Sox Sputter Against Baz, Orioles (6/2/26)

Things are going real south, real fast for Boston Red Sox general manager Craig Breslow. Between scathing articles in the media and apparent John Henry quotes, its clear he's on the hot seat. That seat just got even hotter as the Sox came home and once again laid an egg in front of their own crowd. The Baltimore Orioles scored four runs against an ineffective Connelly Early (5-3, 3.26 ERA) with the highlight being a 2 run Pete Alonso home run. Meanwhile the mediocre Shane Baz held the Sox to 2 runs and 4 measly hits in a 7 inning gem. The Sox had their chances after putting the tying run at the plate in the sixth inning but couldn't deliver the knockout blow. The Sox fell to 9-20 at home on the season and 9 games under .500 as the Orioles won 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Live look at Craig Breslow

Early got the ball in the top of the first inning and Taylor Ward walked to start. Gunnar Henderson doubled to left but Adley Rutschman popped up to center. Pete Alonso struck out swinging and Samuel Basallo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Baz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran continued his hot streak with a triple to left. Naturally Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to short, failing to bring home Jarren. Somehow Wilyer Abreu hit a sac fly to center to score Duran and Willson Contreras walked. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Sox strike first

Naturally as soon as the Sox got the lead, Early coughed it up in the top of the second. Coby Mayo looked to have hit a home run off the top of the Monster but it was ruled a double....after review, it was called a home run to tie the game. Old pal Tyler O'Neill flied out to center and Leody Taveras took strike three. Blaze Alexander got a base hit to center but Ward forced him at second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Mayo ties it up

Mickey Gasper grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Isiah Kiner-Falefa flied out to right. Marcelo Mayer also flied out to right to end the inning.

The O's took command in the top of the third as Henderson grounded out to first to start. Rutschman singled to center and Alonso hit a home run into the Charles River to put the O's up for good. Basallo struck out swinging and Mayo took strike three but the game was already over 3-1 Baltimore.

                                                              Alonso ices it

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Caleb Durbin popped up to first to start. Duran struck out swinging and Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning.

The O's got another run in the top of the fourth as O'Neill got a base hit to left to start. O'Neill stole second and moved to third on a sacrifice bunt by Taveras. The gamble worked as Alexander hit a sac fly to right to score O'Neill. Ward struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 4-1.

                                                          Alexander drives in a run

Abreu struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth and Contreras flied out to center. Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning.

Henderson grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Rutschman flied out to left. Alonso flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Gasper got a base hit to right to start. A wild pitch moved Mickey to second and he moved to third on the fly ball to right by Kiner. Mayer hit a sac fly to center to score Gasper and Durbin doubled to left. Duran struck out swinging again to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                          Sox inch closer

Basallo struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and that was it for him. He didn't have his best stuff as he got knocked around for 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings. Greg Weissert came in and struck Mayo out swinging. Colton Cowser pinch hit for O'Neill and popped up to third to end the inning.

                                                              Not Early's best stuff

Rafaela got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Abreu flied out to center. Contreras struck out swinging and Yoshida also went down hacking to end the inning.

Taveras struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Alexander popped up a bunt to Weissert. Ward took strike three to end the inning. Gasper walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Kiner grounded into a double play. Mayer lined out to left to end the inning.

Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Henderson grounded out to first to start.....but wait? O's manager Craig Albernaz challenged he was safe. Replays showed he was out and Rutschman walked. Alonso got a base hit to right but was ruled out when a grounder by Basallo hit him on his way to second. Mayo popped to first to end the inning. Jeremiah Jackson took over for Mayo with Andrew Kittredge on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Durbin grounded out to third and Duran struck out swinging. Rafaela got a base hit to left but Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning.

Cowser struck out swinging to open the top of the ninth then Taveras caught Samaniego asleep with a bunt single. Alexander forced Taveras at second then promptly stole second. Ward struck out swinging to end the inning. Rico Garcia came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Contreras struck out swinging to start. Yoshida struck out swinging and Gasper flied out to right to end the game. The Orioles had won 4-2.

