogard flied out to left to start the top of the third and Rafaela grounded out to short. Abreu lined out to right to end the inning. Esteury Ruiz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Brian Navarreto flied out to left. Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Contreras got a base hit to left to start. Gasper walked but Monasterio beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Duran struck out swinging and Seigler did the same to end the inning. Hernandez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Ramirez struck out swinging. Sanoja flied out to center to end the inning,

Wongs truck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Sogard walked. Rafaela flied out to center to chase Phillips. Victor Vodnik got Abreu to go down hacking to end the inning. The Marlins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Edwards hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Jimenez hit a grounder to second and Edwards was thrown out at third, but Conine got a base hit to right. Ruiz walked to load the bases and Navarreto hit a sac fly to center to score Jimenez. Lopez popped up to second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                             Navarreto ties it up

Tyler Zuber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Contreras grounded out to third to start. Gasper then hammered his second home run of the game to put the Sox back on top. Monasterio flied out to center and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox back in front 2-1.

                                                        Gasper does it again

The lead lasted 8 seconds as Hernandez hit one of the most effortless home runs in recorded history to begin the bottom of the sixth. Ramirez struck out swinging but Sanoja got a base hit to left to chase Tolle. Normally 5 1/3 and 2 runs allowed would be good, but blowing the lead twice wasn't a good look. Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in and Edwards walked. Jimenez lined out to second and Conine grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                   Tolle needed to be better

Jack Ralston came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Seigler popped up to second. Wong grounded out to short and Sogard grounded out to first to end the inning. Jakob Marsee pinch hit for Ruiz to start the bottom of the seventh and got a base hit to right to start. Navarreto dropped down a bunt to move Marsee to second and Lopez got a base hit in the hole at second. Marsee tried for home but Siegler gunned him down for the second out. Lopez stole second but Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                              Yerrrrr out!

Michael Petersen came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela beat out a roller to third to start. Abreu forced Ceddanne at second and Contreras flied out to left. Gasper walked but Monasterio forced Abreu at third to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Kyle Stowers pinch hit for Ramirez. Stowers struck out swinging and Sanoja flied out to center, but Edwards beat out a roller to second. Jimenez flied out to left to end the inning.

Josh Ekness came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran flied out to center to start. Seigler walked and Eli White pinch ran for him....only to get thrown out at second trying to steal. Wong popped up to second to end the inning. Caleb Durbin came in for White with Erik Miller now on the mound to start the bottom of the ninth. Conine, Marsee and Navarreto all struck out swinging in short order to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the tenth with Calvin Faucher on the mound and Wong starting at second base. Sogard grounded out to second to move Wong to third and Connor scored on a passed ball to put Boston ahead. Rafaela grounded out to third and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 3-2.

                                                       Wong scores the go-ahead run

With Aroldis Chapman unavailable, rookie Wyatt Olds came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Navaretto starting at second base. Lopez hit a routine grounder to Monasterio....thrown away for an error. Hernandez popped up to short and Stowers flied out to center, but Navarreto took third on the throw. Lopez stole second but Sanoja swung and missed for strike three....only for the ball to get away from Wong to allow Navarreto to score the tying run, chasing Olds. Alec Gamboa came in to face Edwards and Sanoja took second on defensive indifference. Edwards grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Dammit

Cade Gibson came in to pitch the top of the eleventh but the Sox suddenly rallied with Abreu starting at second. Contreras singled in the hole at first and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Gasper. Jones walked to load the bases but Monasterio forced Abreu at home. Duran somehow crushed a grand slam to put the Sox up for good but Durbin flied out to center. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                           Grand salami for Duran

Gamboa returned to close out the bottom of the eleventh with Edwards starting at second base. Jimenez walked but Conine flied out to center. Marsee beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and a passed ball by Wong moved Marsee to second. Navarreto grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3 in 11 innings.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jarren Duran. His grand slam put the Sox ahead in the 11th.

