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.

Sox Bash Nationals In July 4th Matinee (7/4/25)

Happy July 4th everyone. The Boston Red Sox enjoyed themselves this morning as they cracked the Washington Nationals and Michael Soroka in today's game. The Sox as a team pounded out 16 hits and 11 runs, highlighted by the seven run 5th inning. Trevor Story hit a 2 run shot and drove in 4 runs on his own while Jarren Duran plated 3. On the other side of the ball, Lucas Giolito (5-1, 3.66 ERA) tossed his best game of the season holding the Nationals to just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the ninth inning but the Sox had won this game easily 11-2 at Nationals Park.

                                                  The Founding Fathers approve of the win

Soroka got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Roman Anthony got a base hit to left and Abraham "El" Toro singled to right. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. Giolito got the ball in the bottom of the first and CJ Abrams popped up to third to start. James Wood walked but Luis Garcia Jr grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Trevor Story got a base hit to second to start. Story swiped second but Marcelo Mayer struck out swinging. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to right to score Story then moved to third on the David Hamilton grounder to short. Duran got a base hit to center to score Rafaela with another run and Anthony was plunked. El Toro lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                         Duran drives in a run

Nathaniel Lowe struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Josh Bell grounded out to second. Brady House flied out to right to end the inning.

Narvaez struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Abreu went down hacking as well. Story grounded out to short to end the inning. Daylen Lile popped up to third to begin the bottom of the third and Keibert Ruiz struck out swinging. Jacob Young singled to center but Abrams flied out to left to end the inning.

Mayer struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Rafaela swung at air as well. Hamilton caught the Nationals asleep with a bunt single down the third base line and promptly stole second. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Wood struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth and Garcia Jr lined out to center. Lowe walked and Bell singled off the glove of Hamilton, but House forced Bell at second to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the fifth as Anthony doubled to center to start. El Toro walked and Narvaez got a base hit to left to load the bases. Abreu walked to score Anthony and Story got a base hit to center to score both Toro and Narvaez. That was it for Soroka as Zach Brzykcy came in to allow Mayer to get a base hit to left to score Abreu. Rafaela flied out to center and Hamilton struck out swinging, but Duran doubled to right to clear the bases. Anthony walked and Toro got a base hit to center to score Duran. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                           El Toro joins the rbi parade

Lile popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Ruiz struck out swinging. Young lined out to right to end the inning.

Andrew Chafin came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Abreu flied out to left to start. Story singled in the hole at third but Mayer flied out to left. Rafaela lined out to left to end the inning. The Nationals finally scored in the bottom of the sixth as Abrams singled to right to start. Abrams stole second and moved to third on the Wood grounder to second. Garcia Jr hit a sac fly to center to score Abrams but Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Nationals down 9-1.

                                                            Nationals get on the board

Ryan Loutos came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hamilton walked to start. Hamilton stole second but Duran struck out swinging. Anthony grounded out to second to move Hamilton to third but Toro flied out to center to end the inning. Bell took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh and House struck out swinging. Lile lined out to left to end the inning.

Alex Call came in for Wood for the top of the eighth and Narvaez singled in the hole at short to start. Abreu forced Narvaez at second but Story belted his 13th home run of the season to increase the lead. Mayer got a base hit to right but was forced at second by Rafaela. Hamilton lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 11-1.

                                                     Story gets the Wally Head

Nate Eaton came in for Duran to start the bottom of the eighth and Ruiz singled to center to start. Young lined out to right but Abrams walked. Call flied out to right and that was it for Giolito. He was outstanding, holding the Nationals to just 1 run in 7 2/3 innings. Justin Wilson came in and got Garcia to ground out to first to end the inning.

                                                           Great work Giolito

Eduardo Salazar came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Eaton flied out to center to start. Anthony walked but El Toro flied out to center. Narvaez forced Anthony at second to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Lowe singled to right to start. Bell struck out swinging and House forced Lowe at second. Lile doubled to center to score House but Ruiz grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-2.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Lucas Giolito. He tossed 7 2/3 innings of 1 run ball while allowing

                                                         Lucas Gio-Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

Roman Anthony was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Abraham Toro was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 6 with a run scored.

Trevor Story was 4 for 5 with a 2 run home run, 4 total rbis, a stolen base and 3 total runs scored.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Justin Wilson retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Nate Eaton was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored two runs.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

David Hamilton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and stole two bases.

