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

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

                                                               The final image

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

                                                              Yankees strike first again

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

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

                                                                  Story ties it

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

                                                           So much for Bello

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

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

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

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

                                                           Story ties it again

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

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

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

                                                               Yankees take the lead

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

                                                         Yankees win

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

                                                                Eaton Jackass

The Good:

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

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

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Wilson tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Steven Matz tossed a full scoreless inning.

Zack Kelly got the final out of the sixth inning.

Payton Tolle got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

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

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Sogard was 0 for 2.

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

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

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

The Ugly:

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                 "That's one, Skip" - Crochet

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

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

                                                               Yankees strike first

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

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

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

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

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

                                                    Yoshida gives the Sox the lead

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

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

                                                The War Pig gets the job done

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

                                                        Bregman the Yankee killer

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

                                             Chapman pulls the Houdini to save the game

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

                                                Narvaez acknowledges our Hero

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

                                                      Jose Flores with our Hero

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

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

Carlos Narvaez walked 3 times in 4 plate appearances.

Nate Eaton was 1 for 3.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

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

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Nathaniel Lowe was 0 for 2.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 but walked.

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Hold Off Royals (8/4/25)

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

                                                    Kody Evans approves of the win

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

                                                     Duran puts the Sox up big

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

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

                                                               Rafaela drives in a run.

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

                                                          Perez scores a run

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

                                                             Bregman drives in another

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

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

                                                          Bello gets the job done

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

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

                                                     Abreu with the killshot

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

                                                           Yerrrr out!

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

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

                                                          Sox win

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

                                                           Abreu Hero

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

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

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

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

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock got the final out of the eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

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

The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Giolito, Sox Sweep Astros (8/3/25)

On June 29th, the Boston Red Sox were 3 games under .500, they were 8 games behind the New York Yankees for first place and they were reeling after losing 7 of 9 following the Rafael Devers trade. Just a little over a month later the Red Sox have gone 21-7 since including completing a 3 game sweep of the Houston Astros. Lucas Giolito (8-2, 3.57 ERA) tossed one of the best games of the season holding the Astros to just 1 run and 3 hits in 8 great innings. The Sox scored in just one inning but they made it count. Framber Valdez got frazzled and the Sox put up six runs in the bottom of the fourth. Carlos Correa homered off Giolito but Trevor Story drove in a run to tie it. Ceddanne Rafaela drove in the go-ahead run and the Sox poured it on, scoring four more runs. More than enough cushion for Giolito and Chris Murphy shut the door in the ninth inning. The Sox had swept the Houston Astros out of Boston with a 6-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                          Brock Lesnar approves of the win

Giolito got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jeremy Pena grounded out to third to start. Jose Altuve hit one up the elevator shaft as Jesus Sanchez doubled off the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela. Carlos Correa grounded out to second to end the inning. Valdez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to right to start. Alex Bregman was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to move Refsnyer to second and Roman Anthony grounded out to first to move Rob to third. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Christian Walker flied out to center to start the top of the second and Yainer diaz grounded out to third. Taylor Trammell walked but Mauricio Dubon grounded out to third to end the inning. Trevor Story continued his hot streak with a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the hole at short. Abraham "El" Toro beat out a double play ball but Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Ramon Urias hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the third and Pena took strike three. Altuve popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Connor Wong grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder grounded out to second and Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sanchez took strike three to start the top of the fourth inning but Correa hit a home run all the way to Laos to put the Astros up. Walker popped up to second and Diaz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                            Correa returns to the Astros

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Anthony doubled off the Monster to start. Gonzalez walked and the red hot Story got a base hit to right to score Anthony. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Gonzalez and move Story to third. Story scored on a balk and El Toro beat out a roller to to the mound. Abreu dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt that Valdez threw the ball away, scoring Rafaela. A passed ball moved the runners over and Wong hit a sac fly to right to score Toro, moving Abreu to third. Refsnyder grounded out to second to score Abreu with another run. Bregman lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox now led 6-1.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Trammell popped up to first to start the top of the fifth before Dubon struck out swinging. Urias flied out to center to end the inning. Anthony grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Gonzalez struck out swinging. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pena grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth before Altuve got a base hit to left. Sanchez flied out to right and Correa forced Jose at second to end the inning. Rafaela was plunked to start the bottom of the sixth before being forced at second by Toro. Toro got picked off and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning.

