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.

Bregman, Sox Edge Dodgers (7/27/25)

The bad news was Sox closer Aroldis Chapman left the game in the eighth inning in today's Boston Red Sox game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The good news was somehow the managed to win the game. For four innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed for yet another loss in this gauntlet run of NL playoff teams as they trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. Walker Buehler was lit up for 3 early runs and didn't even make it out of the fifth inning. Then the Sox stunned Dustin May and the dodgers as a Roman Anthony rbi triple and an Alex Bregman two run bomb put the Sox ahead. Like navigating shark infested waters, the Boston bullpen hung on despite the loss of Chapman. Ceddanne Rafaela turned a crucial unassisted double play in the eighth inning and the much maligned Jordan Hicks slammed the door in the ninth. The Sox had taken 2 of 3 from the Dodgers including this one 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                               Jennifer Love-Hewitt approves of the win

After a 40 minute rain delay, Buehler got the ball to start the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short but Shohei Ohtani walked. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging and Freddie Freeman flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first as Roman Anthony was plunked to start. Alex Bregman flied out to right but Jarren Duran lashed a base hit to right to move Roman to third. Trevor Story hit a sac fly to center to score Anthony and Michael Conforto dropped a pop up by Masataka Yoshida....which Duran only went to second because he forgot there was two outs. Naturally Carlos Narvaez forced Yoshida at second to end the inning with the Sox still up 1-0.

                                                      "I don't got it" - Conforto

Andy Pages lined out to right to start the top of the second before Conforto flied out to center. Anthony made a great jumping catch against the Monster on a Tommy Edman line drive to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abraham "El" Toro forced Rafaela at second but stole second base. Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.

Dalton Rushing grounded out to second to open the top of the third before Miguel Rojas walked. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but Ohtani got a base hit to center. Hernandez walked to load the bases and Freeman walked to score Rojas. Pages lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Dodgers tie it up

Bregman took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Duran struck out swinging. Story also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Dodgers took command in the top of the fourth as Conforto hit a home run into Lake Titicaca to start. Edman grounded out to first and Rushing lined out to second, but Rojas walked. Rojas swiped second and scored on the Mr. Mookie base hit to center. Ohtani got a base hit to right to move Betts to third but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-1.

                                             A familiar sight at Fenway, a Mookie Betts rbi

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Narvaez struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Freeman took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Pages was also frozen for strike three. Inexplicably that was it for Buehler as Brennan Bernardino was brought in to face Conforto with Buehler not eligible for the win. Conforto doubled to left and Edman walked, but Rushing flied out to left to end the inning. Buehler had allowed 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

                                                   Buehler deserved to face one more batter

Right on cue the Sox struck in the bottom of the fifth. Rafaela grounded out to short to start but El Toro got a base hit to center. Anthony hit a routine pop up down the left field line but Mr. Mookie lost it in the sun for a "triple" to score Toro. Bregman then launched his 13th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Duran lined out to center and Story lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                   May doing his Matrix impression

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rojas doubled to center to start. Mr. Mookie flied out to right, Ohtani struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Jack Dreyer came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida flied out to center to start. Narvaez struck out swinging and Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Freeman flied out to left to start. Pages flied out to right but Conforto hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Edman was hit with a pitch and Will Smith pinch hit for Rushing. Smith flied out to left to end the inning. Justin Wrobleski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela lined out to left to start. Toro was hit with a pitch and it looked like Anthony beat out a double play ball, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the call anyway. The call was upheld and Anthony took second on a wild pitch. Bregman walked to load the bases but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman for whatever reason was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Rojas walked to start. Mr. Mookie walked but Ohtani flied out to left. Suddenly the trainers came out to check on Chapman and he left the game. Uh oh.....Hyeseong Kim ran for Rojas as Jordan Hicks came in to pitch. Hernandez hit a bullet but right to Rafaela who drove on second base to double off Betts....safe. But wait! Sox manager Cora challenged the call and replays showed Betts was out, inning over. What a play by Rafaela.

                                                                 Its a game of inches

Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hicks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Freeman struck out swinging to start. Pages grounded out to short but Conforto walked. Esteury Ruiz ran for Conforto and swiped second base. Edman grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                          Red sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His unassisted double play killed the Dodgers rally and kept the Sox on top.