                                                                 O's win

Jackass of The Night is a tough one since the whole team failed hard but Masataka Yoshida going 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts out of the 5 hole isn't gonna cut it.

                                                             Jackass swinging at air

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4.

Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Tyler Samaniego tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Connelly Early was tagged for 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

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

Willson Contreras was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

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

Final Thoughts:

For those that weren't aware, during yesterday's off-day David Ortiz apparently talked to John Henry. Ortiz claims Henry said he was concerned about the Sox performance and wants to go back to the old days when they were winners. On top of that, the Boston Globe interviewed Theo Epstein who's very displeased at how the Sox are run. Apparently Craig Breslow is up to his ears in spreadsheets and his analytic driven system is too much. If this doesn't sound like a media already writing an epitaph for an eventual firing, I don't know what would. Then after the game someone asked Isiah Kiner-Falefa how they could be so bad at home and he answered they have a lot of "distractions" at home that they don't on the road. All signs point to Breslow as the scapegoat. Still, the games are won and lost on the field and it wasn't Breslow that allowed a 2 run home run to Pete Alonso or struck out 3 times in four plate appearances like Yoshida and Duran did. You could have Craig Breslow or Tucker Carlson as your general manager and what happens on the field determines the outcome. The bottom line is the problem with the Sox goes far beyond simple losing streaks, injuries (Garrett Crochet AND Kutter Crawford recently suffered setbacks) and bad offense. This could be an entire philosophy that's causing all this. Getting four hits off Shane Baz and 5 total isn't going to cut it and that's been the problem all season no matter who's in uniform. The Sox themselves need to find a way to either play AGAINST Breslow like Rachel Phelps in Major League or come out and say he's the problem. Something has to change or they're going to be in last place for good. The Sox look to right the ship tomorrow night against the Orioles when Peyton Tolle (2-2, 2.61 ERA) goes up against Chris Bassitt of Baltimore. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Edge Sox (5/29/26)

Another day, another failed rally for the Boston Red Sox. Not only that, the inability for an "opener" to help Brayan Bello cost them again. Tyler Samaniego (0-3, 2.95 ERA) got hammered by the Cleveland Guardians for 4 runs in the first inning to put the Sox in a hole. The good news was the Sox rallied for 3 runs in the top of the fifth and Bello tossed 7 shutout innings....the bad news was it wasn't enough. The Guardians bullpen tossed the final 4 2/3 innings and allowed just 4 hits and no walks. The Sox got the tying run in the top of the ninth against Cade Smith but Jarren Duran struck out to end the game. The Sox had lost their 6th out of their last 7 games including this one to the Guardians 4-3 at Progressive Field.

                                                              This season in a nutshell

Slade Cecconi got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a double play and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Samaniego got pounded in the bottom of the first as Travis Bazzana struck out swinging to start. Jose Ramirez got a base hit to left, Chase Delauter beat out a roller to third and Rhys Hoskins got a base hit to left to score Ramirez. Kyle Manzardo got a base hit to right to load the baes and Angel Martinez hit a ground ball to center...booted by Rafaela for an error to score DeLauter and Hoskins. Daniel Schneemann singled to right to reload the bases and Patrick Bailey hit a sac fly to right to score Manzardo. Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 4-0.

                                                             Guardians strike early

Willson Contreras flied out to right to start the top of the second and Schneemann made a great driving catch to rob Masataka Yoshida of a hit. Mickey Gasper doubled off the lunging DeLauter but was thrown out at home when Rocchio booted a grounder by Isiah Kiner-Falefa to end the inning. Brayan Bello came in to pitch the bottom of the second and Bazzana got a base hit to center to start. Ramirez lined out to right but Bazzana stole second. DeLauter grounded out to first to move Bazzana to third and Hoskins grounded out to third to end the inning.