                                                   "I'm Hero, and you're not!" - Duran

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mickey Gasper walked twice and belted two home runs.

Jahmai Jones walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.

Anthony Siegler walked twice in four plate appearances.

Tyron Guerrero tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Erik Miller struck out the side in the ninth inning.

Alec Gamboa got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Eli White was thrown out trying to steal as a pinch runner.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 5 with an error but scored a run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 5 with a strikeout and a passed ball but scored a run.

Payton Tolle allowed 2 runs after the Sox took the lead in 5 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Wyatt Olds got charged with the run in the 10th but due to bad defense.

Final Thoughts:

It was great news all around as not only did the Sox pull another win out of their asses but the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both lost, inching the Sox closer with just 30 games left. The Sox are in a little bit of trouble with the duo of Adley Rutschman and Connor Wong as automatic outs and the trio of Durbin, Contreras and Abreu struggling with Monasterio's average dropping 20 points in the last 3 weeks. That's 5 of the 9 guys struggling with Duran an enigma but Rafaela, Gasper and Sogard the only consistent hitters. That's not a recipe for success but they have won 5 in a row despite all the struggles. The Sox just find a way to win and they've been doing it since the end of June. The sad part is someone has to go with Trevor Story due to come off the injured list tomorrow with Roman Anthony and Isiah Kiner-Falefa not far behind. Mickey Gasper and Anthony Seigler make the most sense for the infielders and they might dump Jones or White to make room for Anthony. There's still a week until September call ups so they run the risk of losing guys off waivers in the meantime. Still, Roman Anthony has looked great in Portland and Worcester so he'll be a welcome addition. Unfortunately both Story and Kiner sucked in Worcester and a lot of fans are unhappy with them taking spots off guys that held the fort like Sogard, Gasper, Seigler and Monasterio. This weekend is definitely not the time to tinker with chemistry with the biggest series of the year coming up against the Yankees. Still, things are going to work themselves out one way or another. Gotta feel for Wyatt Olds who's had a lousy minor league career, he gets the call and he's a muffed strike three away from saving a crucial, gotta have it game in late August. Duran saved the day again and its becoming a theme, just wish he hit more consistently. The offensive struggles are concerning but they got fresh troops coming so things might get better. The win improved the Sox to 73-59, 5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow and their sixth straight win when they send Sonny Gray (16-3, 2.79 ERA) up against Ryan Gusto of Miami. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Sox Rally Past Marlins (8/24/26)

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

                                                Brenda Castillo approves of the win

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

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

                                                              Marlins strike first

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

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

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

                                                                Gasper ties it up

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

                                                  Suarez holds the Marlins to 1 run

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

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

                                                              Edwards drives in a run

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

                                                            Sox tie it up

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

                                                              PAIN TRAIN!

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

                                                     Sogard does it again

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

                                                                Sox win

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

                                                          Hero Seagulls

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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

Eli White scored a run as a pinch runner.

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

Erik Miller got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Adley Rutschman was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

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

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

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4.

Brayan Bello allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally To Sweep Giants (8/23/26)

The Boston Red Sox have a monumental decision to make coming up soon. Trevor Story is due to come off the Injured List and Nick Sogard is playing for his life right now. The leadoff hitter was the catalyst in today's comeback win against the San Francisco Giants. The Giants bolted out to a 3-0 lead on Jake Bennett (8-6, 3.49 ERA) when Sogard hit a home run off Matt Wilkinson in the bottom of the second. After Ceddanne Rafaela drove in a run in the third, Sogard started the rally in the bottom of the fourth culminating in a game tying Connor Wong double and a Mickey Gasper go-ahead bi double of his own. Rafaela drove in a run of his own to add to the lead. After a comedy of errors brought the Giants within one, Bennett went 7 strong to hand the game over to the bullpen. Tyron Guerrero and Aroldis Chapman slammed the window shut and the Sox had rallied past the Giants to sweep them out of Fenway Park 5-4.