                                                 "Ceddy ya sonovagun" - Cora

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with an rbi, 2 runs scored and a hit by pitch.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Rob Refsnyder singled as a pinch hitter.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino got the final out of the fifth inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Jordan Hicks earned his second save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Walker Buehler allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 5 walks.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Aroldis Chapman retired just one of the three batters he faced.

Final Thoughts:

Reports were Aroldis Chapman was throwing up in the bullpen and dealt with a bad back, at least his arm is fine. Otherwise, the Sox pulled out a gutty win against the world champs. Alex Bregman got the big time home run but the warts are beginning to show. The Sox bats have been relatively silenced since the All-Star break with Story, Rafaela and pretty much everyone but Anthony and Bregman slumping. Not only that, the bullpen was depleted with Cora inexplicably pulling Buehler with one out to go in the fifth inning. With Chapman down, Cora can't be going April/May mode or else the bullpen is going to be gassed again. Still, a good win is a good win and the Sox earned this one. The win improved the Sox to 57-50, 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row when they travel on the road to face the Twins tomorrow night. "Big" Dick Fitts (1-4, 4.86 ERA) takes on Simeon Woods-Richardson of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

Sox Lose Controversial Game in Extras (7/21/25)

Legendary manager Casey Stengal once said his New York Mets invented new ways to lose you never knew you existed before. Tonight the Boston Red Sox would have made him proud. The Sox and the Philadelphia Phillies battled to a 2-2 tie going into extra innings. After the Sox once again failed to score in the top of the 10th, the Phillies loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame against Jordan Hicks. It looked like Edmundo Sosa struck out looking when home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott jumped up and down and said ballgame over. Carlos Narvaez was called for catcher's interference and the Phillies had won. The outcome ruined a great start by Walker Buehler, surviving a Zack Wheeler start and superb pitching from the bullpen as the Phillies took the game 3-2 at Citizens Bank Park.

                                       Sox fans want to borrow the ice pack after this one

Wheeler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran sent the first pitch into the stands for his ninth home run of the season. Alex Bregman grounded out to short, Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Trevor Story grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                               Sox strike first

Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first and Trea Turner grounded out to short to start. Kyle Schwarber flied out to left but Bryce Harper doubled to right. Nick Castellanos grounded out to short to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Ceddanne Rafaela singled to left. Rafaela swiped second but Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging and Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third to end the inning. JT Realmuto flied out to right to open the bottom of the second before Brandon Marsh got a base hit to center. Otto Kemp grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Abraham Toro doubled to left to start the top of the third and Duran was hit with a pitch. On a 3-1 count, Bregman grounded into a double play. Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning and that was the turning point. Max Kepler singled to right to open the bottom of the third before Bryson Stott lined out to center. Turner banged into a double play to end the inning.

Story struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Abreu flied out to left. Rafaela got a base hit inside the bag at third but was thrown out at second to end the inning. The Phillies struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Schwarber took strike three to start. Harper doubled to right and Castellanos singled to left to score Bryce. A passed ball moved Castellanos to second and he scored on the Realmuto base hit to center. Marsh struck out swinging but Realmuto stole second on the play. Kemp grounded out to third to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-1.

                                                            Phillies take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Mayer struck out swinging to start. Narvaez went down hacking and El Toro flied out to center to end the inning. Kepler lined out to a running Mayer to start the bottom of the fifth. Stott grounded out to second but Turner walked. Schwarber grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Duran struck out swinging to start. Bregman got a base hit down the third base line and Anthony doubled to right. Story ripped a base hit to left to score Bregman and move Anthony to third. Abreu struck out swinging but Story swiped second base. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Story ties it

Harper grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Castellanos flied out to right. Realmuto struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tanner Banks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Mayer. Gonzalez struck out swinging before Narvaez went down hacking as well. Toro walked but Duran lined out to left to end the inning. Marsh struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Kemp grounded out to short. Kepler grounded out to first to end the inning. That was it for Buehler who allowed just 2 runs in 7 strong innings. He gave up 6 hits and a walk while striking out four.

                                                                Buehler was great

Orion Kerkering came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bregman flied out to center to start. Anthony took strike three but Story got a base hit to center. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sosa got a base hit to center to start. Turner lined out to left and Schwarber flied out to left, but Sosa moved to second on a wild pitch. Harper sturck out swinging to end the inning.