Marcelo Mayer was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the third and Caleb Durbin struck out swinging. Duran went down hacking to end the inning. Manzardo singled to center to start the bottom of the third and Martinez lined out to center. Schneemann grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Rafaela flied out to center to start the top of the fourth and Abreu flied out to center. Contreras singled to left and Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. Bailey doubled to center to start the bottom of the fourth and moved to third on the Rocchio grounder to second. Bazzana struck out swinging and Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Gasper got a base hit to right to start. Kiner got a base hit to left and Mayer got a base hit to right to score Gasper. Durbin doubled to right to score Kiner and Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Mayer. That was it for Cecconi as Colin Holderman came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne grounded out to short to move Durbin to third. With a chance to tie the game....Abreu grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                          Durbin gets the Sox closer

DeLauter got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Hoskins flied out to center. Manzardo flied out to right and Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Contreras was rung up for strike three to start the top of the sixth and Yoshida grounded back to the mound. Tim Herrin came in to face Gasper and Mickey lined out to left to end the inning. Schneeman grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Bailey's bunt attempt was also snuffed out by Bello. Rocchio struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kiner popped up to second to start the top of the seventh but Mayer got a base hit to third to chase Herrin. Shawn Armstrong came in and Durbin grounded back to the mound to move Mayer to second. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Bazzana grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez struck out swinging. DeLauter grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hunter Gaddis came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela popped up to first to start. Abreu popped up to short but Contreras got a base hit to center. Nick Sogard ran for Contreras and Yoshida got a base hit to right to move Nick to third. With the tying run at third.....Gasper grounded out to first to end the inning. Bello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Hoskins flied out to right to start. Manzardo struck out swinging and Manzardo did the same. Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Bello was outstanding in his piggyback role, firing seven shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and no walks.

                                                                 Bello was great

Cade Smith came in to close out the top of the ninth and Kiner got a base hit to center to start. Mayer struck out swinging and Durbin was called out on strikes. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Guardians had won 4-3.

                                                            Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Tyler Samaniego. He allowed 4 runs in the first inning to put the game out of reach right off the bat.

                                                                  Jackass Samaniego

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4.

Mickey Gasper was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Brayan Bello tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits while striking out 5.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in run.

Honorable Mention:

Nick Sogard played first in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

What more can be said about this god awful season besides nothing went right? Guys like Trevor Story, Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet got hurt, they can't score and now they can't even get an opener for Brayan Bello. The fact Bello is so mentally fragile that he needs an opener is embarrassing in itself. The bottom line is the Sox have lost their lost 5 out of their last 6 games by two runs or less meaning they just can't get a hit when it truly matters. The lack of power on this team is disturbing considering some of these guys had no problem last year. Abreu hit 22 home runs last year and he may not come close to that, Durbin hit 11 last year and that seems impossible and Duran has completely evaporated. If the Sox just played to where they were last year, they'd be better off. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 23-33, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Guardians when Sonny Gray (5-1) takes on Parker Messick of Cleveland. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Progressive Field.

Bradley, Twins Shut Down Sox (5/23/26)

The terrible 2026 season for the Boston Red Sox continued as once again the bats were mostly silent against the Minnesota Twins. Taj Bradley became the latest to shut them down, holding Boston to 1 measly run and 3 hits through 5 innings. The Twins bullpen allowed just 2 hits and a run the rest of the way. Meanwhile Jovani Moran (0-2, 3.38 ERA) failed as an opener again, allowing 2 runs in the first to put the Sox in a hole. Brayan Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in relief but the story was the lack of offense. The Sox hadn't won a game all year when trailing after 8 innings or by multiple runs, and the trend continued. The Twins took the game 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                             More so days without losing

Moran got the ball in the top of the first and Byron Buxton got a base hit to center to start. Trevor Larnach singled to left and Austin Martin doubled to left to score Buxton. Josh Bell hit a sac fly to center to score Larnach and Kody Clemens grounded out to short to move Martin to third. Victor Caratini struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                            Not the best opener

Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Mickey Gasper struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning.

Brayan Bello came in to pitch the top of the second and Orlando Arcia got a base hit to left to start. Brooks Lee popped up to short and Arcia was thrown out at second trying to steal. Ryan Kreidler struck out swinging to end the inning. Willson Contreras walked to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Nick Sogard grounded into the double play to end the inning.