                                                     Wyndham Clark approves of the win

The Giants wasted no time getting to Bennett in the top of the first inning as Osleivis Basabe flied out to right to start. Rafael Devers walked, Willy Adames got a abse hit to left and Bryce Eldridge singled to right to score Devers. Victor Bericoto got a base hit to left to score Adames but Jung Hoo Lee flied out to left. Andrew Knizner lined out to a diving Rafaela to end the inning with the Giants up 2-0.

                                                         Bericoto drives in a run

Wilkinson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones got a base hit to start. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to center but Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging. Willson Contreras popped up to short and Caleb Durbin flied out to center to end the inning.

Jonah Cox hit a home run all the way to Soviet Russia to start the top of the second but "Boss" Christian Koss grounded out to third. Basabe lined out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Giants up 3-0.

                                                               Cox hits one out

The Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Nick Sogard blasted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on the board. Andruw Monasterio lined out to center, Eli White struck out swinging and Connor Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                              Sogard gets the Wally Head

Adames lined out to right to start the top of the third before Eldridge singled to right. Bericoto glied out to center and Lee grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Jones tripled into the centerfield triangle to start. Rafaela got a base hit to center to score him then promptly stole second base. Abreu flied out to left, Contreras flied out to center and Durbin grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                          Another rbi for Rafaela

Knizner flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Cox singled to center. Koss popped up to short and Basabe struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Sogard doubled to left to start. Monasterio grounded out to second to move Sogard to third but White popped up to first. Wong lined out to left to end the inn....WAIT A MINUTE! Eagle eyed Chad Tracy challenged that the ball was trapped by Bericoto and sure enough, the umpires overturned the call. Wong was given a double and Sogard scored to tie the game. JT Brubaker came in to face Jones but Tracy countered by bringing in Mickey Gasper to pinch hit. The gamble worked as Gamble doubled home Wong to put the Sox on top. Rafaela got a base hit to center to score Gasper with the insurance run. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                              Wong ties the game before the Sox go ahead

Devers grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Adames struck out swinging. Eldridge also went down hacking to end the inning. Buddy Kennedy took over for Adames to start the bottom of the fifth and Contreras grounded out to third. Durbin flied out to right but Sogard walked. Monasterio flied out to left to end the inning.

Drew Gilbert pinch hit for Bericoto to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging. Lee popped up to short and Knizner flied out to right to end the inning. White popped up a bunt to Brubaker to start the bottom of the sixth but Wong got a base hit to left. Sam Hentges came in to face Gasper and a wild pitch moved Connor to second. Gasper flied iut to right and Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning.

Bennett returned for one final inning and Cox flied out to right to start. All hell broke loose as Koss hit a routine grounder to Monasterio who fired the ball into right field for an error. Abreu picked up the ball and suddenly threw it into the right field stands for absolutely no reason. Koss came all the way around to score on a T-Ball Homerun as the fans booed. Basabe lined out to right and Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Giants down 5-4. That was it for Bennett who survived early inning trouble and pure stupidity to go 7 strong innings and allow 3 earned runs (4 total).

                                                       Bennett did well

Abreu grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Contreras struck out swinging. Durbin took strike three to end the inning.

Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Kennedy got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Eldridge flied out to right and Gilbert grounded into a double play to end the inning. Trent Harris came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sogard grounded out to short to start. It looked like Monasterio beat a tag at second on a double to left but the Giants challenged. The umpires upheld the call and Jarren Duran pinch hit for White. Duran struck out swinging and Adley Rustchman pinch hit for Wong. Rutschman grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Lee grounded back to the mound to start. Knizner grounded out to second and Cox struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mickey Gasper. His pinch hit double put the Sox up for good.

                                                              Gasper The Hero

The Good:

Jahmai Jones was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jake Bennett got the win by tossing 7 innings allowing just 3 earned runs off 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

Tyron Guerrero pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 29th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Willson Contreras 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Eli White was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.