Old friend Matt Strahm came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Rafaela flied out to center to start. Gonzalez flied out to left but Narvaez walked. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Toro and struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Castellanos struck out swinging to start. Realmuto and Marsh both went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox blew the game in the top of the 10th with Refsnyder starting at second and Max Lazar now on the mound. Rather than drop down a bunt, Duran struck out swinging. Bregman grounded out to short to move Rob to third and Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning. Just terrible situational baseball. Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Marsh starting on second base. Kemp walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Hicks was intentionally walked and it looked like Sosa struck out looking, but home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott ruled catcher's interference on Narvaez. Marsh was sent home to end the game with the Phillies winning 3-2.

                                                        Imagine losing a game on this

Jackass of the Night is Carlos Narvaez. The Sox were headed for disaster but getting called for interference is inexcusable.

                                                            Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Walker Bueher tossed 7 innings and allowed 2 runs off 6 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jordan Hicks took the loss by allowing the winning run in the 10th off 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a solo home run.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Of all the ways to lose a game but the game was really lost long before that. The Sox inability to hit in the clutch has been garbage mostly all season but especially in extra innings. The Sox are now 0-7 in extra innings on the road and the killer comes from Alex Cora himself. When asked why he never plays small ball, Alex responded "We play for 2". How can you get 2 when you don't even get one? That's also an indictment on the pitchers that he doesn't trust them to hold a 1 run lead. Either Cora's gotta go or just blow the team up at this point. You wasted a great start by Walker Buehler to match Zack Wheeler and you couldn't score a run against the bullpen. All in all its just one loss after another piling up against a good team and its fairly obvious the talent divide between playoff bound teams and the Red Sox. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-38, 6 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when "Big" Dick Fitts (1-3) takes on Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Citizens Bank Park.

Sox Rally Past Rays (7/10/25)

Looks like the Boston Red Sox recent run wasn't just taking advantage of bad teams. Tonight the Sox brought their six game win streak and took on the Tampa Bay Rays. The Sox fell behind 3-1 after 6 innings as Taj Bradley held the Sox to just 1 run off a Roman Anthony rbi. Walker Buehler was tagged for a two run home run by Ha-Seong Kim and a Junior Caminero solo shot in 6 solid innings. Then in the bottom of the seventh the Sox sprang to life. Marcelo Mayer doubled home Trevor Story and Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in both Mayer and Romy Gonzalez. The rested Boston bullpen of Chris Murphy (1-0, 0.00 ERA), Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door on the Rays in the final three innings. The Sox had just their 3rd win all season when trailing after 6 innings as they beat the Rays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Colin Morikawa approves of the win

Buehler got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz lined out to center to start. Jonathan Aranda got a base hit to right but Junior Caminero grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Abraham "El" Toro popped up to short to end the inning.

Josh Lowe lined out to center to start the top of the second before Ha-Seong Kim grounded out to short. Chandler Simpson got a base hit to second then took third when Carlos Narvaez threw the ball away for an error. Christopher Morel walked and promptly stole second, but Matt Thaiss was retired on a squibber to end the inning. Narvaez took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Trevor Story popped up to second and Romy Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning.

Taylor Walls flied out to center to start the top of the third before Diaz flied out to right. Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Marcelo Mayer grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to left and took second on a wild pitch. Duran struck out swinging but Anthony got a base hit to right to score Rafaela. Anthony swiped second base and El Toro walked, but Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Another RBI for Anthony

The lead lasted about 10 seconds in the top of the fourth as Caminero was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Lowe walked and Kim hit a home run all the way to South Korea to put the Rays on top. Simpson grounded out to short and Morel lined out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 2-1.

                                                              Rays take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu grounded out to second to start. Story popped up to second and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Thaiss grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth before Walls grounded out to first. Diaz got a base hit to right but Aranda flied out to left to end the inning. Mayer grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fifth before Rafaela lined out to center. Duran walked and Anthony was retired on a squibber to end the inning.

The Rays iced the game in the top of the sixth as Caminero hit a home run all the way into the Nile River to start. Lowe walked but Kim struck out swinging. Simpson grounded back to the mound and Morel lined out to short to end the inning but the Rays were up 3-1. That was it for Buehler who turned in a "quality" start by going 6 innings and allowing 3 runs. Too bad the Sox couldn't score runs.

                                                       Not great but it'll do

The Sox continued their ineptitude in the bottom of the sixth with Jake Mangum now in left. El Toro grounded out to second, Narvaez popped up to second and Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Taj Bradley came into the game with an ERA near 5 and allowed just 2 hits and a run, pathetic.