Walker grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh and Diaz grounded out to third. Trammell grounded out to second to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Wong grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Bregman walked. Anthony took strike three to end the inning.

Giolito returned for one final inning in the top of the eighth and Dubon popped up to first to start. Urias flied out to center and Pena struck out swinging. Lucas had tossed 8 innings allowing just 3 hits and a run, he was outstanding.

                                                         Big game from Giolito

Nick Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Story flied out to center but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Toro grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Altuve popped up to third to start. Cooper Hummel pinch hit for Sanchez and struck out swinging. Correa grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Lucas Giolito. He tossed 8 innings allowing just 3 hits and a single run.

                                                   Kickstart the Hero

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 3 with a hit by pitch, an rbi and a run scored.

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

Chris Murphy pitched a scoreless ninth inning. 

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 but walked.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4, got picked off and got thrown out trying to steal, but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not only did the New York Yankees get swept by the Miami Marlins but the Toronto Blue Jays lost to put the Red Sox just 3 games behind them and the Detroit Tigers for the best record in the American League. How sad is that? The Sox have been perfectly mediocre all season and they're just 5 games behind the Milwaukee Brewers for the best record in baseball. Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet have been solid all season but if Giolito continues to pitch like this, the Sox have a very good chance of making it to October. The Sox are currently 4 games ahead of the Texas Rangers who's the odd-team out at the moment. Boston has 49 games left to hold them off more or less. The Sox got all their runs in one inning today but Giolito wasn't going to let them down. The warts are still there anytime Jorge Alcala, Jordan Hicks or Walker Buehler is in the game, but otherwise the Sox have been solid down the line. They still need another bat in the lineup but for now, its not bothering them. The win improved the Sox to 62-51, 3 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Kansas City Royals and their new acquisition Mike Yastrzemski in for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.19 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Story Powers Sox Past Astros (8/2/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. After Cooper Criswell dominated the Houston Astros last night, he was rewarded by being sent back to Worcester to make room for Dustin May to be activated. If Walker Buehler continues to struggle, we may see Criswell back sooner than later.

                                                                       OUT

                                                               IN

As for the game, the Red Sox historically have streak hitters that can carry a team when hot. Tom Brunansky and Brian Daubach couldn't hit a ball off a tee for two weeks then turn into American League MVP the next two. Trevor Story is heading in that direction as he once again was the difference maker in today's win against the Houston Astros. The Astros teed off on Walker Buehler and knocked him out of the game in the 5th inning. However the bullpen and the suddenly alive Red Sox offense picked up the slack. Trevor Story belted a two run home run to give the Sox a 4-2 lead in the third inning and Abraham Toro hit a two run shot of his own to ice it. Story drove in another run in the seventh and the Sox had won the game 7-3 at Fenway Park.

                                          The Dangerous Alliance approves of the win

The Astros wasted no time getting to Buehler in the top of the first inning as Jose Altuve grounded out to short to start. Jesus Sanchez lined out to second but Carlos Correa walked. Christian Walker hit a home run all the way to Met Life Stadium to put Houston on top. Yainer Diaz singled to left and Victor Caratini singled to right, but Cam Smith lined out to center to end the inning with the Astros up 2-0.

                                                                 Houston strikes first

Colton Gordon got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Romy Gonzalez led off by belting his 6th home run of the season. Alex Bregman struck out swinging but Roman Anthony walked. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Trevor Story was hit with a pitch. Carlos Narvaez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1. 

                                                               Gonzalez steps up

Taylor Trammell got a base hit to right to start the top of the second and Ramon Urias singled to left as well. Altuve grounded into a double play and Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning. Jarren Duran flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Abraham "El" Toro grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Correa grounded out to second to start the top of the third inning but Walker got a base hit ti center. Diaz flied out to left but Caratini singled to right. Smith flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third as Gonzalez hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Bregman lined out to left and Anthony took strike three, but Refsnyder got a base hit to right to score Gonzalez. Story then annihilated his 18th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.