Buxton struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Larnach hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Martin struck out swinging but Bell walked. Clemens got a base hit to right to load the bases but Caratini grounded out to second to end the inning. Marcelo Mayer popped up to second to start the bottom of the third and Connor Wong took strike three. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to center to end the inning.

Arcia grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Lee got a base hit to center. Kreidler struck out swinging and Buxton forced Lee at second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth and Duran took strike three to start. Gasper got a base hit to center but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras got a base hit in the hole at third and Rafaels doubled to right to score Gasper....but Contreras was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox 2-1.

                                                           Rafaela drives in a run

Naturally the Twins fought back in the top of the fifth as Larnach singled to right to start. Martin singled in the hole at second and Contreras booted a grounder by Bell to load the bases. Clemens flied out to left but Caratini hit a sac fly to right to score Larnach. Arcia got a base hit off of Bello to score Martin to ice the game. Lee grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins up 4-1.

                                                        Arcia drives in a run

Sogard walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Mayer flied out to right. A wild pitch moved Sogard to second but Wong struck out swinging. Kiner grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bello returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Kriedler grounded out to third to start. Buxton struck out swinging but Larnach got a base hit to right. Martin forced Larnach at second to end the inning. Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in 5 innings, if only Contreras didn't boot the ball.

                                                          Not great but it'll do

Kendry Rojas came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran got a base hit to center to start. Gasper dropped down a bunt to move Duran to second but Abreu struck out swinging. Contreras popped up to short to end the inning.

Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bell grounded out to third to start. Clemens flied out to left and Caratini grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Lee booted a grounder by Rafaela to start. Sogard walked and Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Mayer. Monasterio popped up to first, Wong struck out swinging and Kiner grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arcia popped up to first to start. Lee doubled to left but Kreidler struck out swinging. Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Gasper struck out swinging. Abreu flied out to right to end the inning.

Larnach struck out swinging to begin the top of the ninth and Martin flied out to center. Bell grounded out to first to end the inning. James Outman took over for Larnach with Andrew Morris now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Contreras got a base hit to left to start and Rafaela walked. Sogard flied out to right and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Monasterio. Yoshida beat out a double play ball and Caleb Durbin ran for Masataka. Wong walked to load the bases and Kiner walked to score Contreras, putting the tying run at second. Taylor Rogers came in to face Duran and wiith a chance to win the game with a triple or grand slam....Duran took strike three right down the middle to end the game. The Twins had won it 4-2.

                                                                  Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Willson Contreras. He was thrown out at home to kill a crucial rally and his error allowed 2 runs to score to put the game out of reach.

                                                      "Get outta here, Jackass"

The Good:

Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Cedanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Nick Sogard walked twice in four plate appearances.

Brayan Bello allowed 2 unearned runs in 5 innings.

Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Watson tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jovani Moran allowed 2 runs as the opener in the first inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Caleb Durbin ran for Yoshida in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

So much for the Chad Tracy effect. This was a game right out of the Alex Cora playbook with bad defense and bad baserunning. Contreras at the plate was fine but his error and getting thrown out at home turned the game around. Still, its only one game and there will be better days for him but with the offense THIS bad, they can ill afford to run into outs or kick the ball around. Moran isn't working as an opener as Bello didn't pitch that bad, maybe someone else can pitch the first for him. The bottom line is the Sox are trying everything they can to win games and rarely does it work. If they allow more than 2 runs in a game they essentially lose. The worst part that's been mentioned already is even just a mediocre offense would have them in first place. Who knows if the Sox are going to turn it around but fans are very upset. A lot want Craig Breslow fired, a lot want to blow the team up and a lot wants John Henry to sell the team. Fans have every right to be upset but the season is still young. Who knows? maybe they'll turn it around. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-29, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray (5-1) goes for the Sox against Bailey Ober of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Rally Past Red Sox (5/22/26)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Kutter Crawford was placed on the 60 Day Injured List to clear up his roster spot. The Sox used it by sending Zack Kelly to Worcester and calling up 35 year old veteran reliever Tyron Guerrero. The reason is simple, Guerrero has allowed 2 runs in 19 innings out of the bullpen for Worcester and Kelly had some options left. Trevor Story also had groin surgery so we won't see him until mid July at the earliest. Might be time to call up Mikey Romero sooner rather than later.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, what a disaster. For 6 innings it looked like the Red Sox would cruise to a victory over the Minnesota Twins. Payton Tolle tossed 6 innings and allowed just 3 runs while the Boston bats put 6 runs on the board against Connor Prielipp. Then Justin Slaten (0-2, 4.15 ERA) totally imploded in the seventh inning. Byron Buxton and Austin Martin hit 2 run bombs off Slaten to put the Twins in front. The Twins got another run against Tyler Samaniego and stole this one 8-6 at Target Field.