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Thaiss grounded back to the mound to start. Walls singled to right but Diaz forced him at second. Aranda grounded out to second to end the inning. Bryan Baker came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and suddenly the Sox sprang to life. Story walked to start then promptly stole second. Gonzalez walked and Mayer doubled to left to score Story. Rafaela stepped up with a base hit to center to score both runners to put the Sox back on top. Rafaela stole second but Duran popped up to second. Anthony grounded out to second to move Ceddanne to third but El Toro struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                      Sox surge ahead

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Caminero struck out swinging to start. Lowe grounded out to short and Kim went down hacking to end the inning. Mason Englert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Narvaez grounded out to short to start. Abreu flied out to right and Story did the same to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with David Hamilton taking over for Toro to start. Simpson flied out to center to start but Mangum singled to center. Old pal Danny Jansen pinch hit for Thaiss and struck out swinging. Walls struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                             Sox win

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

                                                               Our Hero

The Good:

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Walker Buehler tossed 6 innings allowing 3 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks.

Chris Murphy got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and stole a base.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 wit a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but walked.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

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

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

The 7 game win streak and the monumental collapse by the Seattle Mariners tonight leaves the Sox all alone in the third wild card slot, a half game behind the Rays for the second and 3 games behind the New York Yankees for the first. The Sox have a chance to jump ahead of the Rays if they win two of the next three games. It'll be a tall order but not impossible with Garrett Crochet and Brayan Bello due to pitch the first half finale. Buehler pitched better tonight and the Sox had only two wins all season when trailing after six. Mayer and Rafaela got the Sox ahead the rested bullpen locked it down. Big shoutout to Isaiah Campbell and Jorge Alcala for making that possible with last night's effort. The Sox are rolling right now and hopefully it carries over to the final three games before the all-star break. The good news is Alex Bregman returns tomorrow night but who comes out? David Hamilton or Marcelo Mayer is headed down to Worcester and it looks like Hunter Dobbins will be activated to start tomorrow night's game. Either Chris Murphy or Isaiah Campbell is gone. All in all tonight was a good win and Sox fans have hope for the first time since the three game sweep of the Yankees. The win improved the Sox to 50-35, 5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it eight wins in a row tomorrow night when Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 4.10 ERA) takes on Tampa's best, Drew Rasmussen at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Nationals Again (7/5/25)

For the second straight game the Boston Red Sox pulverized the Washington Nationals in our nation's capital. The Sox broke out to a 2-0 lead against Mitchell Parker before scoring 7 runs in the top of the third, the dagger being a 2 run home run by Ceddanne Rafaela. On the other side of the ball, Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.25 ERA) struggled again by allowing 3 runs in just 5 innings but the bullpen was lights out after. Greg Weissert, Brennan Bernardino and Jorge Alcala pitched shutout ball as the Sox blasted the Nationals 10-3 at Nationals Park.

                                                    Lauren Phillips approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Parker in the top of the first as Brady House booted a grounder by Nate Eaton to start. Romy Gonzalez doubled to left to score Eaton just like that. Roman Anthony grounded out to second to move Gonzalez to third and Rob Refsnyder doubled to left to score Romy. Carlos Narvaez walked but Trevor Story flied out to right to move Refsnyder to third. Jarren Duran flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                            Refsnyder drives in a run

Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first and CJ Abrams flied out to center to start. James Wood grounded out to second and Luis Garcia Jr was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning. 

Abraham "El" Toro struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to third. Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning. Nathaniel Lowe lined out to second to start the bottom of the second but Josh Bell got a base hit to right. House got a base hit to right but Daylen Lile flied out to left. Keibert Ruiz flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the third as Gonzalez doubled to left to start. Anthony got a base hit to right to score Gonzalez but Refsnyder forced Roman at second. Narvaez flied out to center but Story got a base hit to center. Duran tripled into the right field corner to clear the bases and Parker booted a grounder by Toro for an error to score Jarren. Rafaela put the exclamation point on with his 10th home run of the season to ice the game. Eaton doubled down the first base line and Gonzalez got a base hit to right to score Eaton. Anthony grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                               Sox pour it on

The Nationals answered in the bottom of the third as Jacob Young hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Abrams got a base hit to right and Wood hit a routine grounder to first....booted by Toro. Gonzalez picked the ball up and threw it into the centerfield bleachers for an error to move Abrams to third. Garcia Jr hit a grounder to first where Toro stepped on the bag, but Wood smartly got in a rundown to score Abrams before being tagged out to end the inning. The Nationals were down 9-1.