Adley Rutschman was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Andruw Monasterio was just 1 for 4 with an error.

Final Thoughts:

How sweep it is! After that disaster against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Wednesday, the Sox needed to make a statement with the New York Yankees looming. Bennett had a solid outing if you cut out the first inning and the errors in the seventh. As sad as it sounds, the Sox have won 5 out of their last 6 games and didn't gain much ground because the two hottest teams in baseball are the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. In fact, the Rays were the only team that the Sox didn't gain much ground on when they went 32-5 apart from the pre-break sweep. This game showed why depth is important because the big guns of Abreu, Contreras and Durbin did absolutely nothing but Sogard and Rafaela stepped up big time. The Sox have a lot of work to do in their final 32 games but they still own a 6.5 game cushion on the Cleveland Guardians. If they go 21-15 that wouldn't be great, but that just might get them in the playoffs. First place is still up for grabs if they can go on one last run. The win improved the Sox to 71-59, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Miami for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Ranger Suarez (5-3, 3.41 ERA) takes on Sandy Alcantara of the Marlins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Bennett, Sox Beat Yankees (6/27/26)

The 2026 season may have gone to hell in a hand basket for the Boston Red Sox but beating the New York Yankees 3 straight games is never a bad thing. Without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, the Yankees looked mortal so far in this 3 game stretch highlighted by todays win. Jake Bennett (2-3, 3.27 ERA) held New York to 3 hits including a home run by Max Schuemann in 6 1/3 gutty innings. Meanwhile Gerrit Cole continued to have problems in Boston. Masataka Yoshida took him deep in the first and Anthony Seigler got a piece of one in the second. A Willson Contreras 2 run double proved to be all the offense needed. The trio of Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the Sox beat the Yankees 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Sami Zayn approves of the win

Bennett got the ball in the top of the first and Paul Goldschmidt grounded out to third to start. Ben Rice grounded out to second and Amed Rosario flied out to center to end the inning. Cole got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Masataka Yoshida struck his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center, but Willson Contreras walked. Jarren Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                               Home run Yoshida

Cody Bellinger walked to start the top of the second but Jasson Dominguez popped up to first. Jose Caballero struck out swinging and Max Schuemann also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second although Caleb Durbin popped up to first to start. Anthony Seigler clobbered his first home run of the season to increase the lead but Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third. Tsung-Che Cheng flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Seigler with his first

Anthony Volpe grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Austin Wells flied out to center. Goldschmidt grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Yoshida singled to center to start. Rafaela got a base hit to center but Abreu flied out to center. Contreras doubled to center to score both runners but Duran struck out swinging. Durbin took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                         Contreras drives in a pair

Rice grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth and Rosario popped up to first. Bollinger lined out to center to end the inning. Seigler grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Narvaez took strike three. Cheng grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Dominguez flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Caballero grounded out to short. Schuemann broke up the no-hitter by hitting his first home run of the season all the way to Jupiter. Volpe grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

                                                             Yankees cut the lead

Yoshida grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Abreu struck out swinging and Contreras flied out to center to end the inning.

Wells flied out to right to start the top of the sixth but Goldschmidt walked. Rice grounded into a double play to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Durbin singled to left to chase Cole. Brent Headrick came in to pitch to Seigler and Anthony walked. Narvaez struck out swinging and Cheng did the same to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the seventh as Rosario ate up Contreras on a grounder to first to start. Bellinger ripped a base hit to center but Dominguez struck out swinging. Suddenly Chad Tracy yanked Bennett at just 87 pitches after Jake held New York to 1 run off 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Caballero was frozen for strike three. Jazz Chisholm Jr pinch hit for Schuemann but struck out swinging to end the inning. 

                                                            Bennett gets the job done

Nate Eaton pinch hit for Yoshida to start the bottom of the seventh and took strike three right down the middle. Camilo Doval came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne grounded out to third. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Volpe flied out to center to start. Wells popped up to short and Goldschmidt grounded out to short to end the inning. Paul Blackburn came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Contreras grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to first and Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Rice struck out swinging to start. Rosario grounded out to short but Bellinger walked. Dominguez popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won the game 4-1.