                                                              Crying fans

Tolle got the ball to start the top of the first and Byron Buxton struck out swinging to start. Brooks Lee struck out swinging and Austin Martin grounded out to first to end the inning. Prielipp got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran walked to start. Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to right but Wilyer Abreu doubled to right to score Duran. Willson Conteras tripled into the centerfield triangle to score Abreu and Andruw Monasterio got a base hit to left to score Willson. Nick Sogard got a base hit to left to move Monasterio to third and Andruw scored on the sac fly to center by Marcelo Mayer. Carlos Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                                 All Sox so far

Naturally Tolle fell apart in the top of the second as Josh Bell got a base hit to right to start. Gabriel Gonzalez walked and Ryan Kreidler doubled to left to score Bell. Tolle booted a grounder by Kody Clemens for an error to load the bases. Luke Kearschall singled to right to score Gonzalez but Alex Jackson struck out swinging. Byron Buxton singled to left to score Kriedler but Lee struck out swinging. Martin popped up to first to end the inning with the Twins down 4-3.

                                                                   Twins fight back

Caleb Durbin lined out to second to start the bottom of the second and Duran popped up to short. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning.

Bell flied out to right to open the top of the third but Gonzalez walked again. Kriedler flied out to center and Clemens grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Abreu got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third but Contreras grounded into a double play. Monasterio walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Keaschall struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Jackson took strike three. Buxton also watched strike three go by to end the inning. Sogard got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Mayer struck out swinging. Narvaez got a base hit to center to move Sogard to third and Durbin dropped down a squeeze bunt....thrown away by Prielipp! Sogard scored and both runners moved into scoring position. Duran grounded out to first but Narvaez scored and Durbin moved to third. Rafaela walked but Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                        Sox go up by three

Lee struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Martin popped up to first. Bell grounded out to short to end the inning. Travis Adams came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Contreras grounded out to third to start. Monasterio struck out swinging but Sogard walked. Mayer grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Gonzalez hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the sixth and Kreidler struck out swinging. Clemens grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Tolle after just 85 pitches as he allowed 3 runs in 6 innings of work off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                               Tolle did well

Narvaez struck out swinging to open the bottom of the sixth and Durbin flied out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Keaschall got a base hit to right to start. Jackson struck out swinging but Buxton hit a home run all the way to Las Vegas. Lee walked and Martin hit a two run home run all the way to China to put the Twins up for good. Bell grounded back to the mound but Gonzalez got a base hit to third to chase Slaten. Greg Weissert came in and Kriedler got a base hit to center, but Clemns grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins up 7-6.

                                                                    Twins surge ahead

Once again when the Sox went down, they gave up in the bottom of the seventh. James Outman took over for Bell with Yoendrys Gomez now on the mound. Rafaela grounded out to third, Abreu flied out to left and Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning in short order.

Keaschall was hit with a pitch to start the top of the eighth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Jackson grounded out to third and Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Eric Orze came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Monasterio. Yoshida grounded out to second, Sogard struck out swinging and....Mayer reached on an error by Keaschall. Narvaez walked and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Durbin. Anthony Banda came in to face him and Mickey flied out to right to end the inning.