Final Thoughts:

Last year the running Red Sox caught fire in June by stealing bases and hitting timely home runs. This game was similar to that as Story went yard and the Sox stole 3 bags. If Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran get on base, they can be very deadly on the basepaths. The Sox need to find a way to generate offense with Alex Bregman and Triston Casas out & Rafael Devers gone. The season has been worthless so far but maybe they'll win more than they lose. The win improved the Sox to 44-45, 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Nationals tomorrow afternoon when Walker Buehler (5-6) takes on Mitchell Parker of Washington. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Nationals Park.

Off Day News: 2024 Draft Revisited (7/3/25)

Its an off-day and since we're under two weeks away from the MLB Draft, its time to look back at last year's Boston Red Sox draft and how Craig Breslow's first crew is doing today. Chaim Bloom drafted a few major leaguers between 2020 and 2023 but made the mistake of drafting nothing but infielders in the early rounds. Hopefully Craig Breslow doesn't make that mistake going forward.

1st Round - OF Braden Montgomery

The Red Sox had the 12th overall pick in the draft and they used it on stud outfielder Braden Montgomery out of Texas A & M University. He was supposed to go in the top 5 but a gruesome ankle injury in the College World Series dropped him right in Boston's lap. He wouldn't play a game in the organization as he was traded along with Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth to Chicago in the Garrett Crochet trade. Now Montgomery is with the Winston-Salem Dash where he's hitting .248 but with 7 home runs and 30 rbis. He's definitely got a power stroke, time will tell how far he goes.

Currently - High A

2nd Round - LHP Payton Tolle

Unlike his predecessor Chaim Bloom, current Sox GM Craig Breslow drafted a pitcher in the top 50. Left hander Payton Tolle was 7-4 with a 3.21 ERA in 14 starts for TCU before being drafted 50th overall by the Red Sox in the 2024 draft. He started this season in Greenville going 1-3 with a 3.62 ERA and got promoted to Portland. So far in AA he's allowed 2 runs in 9 innings with a save under his belt. Him and Connelly Early from the 2023 draft might be the future in a year or two.

Currently - AA

3rd Round - RHP Brandon Neely

     

The Sox looked to add more pitching when they chose Florida Gators right handed pitcher Brandon Neely with their first round pick. Unfortunately he was damaged goods as he was 3-4 with a 5.09 ERA battling shoulder injuries that prevented him from playing for the Florida Complex. This year he's been on the Injured List since spring training and still hasn't pitched yet. Far too soon to judge him but he's definitely missing out on development.

Currently - Injured List

4th Round - OF Zach Ehrhard

Name sound familiar? Back in 2021 the Red Sox took Zach Ehrhard in the 13th round as a shortstop but he chose to play college ball instead. The Sox thought so much of him they drafted him again in the fourth round of last year's draft. He had just 12 hits in 77 at-bats to end the season for the Greenville Drive but hit .342 with 22 rbis to start this year for the Drive. Promoted to Portland and reunited with his older brother Drew, Zach is hitting just .235 but does have 6 home runs for the Sea Dogs. Better late than never for Zach and at least he's made AA already.

Currently - AA

5th Round - LHP Brandon Clarke

In the fifth round, the Sox took St College of Florida left handed pitcher Brandon Clarke. What made the Sox chose him after posting a 4.36 ERA for a small college is anyone's guess but he's proved doubters wrong so far. He started this year allowing just 1 run in 9 2/3 innings for the Salem Red Sox before getting promoted to Greenville where he's posted a 2.37 ERA out of the bullpen. Small school pitchers are a big crapshot but so far this has worked out. Time will tell if he can make it to Portland and beyond.

Currently - High A

6th Round - RHP Blake Aita

In the sixth round, the Sox chose right handed pitcher Blake Aita out of Kennesaw State where he went 7-4 with a 3.90 ERA in 16 starts. He was 2-3 with a 4.24 ERA for Salem to start this year before getting promoted to Greenville where he's 2-1 with a 1.88 ERA. So far so good for Blake, hopefully he can keep up the momentum this year in Greenville.

Currently - High A

7th Round - OF Will Turner

The Sox first big oops was when they took Southern Alabama outfielder Will Turner in the seventh round. He hit just .218 with 9 home runs in college and his bat hasn't translated to the pro's at all. He had just 6 hits in 74 at bats to end the season in Greenville. This year he was hitting .132 with one home run in Greenville so he was demoted to the Florida Complex Sox...where he's hitting .130 in 9 games. That's a huge red flag that he's hitting this badly this early. He better turn it around in a hurry because there's this year's draft and Dominican guys knocking at the door to take his spot.

Currently - High A

8th Round - RHP/SS Conrad Cason

The Sox made a crapshot with their 8th round pick, Greater Atlanta Christian High School hybrid Conrad Cason. Cason was a pitcher and a shortstop in high school and has played in three games this year for the Florida Complex. One as a pitcher and two as a hitter. He's going to have to make a choice to stick with one skill, but hopefully he excels at one of them. He's only 18 years old so he has plenty of time to develop.