                                                       Story gets the Wally head

Trammell walked to start the top of the fourth but Urias grounded into a double play. Altuve lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Duran popped up to second to start. Rafaela doubled to left and Toro bashed his sixth home run of the season to increase the lead. Gonzalez grounded out to first and Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                               Toro gets the Wally head

The Astros knocked out Buehler in the top of the fifth as Sanchez grounded out to short to start. Correa got a base hit to left, Walker walked and Diaz got a base hit to center to score Correa. That was it for Buehler who got lit up for 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Justin Wilson came in and struck out Caratini swinging. Smith took strike three to end the inning with Houston down 6-3.

                                                               Buehler wasn't good enough

Anthony singled in the hole at third to start the bottom of the fifth and that was it for Gordon. Old friend Kaleb Ort came in to pitch and Refsnyder took strike three. Story took strike three but Narvaez walked to chase Ort. Steven Okert froze Duran for strike three to end the inning.

Steven Matz made his Sox debut in the top of the sixth and Mauricio Dubon pinch hit for Trammell. Dubon popped up to first but Urias walked. Altuve struck out swinging and Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                            Good start for Matz

Rafaela struck out swinging to open the bottom of the sixth and El Toro popped up to short. Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Correa got a base hit to center to start. Walker forced Correa at second then moved to second on the grounder to first by Diaz. Caratini singled to left but Walker was thrown out at home by Duran to end the inning.

                                                             Yerrrrr out!

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh with Hector Neris now on the mound. Bregman hit one up the elevator shaft to start and Anthony struck out swinging. Refsnyder doubled off the glove of Sanchez and Story doubled to right to score Rob. Story took third on a balk but Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                        Another rbi for Story

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Smith flied out to right to start. Dubon got a base hit to right but Urias struck out swinging. Altuve got a base hit to right and Sanchez walked, but Correa took strike three to end the inning. Nick Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran lined out to first to start. Rafaela doubled to center but Toro flied out to right. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Walker walked to start. Diaz popped up to third but Caratini singled to center. Sox manager Alex Cora kicked the dirt as he pulled Alcala in favor of closer Aroldis Chapman. Smith struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved both runners over. Dubon grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is Trevor Story. His 2 run homer put the Sox on top and added an insurance run later.

                                                             Hero Story

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Justin Wilson tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Steven Matz pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 20th save with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Walker Buehler allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 9 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Jorge Alcala only retired one of the three batters he faced.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but with the New York Yankees epic collapse against the Miami Marlins, the Sox are now the owner of the first Wild Card slot. The Sox got ripped apart for having the trade deadline they did but have won the first two games following. Once again Buehler bit the big one but the bullpen stepped up to get the final 4 2/3 innings. Jordan Hicks loaded the bases and Alcala got knocked around again so Brennan Bernardino may be back sooner rather than later. The benches cleared in the 8th inning and Will Middlebrooks had the best line "The Astros are complaining about sign stealing??". Let them complain all they want because the Sox are red hot. Trevor Story becoming the modern day streak hitter that can carry a team isn't what they signed him for, but he's delivering right now. It may be time to end the Walker Buehler experiment because at least Richard Fitts has upside, there is no upside to Buehler. All in all it was a good win and hopefully they can finish the sweep tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 61-51, 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the series tomorrow morning when Lucas Giolito (7-2) takes on Houston ace Framber Valdez. The game begins at 11:30 AM tomorrow morning at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff Astros in 10 Innings (8/1/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Brennan Bernardino was the odd man out as the Sox activated Steven Matz for tonight's game. Jorge Alcala would have made sense to be the one to go but apparently the Sox don't want too many lefties in the bullpen.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, the talking heads in the Boston media predicted the Sox were toast after the lackluster trade deadline but they started the second half with a walkoff victory against the Houston Astros. Cooper Criswell tossed 7 amazing innings, holding the Astros to just 1 run to give the Sox a chance. Hunter Brown was equally tough, holding the Sox to just a Wilyer Abreu sac fly through seven innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Roman Anthony drilled a base hit to center to score Abreu to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Astros 2-1 in 10 innings.