The Twins iced the game in the top of the ninth with Isiah Kiner-Falefa in for Gasper and Tyler Samaniego on the mound. Sogard booted a grounder by Lee to start and Martin caught Contreras at first asleep with a bunt single. Outman was hit with a pitch to load the bases and that was it for Samaniego. Tyron Guerrero came in to make his Sox debut and Trevor Larnach pinch hit for Gonzalez. Larnach walked to score Lee but Kriedler struck out swinging. Clemens flied out to center and Keaschall forced Larnach at second to end the inning with the Twins up 8-6.

                                                                    Twins are all smiles

Orze came back to finish the bottom of the ninth and Duran swung and missed for strike three....only to take first when the ball got away. Rafaela lined out to center and Abreu grounded into a double play to end the game. The Twins had won it 8-6.

                                                                Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. He allowed 4 runs in the top of the eighth to lose the game.

                                                           Nice inning, Jackass

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

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

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Payton Tolle tossed six solid innings allowing just three runs off 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out nine.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mickey Gasper was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Tyler Samaniego was charged with a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 but walked.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Tyron Guerrero allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Such a shame it had to be Slaten but you knew this was coming. The Sox bullpen had been lights out with the lead all season but they were bound to blow one. Not only that, its an epicemic that once the Sox go down, they stay down. Apart from Duran on a lucky bounce, not a single battery reached base in the final two innings. That is far more damaging than a once in a while blown save by a normally reliable bullpen. Tolle pitched well enough to earn the win but it just wasn't meant to be this time. Nobody is going to tear their hair out too much over Slaten, but in a season already going down the drain, it just added to the disaster. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-28, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Twins when Jovani Moran (0-1) piggybacks for Brayan Bello against Taj Bradley of Minnesota. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park. 

Sox Late Rally Drops Royals (5/19/26)

Better late than never for the Boston Red Sox in tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals. The Red Sox broke out to a 2-1 lead over Royals starter Bailey Falter on rbis from Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin. Ranger Suarez didnt have his best stuff and left with one out in the fifth. Contreras drove in a run in the eighth inning, Jarren Duran hit a 3 run bomb in the ninth inning, and Contreras drove in another run to wrap up the scoring. Garrett Whitlock (3-1, 2.79 ERA) and Jovani Moran locked the gates and the Sox had beaten the Royals 7-1 at Kauffman Stadium. 

                                                     Taj Jackson approves of the win

Somehow the Sox came out flying against Falter in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran walked to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging but Duran swiped second. Wilyer Abreu got a base hit in the hole at second to move Duran to third and Willson Contreras got a base hit to left to score Jarren. Andruw Monasterio grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                                   Sox strike first

The Royals answered against Suarez in the bottom of the first as Maikel Garcia grounded out to third to start Bobby Witt Jr singled to right and promptly stole second. Salvador Perez walked and Lane Thomas doubled to right to score Witt. Jac Caglianone grounded out to first and Starling Marte grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Royals tie it up

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Nick Sogard grounded out to short to start. Carlos Narvaez walked and Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a base hit to center. Somehow Caleb Durbin got a base hit to center....booted by Thomas for an error to score Narvaez, putting Kiner to third. Duran walked to load the bases and....Rafaela struck out swinging. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                           Durbin puts the Sox ahead

Vinnie Pasquantino took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Nick Loftin lined out to left. Carter Jensen flied out to left to end the inning.

Luinder Aila came in to pitch the top of the third and Contreras struck out looking to start. Monasterio popped up to first and Sogard grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Garcia flied out to left to start the bottom of the third and Witt grounded out to second. Perez walked and Thomas flied out to right to end the inning. 

Narvaez took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Kiner walked. Durbin watched strike three down the middle go by and Kiner was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Caglianone took strike three to begin the bottom of the fourth and Marte grounded out to third. Pasquantino walked but Loftin took strike three to end the inning.