                                                                Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jake Bennett. He held the Yankees to 3 hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings

                                                                   Hero Bennett

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Anthony Seigler was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

Justin Slaten got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning. 

Aroldis Chapman earned his 16th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Nate Eaton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

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

The Ugly:

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Beating the Yankees is always fun and the last three days have breathed some life into the angry fanbase. There's still people crying over Marcelo Mayer's injury and Jarren Duran yelling at fans but you can't argue how Craig Breslow found value in Jake Bennett. Yes he's a rookie but the poise he showed at Fenway Park against the first place Yankees can't be ignored. The offense didn't really do much after the third inning but when you have a team of utility players, not much can be expected. If Trevor Story and Romy Gonzalez come back healthy and good, that would be a big lift. The Sox are getting good pitching and if they can improve their hitting, the season isn't over quite yet. A sweep of the Yankees might do this team some good. The win improved the Sox to 35-46, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox go for the sweep against the Yankees tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Sonny Gray (9-1, 2.95 ERA) goes for the Sox against Carlos Rodon of New York. The game begins at 7:20 PM at Fenway Park.

Tolle, Sox Drop Depleted Yankees (6/26/26)

Before the game the 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox got even worse when Marcelo Mayer was placed on the Injured List with a similar forearm injury to Isiah Kiner-Falefa. Apparently Mayer came out and admitted he's been playing the last two months really not able to move it well and the Sox finally told him to go home. Knowing this training staff, we've probably seen the last of him this year. To further spit in the faces of Mikey Romero and Kristian Campbell, the Sox brought up former Pittsburgh Pirates utility infielder Tsu-Che Cheng to take his place. Mayer says there's no timetable for his return which in plain English means his season is over. One of the reasons the Red Sox are in last place is Craig Breslow banked on Roman Anthony, Kristian Campbell, Triston Casas and Marcelo Mayer being the future and they couldn't stay on the field for one reason or another.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, looks like the Red Sox aren't the only team totally useless without their best hitters in the lineup. The New York Yankees looked punchless without Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton in tonight's game against Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78 ERA) and the Red Sox. Tolle retired the first 16 batters he faced before Spencer Jones broke up the perfect game in the sixth inning. Tolle ended up firing 7 innings of 1 hit ball. Meanwhile the Sox actually got clutch hits against Yankees starter Will Warren. Wilyer Abreu got a two out rbi in the first and both Tsung-Chen Cheng and Mickey Gasper drove in runs in the third. A Willson Contreras home run and 2 rbis from Connor Wong were enough for the Sox to survive Tommy Kahnle giving up a run in the eighth. Ryan Watson slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Yankees 6-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Abella Danger approves of the win

Tolle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Paul Goldschmidt popped up to second to start. Amed Rosario struck out swinging and Cody Bellinger grounded out to second to end the inning. Warren got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Gasper led off by grounding out to second. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third but Wilyer Abreu tripled into the centerfield triangle. Naturally with a runner on third Willson Contreras....got a base hit to center to score Abreu? What witchcraft is this? Jarren Duran forced Willson at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Contreras drives in a run

Jasson Dominguez struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Jose Caballero also went down hacking. Jazz Chisholm Jr swung at air for strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin caught Caballero asleep at third with a bunt single. Anthony Seigler got a base hit to center to move Durbin to third and Connor Wong walked to load the bases. Tsung-Che Cheng made his Sox debut by beating out a double play ball to score Durbin. Gasper beat out a double play ball to score Seigler and Rafaela popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                              Welcome to Boston, Cheng

Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Spencer Jones flied out to left. Ali Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Abreu grounded out to second to start. Contreras then launched his 17th home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran lined out to center and Durbin lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox now led 4-0.