                                                       Liv Morgan approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jeremy Pena got a base hot to center to start. Jose Altuve grounded into a double play but Jesus Sanchez got a base hit to right. Criswell threw a pickoff throw away but Sanchez was thrown out trying to get to third to end the inning. Brown got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony grounded out to first to start. Alex Bregman got a base hit to right but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Abraham "El" Toro popped up to short to end the inning.

The Astros struck first in the top of the second as Carlos Correa popped up to third to start. Yainer Diaz grounded out to third but Christian Walker hit a home run all the way to Sweden to put the Astros on top. Trammell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                     Houston strikes first

Trevor Story lined out to center to start the bottom of the second before Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cam Smith grounded out to short to start the top of the third before former Sox prospect Mauricio Dubon lined out to second. Pena singled to left and Altuve walked, but Sanchez grounded out to first to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third. Anthony got a base hit to right and Bregman lashed a base hit to left, then Sanchez threw the ball away allowing both runners to move up. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Correa lined out to center to start the top of the fourth and Diaz grounded out to third. Walker struck out swinging to end the inning. El Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Story also went down hacking. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

Trammell grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but Story threw a grounder by Smith away for an error. Smith made a boo-boo by getting doubled off first on a fly out to right by Dubon to end the inning. Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Abreu flied out to center. Rafaela grounded out to first to end the inning.

Pena got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth but was forced at second by Altuve. Altuve was picked off by the alert Narvaez but Sanchez got a bae hit to left. Correa struck out swinging to end the inning. Anthony grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Bregman lined out to third. Duran doubled to center but El Toro flied out to left to end the inning.

Diaz doubled to center to start the top of the seventh but Walker popped up to second. Trammell took strike three but Smith walked. Dubon flied out to center to end the inning. Criswell was outstanding, holding the Astros to just 1 run off 7 hits and 2 walks.

                                                         Great effort by Criswell

The Sox picked up Criswell in the bottom of the seventh as Story walked to start. Story swiped second and Yoshida was plunked. Shocking the whole world, Narvaez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. The gamble worked as Abreu hit a sac fly to left to score Story to tie the game. Rafaela hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Abreu ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pena flied out to right to start. Whitlock booted a grounder by Altuve for an error but Sanchez took strike three. Correa flied out to center to end the inning. Bryan Abreu came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Anthony grounded out to second to start. Bregman popped up to third and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Diaz struck out swinging to start. Walker flied out to right and Chas McCormick pinch hit for Trammell. McCormick grounded out to third to nd the inning. Josh Hader came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Toro. Gonzalez grounded out to short but Story doubled to left. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida and walked. Narvaez popped up to second and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the 10th with McCormick starting at second base. Smith lined out to center to move McCormick to third, but Chas was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Dubon. Pena flied out to left to end the inning. Ramon Urias came in for Pena with Bennett Sousa on the mound for the bottom of the 10th. Abreu started at second and Rafaela caught Diaz asleep at the plat with a swinging bunt to put runners at the corners. Rafaela took second on defensive indifference and Anthony belted a ball into the centerfield triangle to score Abreu. The Sox had walked it off 2-1 in 10 innings.

                                                               Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Roman Anthony. His walkoff hit in the 10th won the game.

                                                   Roman Hero

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 2 for 4.

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

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

Cooper Criswell tossed 7 innings allowing 1 run off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Arolids Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Greg Weissert got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Fans were ready to riot after the lackluster trade deadline but that took some serious balls to win this game. Criswell was basically last man standing in terms of rotation depth and he responded with one of the best games of the season. Ceddanne Rafaela and Carlos Narvaez have cooled off but Alex Bregman and rookie Roman Anthony have stepped it up big time. The way Whitlock and Chapman have pitched this season, you have essentially 7 innings to beat the Sox. The Sox may have committed 3 errors but Weissert getting out of that jam in the 10th inning led to victory. The Sox have been finding ways to lose winnable games but outlasting Hunter Brown and taking this one was huge. Steven Matz and Dustin May aren't going to light the world on fire but that's who they're going to have to depend on moving forward. As of right now the Sox are in a playoff spot. Where they end up in 51 games remains to be seen. The win improved the Sox to 60-51, 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Astros tomorrow afternoon when Walker Buehler goes for the Sox against Colton Gordon of Houston. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.