Duran doubled to center to start the top of the fifth but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Rafaela grounded out to short and Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. The Royals finished off Suarez in the bottom of the fifth as Jensen doubled to right to start. Garcia got a base hit to right but Jensen was held at third, getting Maikel thrown out at second. That was it for Suarez after just 4 1/3 innings as he uncharacteristically allowed 4 hits and 3 walks. Zack Kelly came in and Witt flied out to right. Perez flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                             Not good enough

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Contreras grounded out to second to start. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Monasterio and doubled to right. Sogard struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Yoshida to third. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Thomas singled to left to start the bottom of the sixth to chase Kelly. Tyler Samaniego came in and Caglianone took strike three. Marte got a base hit to center but Thomas was thrown out at third trying to steal. A passed ball moved Marte to second but Pasquantino lined out to right to end the inning.

Nick Mears came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Kiner got a base hit to left to start. Durbin grounded into a double play and Duran took strike three to end the inning. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Michael Massey pinch hit for Loftin. Massey struck out swinging and Jensen grounded out to third. Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox got a run in the top of the eighth as Rafaela doubled to center to start. Abreu lined out to left to move Rafaela to third and Contreras grounded out to third to score Ceddanne. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                      Another rbi for Contreras

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Witt flied out to right to start. Perez lined out to center and Thomas struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox exploded in the top of the ninth with Eli Morgan now on the mound. Sogard got a base hit to center but Narvaez popped up.to second. Kiner got a base hit to left and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Durbin. Gasper got a base hit to right but Sogard was thrown out at home, moving Kiner to third. Marcelo Mayer pinch ran for Gasper and stole second, then Duran smashed his fifth home run of the season to ice the game. Rafaela got a base hit to center, Abreu singled to center and Contreras drilled a base hit to left to score Ceddanne. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                          Duran needed that one

Jovani Moran came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Caglianone took strike three to start. Both Marte and Pasquantino struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-1.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Willson Contreras. He drove in the first run amd 3 total to put the game out of reach.

                                                                 Hero Contreras 

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base, a 3 run homer and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 5.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 3 for 3 with a run scored.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mickey Gasper singled as a pinch hitter.

Marcelo Mayer stole a base and scored a run as a pinch runner.

Ranger Suarez allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 3 walks.

Zack Kelly got the final two outs of the fifth inning.

Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 2.

The Ugly:

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was more like it for the Red Sox offense. Jarren Duran amd Caleb Durbin desperately needed some big hits and they got them tonight. Suarez didn't have his best stuff and the bullpen had to pitch the final 4 2/3 innings, getting some offense helped big time. Not only did they prove they could hit, they saved Aroldis Chapman for tomorrow if needed. Its a shame that historically ex-manager Alex Cora burnt out the bullpen year after year because of analytics whereas Chad Tracy might do it this year out of necessity. The Sox rarely get a lead so when they do, its Slaten, Whitlock, Chapman every time. Kudos to Contreras and the bats for making this a laugher at the end. Hopefully this is the start the Sox needed to get back on track. The win improved the Sox to 21-27, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the series tomorrow night against the Royals when Connelly Early takes on old friend Michael Wacha. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Kauffman Stadium. 

Schwarber, Phillies Sink Sox (5/14/26)

Its bad enough the Boston Red Sox offense is among the worst in the league, but what makes things worse is when potential free agent targets that the front office "showed no interest" in are the ones that beat you. For seven innings Ranger Suarez and the Boston bullpen matched zeroes with Jesus Luzardo and theirs. Then in the top of the eighth, old pal Kyle Schwarber smacked a 2 run home run to put Philly ahead. The Phillies got another run and survived a Wilyer Abreu rbi to lock down the game. The Phillies had won it 3-1.

                                                         Red Sox offense is in trouble 

After a long rain delay, Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trea Turner beat out a grounder to third to sta....but wait! Sox manager Chad Tracy challenged that Turner was out, and replays showed he was. Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging and Bryce Harper lined out to first to end the inning. Luzardo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran lined out to center to start. Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning.

Adolis Garcia grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Alec Bohm watched strike three go by. Brandon Marsh grounded out to short to end the inning. Willson Contreras flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Trevor Story grounded out to third to end the inning.