                                                            Garcia gets no rbi.

Refsnyder lined out to left to start the top of the fourth and Narvaez hit one up the elevator shaft. Story lined out to right to end the inning. Lowe got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Bell got a base hit to right. House took strike three and Lile got a base hit to center to load the bases. Ruiz beat out a double play ball to score Lowe but Young lined out to right to end the inning with the Nationals down 9-2.

                                                          Ruiz drives in a run

Duran popped up to second to start the top of the fifth and El Toro lined out to second. Rafaela also popped up to second to end the inning. Abrams struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth and Wood grounded out to short. Garcia Jr grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Eaton took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Gonzalez did the same. Anthony got a base hit to right but Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. The Nationals finished off Buehler in the bottom of the sixth as Lowe tripled off the glove of Rafaela to start. Bell got a base hit to right to score Lowe and chase Buehler after allowing 3 runs in 5 plus innings.

                                                           Buehler doesn't last long.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch and House flied out to center before Lile flied out to left. Ruiz got a base hit to center but Young flied out to center to end the inning with the Nationals down 9-3.

Ryan Loutos came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Narvaez grounded out to third to start. Story grounded out to third and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abrams grounded back to the mound to start. Wood grounded out to short and Garcia grounded out to second to end the inning.

Eduardo Salazar came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Lowe booted a grounder by Toro to start. Rafaela doubled to right to score Toro but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Eaton struck out swinging and Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 10-3.

                                                              Sox get another run

Marcelo Mayer took over for Rafaela to start the bottom of the eighth and Lowe took strike three to start. Bell grounded back to the mound and House grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jackson Rutledge came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Anthony popped up to second to start. Refsnyder flied out to right and Narvaez grounded out to third to end the inning. Jorge Alcala came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Lile grounded out to short to start. Reuiz flied out to right and Young took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-3.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. He drove in 3 big runs including the 2 run home run to put the game out of reach.

                                                    Our Hero gets the Wally Head

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Roman Anthony was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Jorge Alcala pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Nate Eaton was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but scored 2 runs.

Walker Buehler got the win but allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Marcelo Mayer played third base in the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

Two games in a row the Sox offense pounded the Nationals and they needed it this time. Walker Buehler continued to struggle which forced the bullpen to pitch 4 innings but the bullpen held the fort this time. Rafaela is quickly becoming the successor to Devers as he took over this game. The Sox need SOMEONE to step up for the rest of the season and if its him, so be it. The bats have been feasting on the Nationals and its good to see the bullpen step up. The sad part is the Sox are perfectly mediocre but are only 3.5 games behind the New York Yankees. Nobody has really stood out this year compared to years past so the Sox definitely still have a chance this season. The win improved the Sox to 45-45, 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Nationals tomorrow afternoon when Garrett Crochet (8-4) takes on Shinnosuke Ogasawara of Washington. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Nationals Park.

Jays Drop Buehler, Fading Sox (6/29/25)

Looks like the Rafael Devers trade will be the kiss of death on the 2025 season for the Boston Red Sox. Without their best hitter, the rest of the team has nose dived since then. Today's loss to the Toronto Blue Jays dropped them to 4-8 since the trade and with Triston Casas already out, they look both directionless and lifeless. After walloping the Jays for 15 runs last night, a let-down was to be expected but it would have been nice if Walker Buehler (5-6, 6.45 ERA) didn't throw up on himself again. Addison Barger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr both hit solo shots off Buehler with one out in the first although the Sox tied it in the second. The Jays put 2 runs across in the top of the fourth and the Sox could only answer with one run in the bottom of the fifth. Yariel Rodriguez and the Jays bullpen held the Sox scoreless for nearly 5 full innings and the Jays put the Boston closer to the bottom with a 5-3 victory over them at Fenway Park.

                                                    Trading Devers makes Bad Face angry

The Jays wasted no time getting to Buehler in the top of the first inning as Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start. Addison Barger and Vladimir Guerrero Jr both struck back to back home runs to put the Jays up instantly. George Springer flied out to right and Nathan Lukes grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                                Jays strike first

Eric Lauer got the ball in the bottom of the first as Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Roman Anthony grounded out to first and Rob Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning.