Currently - Rookie League

9th Round - C Hudson White

The Sox took a position of need in the 9th round last year when they took Arkansas University catcher Hudson White. He had just 9 hits in 54 at-bats to finish the season in Greenville. This year he's hitting just .179 with 4 home runs. The trade of Kyle Teel opened a giant hole in the organization for quality catchers and the thinking is White could develop into one. Hitting .179 isn't going to cut it.

Currently - High A

10th Round - LHP Devin Futrell

The Sox started a string of seven straight pitchers taken in the draft when they took left hander Devin Futrell out of Vanderbilt University. He was 4-1 with a hideous 5.40 ERA for Vanderbilt in 2024 but so far he's 0-2 with a 2.53 ERA in 21 innings so far this year. Keep that ERA down and he'll be going places, but he's going to need to locate since he's a junkballer.

Currently - Low A

11th Round - RHP Steven Brooks

The 11th round produced right handed pitcher Steven Brooks for the Sox out of Cal Poly University. Why they took him after consistently posing an ERA in the 5's for 3 years in college is anyone's guess. He's 2-5 with a 5.72 ERA for the Salem Red Sox this year. He was drafted in the 11th round so he's not exactly a blue chip prospect, but what about his stats made Craig Breslow think he had good stuff? He still has time to turn it around, but it looks like they got what they paid for so far.

Currently - Low A

12th Round - RHP Brady Tygart

The Sox used their 12th round selection to go with Arkansas University right handed pitcher Brady Tygart. He was 4-3 with a 3.94 ERA for the Razorbacks in 2024 and the injury bug bit him big time. He was removed after his first start in April, placed on the Injured List, and hasn't pitched since. Going to have to see him next year to see if he develops.

Currently - Low A

13th Round - LHP Shea Sprague

Lucky 13 for the Sox turned out to be left handed pitcher Shea Sprague out of North Carolina University. He was 3-1 with a 4.00 ERA for the Tar Heels in 2024 and so far this year he was 2-2 with a 4.01 ERA before getting promoted to Greenville. There he's currently 1-2 with a 2.60 ERA for the Drive. Not a bad start and hopefully he can keep the momentum going moving forward.

Currently - High A

14th Round - RHP Alex Bouchard

In the fourteenth round, the Sox went right right handed pitcher Alex Bouchard out of Lehigh University. He pitched in 2 games for Lehigh last year before having Tommy John surgery. The Sox wanted his 98 mph fastball so much they were willing to wait for him. He JUST came off the injured list and is rehabbing with the Complex. He'll be in Salem when that's over, let's see if his arm holds up.

Currently - Rookie League

15th Round - RHP Joey Gartrell

In the 15th round, the Sox used their pick to take right handed pitcher Joey Gartrell out of Portland University. Just like Bouchard, he's coming off Tommy John surgery suffered last year. He recently returned and is 2-2 with a 4.09 ERA in Salem. He supposedly hits 94 on the gun so let's see if he bounces back this summer.

Currently - Low A

16th Round - RHP Griffin Kilander

The string of seven straight pitchers drafted ended in the 17th round when the Sox took right handed pitcher Griffin Kilander out of Wayne State University. He was 6-3 with a 4,00 ERA when he was drafted and allowed 1 run in 7 innings to finish the 2024 season in Salem. This year he's 2-5 with a 5.40 ERA in Salem. He needs to step it up big time or else he's going to get passed by the incoming draft class and Dominican players.

Currently - Low A

17th Round - OF Yan Cruz

The Sox took another crapshot when they drafted 17 year old Yan Cruz in the 17th round in last year's draft. He was the 17U Perfect Game MVP and that caught the eye of Sox brass. Unfortunately success hasn't translated to the Florida Complex as he's hitting just .172 with 59 strikeouts in 99 at-bats. Still, he doesn't turn 19 until October so you can't judge him too harshly. Still, you'd like to see a better showing than that.

Currently - Rookie League

18th Round - RHP Cole Tolbert

In the 18th round, the Sox took Ole Miss right handed pitcher Cole Tolbert. Tolbert allowed 11 runs in 18 innings battling injuries in two years in college before making his debut with Salem last year. He was 0-1 with a 5.56 ERA and ended up needing Tommy John surgery in March. He won't pitch this year and half of next year, but not much is expected out of 18th round picks anyway.