                                                    Willson was ready tonight

Goldschmidt grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth and Rosario flied out to center. Bellinger lined out to center to end the inning. Seigler flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong popped up to second. Cheng doubled to center but Gasper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Dominguez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Caballero flied out to center. Chisholm Jr popped up to second to end the inning and Tolle was perfect through five innings. Rafaela grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Abreu lined out to right. Contreras walked and apparently Warren didn't like his bat flip. Contreras politely asked if Warren wanted to do something about it and the benches emptied. Nothing came of it but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                         Benches clear....nothing happens

Volpe struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Spencer broke up the perfect game with a base hit to left. Sanchez lined out to second and Goldschmidt struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Durbin doubled to center to start. Seigler grounded out to short and Wong hit a sac fly to center to score Durbin. Cheng walked and that was it for Warren. Ryan Yarbrough came in to face Gasper and Cheng immediately got picked off to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                        Wong drives in a run

Rosario popped up to right to start the top of the seventh and Bellinger popped up to short. Dominguez and Caballero drew back to back walks, but Chisholm flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Tolle who held the Yankees to just 1 hit and 2 walks in 7 innings while striking out 7.

                                                            Great work Tolle

Gasper flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to first. Abreu walked but Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the top of the eighth and naturally Volpe doubled to center to start. Jones grounded out to second to move Volpe to third and Austin Wells pinch hit for Sanchez. Wells grounded out to second to score Volpe but Goldschmidt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-1.

                                                            Wells drives in a run

Duran got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth and Yerry de Los Santos came in to face Durbin. It looked like Duran swiped second but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged Duran was out. Replays showed....he was safe? A rare break for the Sox. Naturally Durbin fouled off the bunt attempt and struck out swinging on a pitch in the dirt. Seigler did what Durbin was supposed to and ground out to first to move Duran to third, but now there were two outs. Naturally Wong....got a base hit to left to score Duran. More witchcraft! Cheng flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                            Wong drives in a run

Ryan Watson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Ben Rice pinch hit for Rosario. Rice grounded out to second and Bellinger lined out to third. Domiguez hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Caballero flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Payton Tolle. He held the Yankees to 1 hit in 7 shutout innings off a hit and 2 walks.

                                                              Hero Tolle

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Willson Contreras was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total rbis.

Chad Durbin was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Tsung-Chen Cheng was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Tommy Kahnle allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Mickey Gasper was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

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

Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

If there was such a thing as a hollow victory, this was it. The Yankees were without Giancarlo Stanton and Aaron Judge and Ben Rice sat for most of the game. Still, the Sox haven't had their best hitters or their ace available in a long time either. Still, this was the most fun game of the season for a variety of reasons. Tolle mowing down the Yankees, even without Judge & Stanton a day after Early did the same at least gives hope for the future if and when the Sox get a competent offense. Contreras was just begging to fight someone and the fact it was the Yankees will definitely make him a fan favorite forever if it did come for that. Joe Kelly never has to pay for a beer in Boston ever again. Tsung-Chen Cheng has been on the team five minutes and he already has a walk and an rbi, two things most Sox hitters rarely get these days. Too bad about Mayer but maybe its addition by subtraction at this point, the same with Trevor Story and Roman Anthony who weren't hitting well before they went down. Not that you want to see a team of utility players, but even guys hitting .240 were better than what Mayer, Story and Anthony were giving them. The last one left is Duran hitting .201 and he's the saddest of them all. If he was hitting anywhere close to his 2023-25 form, he'd be the catalyst of his offense. The only other piece of good news is Romy Gonzalez is coming back which means most likely Gasper is gone. The Sox can survive with Wong and Narvaez, and Wong has been picking it up lately. All in all just a PASSABLE offense would have this team in playoff contention and if they don't sell their guys, they just might go on a run. The win improved the Sox to 34-46, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of Fenway tomorrow afternoon when Jake Bennett (1-3, 3.71) takes on Yankees ace Gerrit Cole. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Fenway Park.