Ernie Clement grounded out to third to start the top of the second but Andres Gimenez lined out to first. Jonatan Clase flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Carlos Narvaez blasted his seventh home run of the season to cut the lead. Trevor Story got a base hit to left but Jarren Duran flied out to left. Story swiped second and scored on the Ceddanne Rafaela double to left, tying the game. Nate Eaton grounded out to third and Nick Sogard struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                          Sox tie it up

Tyler Heineman struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Bichette grounded out to short. Barger took strike three to end the inning. Gonzalez flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Anthony got a base hit to center. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning.

Rafaela made an outstanding diving catch to rob Guerrero Jr of extra bases to start the top of the fourth before Springer grounded out to short. Lukes got a base hit inside the third base bag and Clement drew a walk. Gimenez got a base hit to right to score Lukes to put Toronto back on top. Gimenez stole second, Clase walked and Heineman of all people walked to score Clement. Heineman was picked off first to end the inning with the Jays up 4-2. That was it for Buehler who allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 4 hits and 3 walks.

                                                           Buehler was garbage today

Story flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth before Duran took strike three. Rafaela lined out to center to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to take a beating in the top of the fifth as Bichette hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Barger grounded out to short to move Bichette to third but Guerrero Jr grounded out to third. Springer walked and Lukes got a base hit to left to score Bichette to ice the game. Clement struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 5-2.

                                                      Kelly gets knocked around

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the fifth as Eaton took strike three to start. Sogard doubled to left and Gonzalez doubled off the Monster as well to cut the lead. Anthony got a base hit to left and that was it for Lauer. Yariel Rodriguez came in to face Wilyer Abreu pinch hitting for Refsnyder. Abreu popped up to first and Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                        Gonzalez isn't ready to quit yet

Gimenez was hit with a pitch to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Kelly. Brennan Bernardino came in to face Myles Straw pinch hitting for Clase. Straw popped up to first, Heineman popped up to second and Bichette also popped up to second to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran tripled into the right field corner. Rafaela grounded out to third but Abraham "El" Toro pinch hit for Eaton. Toro was hit with a pitch to put the tying run on but Sogard grounded out to short to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Barger grounded out to third to start. Guerrero Jr struck out swinging and Springer grounded out to short to end the inning. Brendon Little came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Anthony took strike three and Abreu lined out to left to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Lukes flied out to left to start. Clement also flied out to left and Gimenez lined out to right to end the inning. Nick Sandlin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Narvaez walked to start. Story grounded out to second to move Carlos to second but Duran lined out to right. Rafaela also lined out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Straw struck out swinging to start. Heineman struck out swinging and Bichette grounded out to short to end the inning. Jeff Hoffman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Toro struck out swinging to start. Sogard struck out swinging and Gonzalez was rung up for strike three to end the game. The Jays had won it 5-3.

                                                       Blue Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Walker Buehler. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 4 runs in 4 innings to take the loss.

                                                           Walker Jackass

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 2 for 4.

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

Abraham Toro was hit with a pitch in 2 plate appearances.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2.

Nate Eaton was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the top of the fifth.

The Ugly:

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with an rbi.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

To all the Sox fans that were glad Devers was traded, this recent stretch is for you. For all the infidels going "Devers should have grabbed a mitt and helped the team", how's being 3 games under .500 two weeks after the trade feeling? The Sox without their best hitter are losing close games thanks to not having a big bat that could make a difference. All Sox GM Craig Breslow had to do was get another first baseman to play first after Triston Casas went down, instead they targeted Devers and ran him out of town. I hope everyone is happy. The Sox have finished .500 or below three straight years and are about to do it again if this keeps up. This is how bad franchises go 86 years without world series titles. they go cheap and make horrible decisions. Signing Walker Buehler looks to be a mistake but with injuries to Kutter Crawford and Tanner Houck, they're stuck with him. Not that its entirely the team's fault, they didn't ask to lose Alex Bregamn, Casas, the two pitchers and Masataka Yoshida for this long. The fans deserve it, the team doesn't. They play hard every day and they run through a wall for manager Alex Cora. Can't even blame him for injuries and losing Devers either. Its all a mess and there's still three months left in the season. The loss dropped the Sox to 41-44, 8 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Cincinatti Reds for a three game set starting tomorrow night. Garrett Crochet (7-4) goes up against Chase Burns of the Reds at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.