Currently - Full Season Injured List

19th Round - 3B D'Angelo Ortiz

Nepotism and the Boston Red Sox are hardly strangers. Whether its Marc Sullivan or Nick Lovullo, every now and then the Sox will draft someone as a favor. The mother of all was this year in the 19th round when the Sox took Miami Dade Community College third baseman D'Angelo Ortiz. Care to guess who his father is? Little Papi doesn't have his father's power stroke as he only had 1 home run in 51 games for Miami Dade and he's hitting .269 with no home runs for the Florida Complex. Still, .269 is better than Yan Cruz and it would be totally unfair to expect D'Angelo to be David. Still, you still have to produce, let's see what he can do.

Currently - Rookie League

20th Round - RHP Ben Hansen 

The final player drafted in the 20th round was BYU right handed pitcher Ben Hansen. Hansen was straight garbage at BYU going 5-7 with a 6.63 ERA and so far he's 1-2 with a 6.25 ERA for Salem this year. Can't expect to find blue chip prospects in the 20th round, but at the same time they knew he was bad in college, why did they think they could fix him? He's still got a year or two to develop, but still.

Currently - Low A

URFA - RHP Calvin Bickerstaff

After the draft, the Sox signed a pair of undrafted rookie free agents. One of them was Kent State right handed pitcher Calvin Bickerstaff. He was mediocre for Kent State going 4-4 with a 5.08 ERA before looking good with Salem to end 2024, allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings. This year he's allowed 9 earned runs in 22 innings between the Complex and Salem. For a guy not even drafted, that's better than what other guys who were drafted are doing. Time will tell how far he goes.

Currently - Low A

URFA - RP Jay Allmer

The other undrafted rookie free agent was Seton Hall right handed pitcher Jay Allmer. He was 1-5 but with a 2.73 ERA for Seton Hall and this year he's 3-1 with a 3.18 ERA and a save for Salem. Once again, for a guy who wasn't even drafted, that's better than nothing. Hopefully Breslow found a hidden gem here.

Currently - Low A

Surprisingly all 20 players signed and out of the 22...2 are on the Injured List, 2 are in AA, 6 are in High A, 8 are in Low A and 4 are in the Rookie League. Braden Montgomery was supposedly a steal in the draft but they traded him to get Garrett Crochet. As it is, Payton Tolle looks like the next man up out of this group, Zach Ehrhard is also in AA already but the rest will have time to develop. Getting an Andrew Benintendi that goes from drafted to MLB in one year is tough to do, so judge slowly. Still, Breslow knew the organization has a dearth of pitching so he grabbed as many as he could. Hopefully one or more of them will stick.

Reds Steamroll Red Sox Bullpen (7/2/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox called up Cooper Criswell just to pitch in tonight's game.

                                                                      IN

As for the game, what an unmitigated disaster for the Boston Red Sox bullpen. The Sox enjoyed a 3-0 lead over Nick Martinez and the Cincinnati Reds when disaster struck in the seventh inning. Christian Encarnacion-Strand hit a grand slam off of Greg Weissert and scoring another run off him. The Reds then scored 3 runs off of Jordan Hicks in the top of the eighth and the embarrassment was complete. The Sox dropped their 8th game out of 11 as the Reds won 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Scotty's reaction to the bullpen

Brennan Bernardino got the ball in the top of the first and TJ Friedl struck out swinging to start. Matt McLain walked and promptly stole second but Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging. Austin Hays grounded out to short to end the inning. Martinez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Roman Anthony grounded out to short but Abraham "El" Toro singled to right. Trevor Story singled to left but Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tyler Stephenson grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Rece Hinds grounded out to third. Gavin Lux doubled to left and that was it for Bernardino. Jorge Alcala got Christian Encarnacion-Strand to ground out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Ceddanne Rafaela ripped a base hit to right then moved to third on the error by Friedl. Marcelo Mayer popped up to second but Romy Gonzalez hit a sac fly to right to score Rafaela. Connor Wong singled to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Gonzalez puts Boston ahead

Santiago Espinal struck out swinging to open the top of the third and Friedl flied out to center. McLain beat out a roller to Alcala but De La Cruz lined out to left to end the inning. Duran flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Anthony did the same. El Toro flied out to left to end the inning.

Chris Murphy came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Hays struck out swinging to start. Stephenson flied out to right and Hinds struck out swinging to end the inning. Story doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Abreu struck out swinging. Rafaela grounded out to third and Mayer flied out to center to end the inning.

Lux grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth and Strand popped up to first. Espinal flied out to right to end the inning. Gonzalez grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the fifth and Wong grounded out to third. Duran flied out to right to end the inning.