JT Realmuto struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Felix Reyes grounded out to third. Edmundo Sosa took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Carlos Narvaez doubled to center to start. Caleb Durbin dropped down a bunt to move Carlos to third but Isiah Kiner-Falefa got booed as he struck out swinging. Duran got booed as he grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Turner grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Schwarber struck out swinging. Harper walked but Garcia forced him at second to end the inning. Monasterio flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Abreu got a base hit to left. Naturally Abreu got picked off and sure enough, Contreras doubled to left that would have scored him. Also typical with a runner in scoring position, Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning.

Bohm got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth but Marsh struck out swinging. Realmuto and Reyes stroked back to back base hits but Sosa struck out swinging. Turner was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Narvaez grounded out. Durbin was hit with a pitch and Kiner walked to once again put a runner in scoring position. Naturally Duran popped up to short to a chorus of boos to end the inning.

Schwarber lined out to right to start the top of the sixth but Harper got a base hit to right. All of a sudden Chad Tracy came out of the dugout and pulled Suarez after just 76 pitches to another chorus of boos. He allowed just four hits and a walk in 5 1/3 innings before he was yanked. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Garcia struck out swinging. Bohm got a base hit to left to move Harper to third but Marsh lined out to center to end the inning. 

                                                    Suarez was pulled too soon

Monasterio doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and naturally with a runner in scoring position, Abreu just grounded out to second. Monasterio did make it to third but once again with a runner in scoring position, Contreras hit a grounder to short. Rafaela completed the trifecta with a grounder to short to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Realmuto struck out swinging to start. Bryson Stott pinch hit for Reyes and popped up to first. Sosa struck out swinging to end the inning. Brad Keller came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Story popped up to first to start. Narvaez struck out swinging but somehow Durbin doubled to left. Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Kiner and naturally with a runner in scoring position, struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tyler Samaniego came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Turner got a base hit to right. Naturally Schwarber hit a home run all the way to Waltham to put the Phillies up for good. Harper grounded out to first and Zack Kelly came in to face Garcia. Garcia took strike three but Story booted a grounder by Bohm to keep the inning going. Marsh got a base hit to center and Realmuto was plunked to load the bases. It looked like Stott grounded out to third to end the inning but the Phillies challenged he was safe. Sure enough, the call was overturned amd Bohm scored. Justin Crawford pinch hit for Sosa and forced Stott at second to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-0.

                                                            Anybody but him....

The Sox answered in the bottom of the eighth with Jose Alvarado on the mound. Duran popped up to third but Monasterio doubled to center. Abreu got a base hit to center to score Andruw and bring the tying run to the plate. Contreras popped up to first but Rafaela was hit with a pitch. Naturally with 2 men on Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                    Abreu wasn't ready to give up yet

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Turner struck out swinging to start. Schwarber went down hacking and Harper flied out to center to end the inning. Jhoan Duran came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Narvaez. Gasper took strike three and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Durbin. Yoshida walked to bring the tying run to the plate but Mayer struck out swinging. Yoshida took second on defense indifference but Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Phillies had won it 3-1.

                                                                  Phillies win 

Jackass of the Night is Tyler Samaniego. He allowed the 2 run homer to Schwarber to put Philly up for good.

                                                              Jackass Samaniego 

The Good:

Ranger Suarez tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

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

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked in two plate appearances.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 1 with a hit by pitch.

Mastaka Yoshida walked as a pinch hitter.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Mickey Gasper struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the eighth inning

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

Sox GM Craig Breslow is under fire for what's happened this season but one move he DIDN'T make is coming back to bite him. Kyle Schwarber was a free agent after the 2025 season but the Sox showed no interest. Well Schwarber has 18 home runs this year so far and the Sox will be lucky if anyone gets to 18 home runs this season. Scoring 1 run off 7 hits is pathetic and the Sox have been completely inept pretty much all season. When 6 of your 9 starting players are hitting under .240, you're not going to win too many games. Its a shame because Suarez and most of the bullpen pitched well too. They're going to have to win every game 3-2 and that's not going to happen. The loss dropped the Sox to 18-25, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Atlanta for a three game set with the Braves beginning tomorrow night. Connelly Early goes for the Sox against Spencer Strider of Atlanta. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Truist Park.