Friedl lined out to right to start the top of the sixth but McLain doubled to left. De La Cruz grounded out to third and Greg Weissert came in to face Hays. Austin grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Anthony grounded out to second to start. El Toro lined out to left but Story singled to center. Abreu then clocked his 17th home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                           Home run Abreu

Things fell apart in the top of the seventh as Stephenson singled to right to start. Hinds then hit a routine grounder to third....booted by Toro for an error. Lux walked to load the bases and Strand hit a grand slam into the Charles River to put the Reds up for good. Espinal grounded out to second but Friedl doubled to right. McLain lined out to center but De La Cruz singled to center to score Friedl. The boo's rained down as FINALLY Sox manager Alex Cora pulled the incompetent Weissert. Jordan Hicks came in to get Hays to ground out to second to end the inning with the Reds up 5-3.

                                                            Reds take the lead

The Sox did fight back in the bottom of the seventh as Mayer hit a ground rule double into the left field stands. Gonzalez blooped a double into left field to score Mayer but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Wong flied out to center and Taylor Rogers came in to face Duran. Jarren got a base hit to center but Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                             Gonzalez drives in a run

Hicks fell apart in the top of the eighth as Stephenson singled to center to start. Hinds forced Robert at second but Lux walked. Strand got a base hit to right to load the bases and Espinal singled to right to score Hinds. Friedl then hit a grounder to short and Story booted it for an error. Lux scored on the error and Cooper Criswell came in to pitch. McLain hit a grounder to short and Espinal was thrown out at home. De La Cruz lined out to center to end the inning with the Reds ahead 8-4.

                                                      Reds pour it on

Tony Santillan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Toro struck out swinging to start. Story flied out to right and Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Hays singled to center to start the top of the ninth but Stephenson struck out swinging. Will Benson pinch hit for Hinds and forced Hays at second, but Lux singled to right. Strand grounded out to third to end the inning. Emilio Pagan came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Rafaela doubled to left to start. Mayer struck out swinging, Gonzalez went down hacking and Wong lined out to center to end the game. The Reds had won it 8-4.

                                                                       Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. He turned a 3-0 lead into a 5-3 deficit in about 10 minutes.

                                                  "Get out and stay out, Jackass" - Cora

The Good:

Trevor Story was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

Brennan Bernardino pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Jorge Alcala tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Chris Murphy pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Cooper Criswell tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jordan Hicks allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

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

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

The sad thing is there's still 74 games left in the season. The Sox clearly won't get over the loss of Rafael Devers as their offense is just too inconsistent. On top of that, Jordan Hicks can throw 100 but straight as an arrow. The trade looks worse every single day and the Sox are suffering through it. Alex Cora and Craig Breslow might be gone after the season if the season goes down the drain just like it did the previous three years. We're still a month before the trade deadline but it would take a miracle for things to turn around. Let's see how bad things get by the end. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-45, 6 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox travel to Washington for a three game set with the Nationals beginning Friday morning on the 4th of July. Lucas Giolito (4-1) takes on Michael Soroka of the Nationals. The game begins at 11:05 AM at Nationals Park

Sox Rally Past Reds (7/1/25)

This game is going to be a paradox because it was actually suspended and completed the next day. When the dust settled, the Boston Red Sox had rallied past the Cincinnati Reds. "Big" Dick Fitts was the original starter for the Sox and he allowed a run in 3 innings while Brady Singer had allowed two of them. Then rain came and the game was suspended until the next day. When the next day resumed, Brayan Bello (4-3, 3.42 ERA) allowed 2 runs to put the Sox in a 3-2 hole. Carlos Narvaez hit a sac fly to tie the game and in the bottom of the eighth, both Wilyer Abreu and Trevor Story drove in runs. Aroldis Chapman earned his 350th career save as the Sox had won the game 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Anora approves of the win

Fitts got the ball in the top of the first inning and TJ Friedl walked to start. Matt McLain grounded out to third to move Friedl to second and TJ moved to third on the grounder to first by Elly De La Cruz. Austin Hays struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Singer in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Roman Anthony doubled to left to score Duran and Abraham "El" Toro flied out to right to move Roman to third. Carlos Narvaez singled to right to score Anthony and Wilyer Abreu walked. Trevor Story struck out swinging and Marcelo Mayer took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             Sox strike first

Gavin Lux lined out to left to start the top of the second and Spencer Steer flied out to right. Jose Trevino lined out to center to end the inning. David Hamilton grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center. Duran watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Will Benson singled to right to start the top of the third and Christian Encarnacion-Strand got a base hit in the hole at short. Friedl dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and McLain grounded out to third to score Benson. De La Cruz flied out to left to end the inning with the Reds down 2-1. Due to the game being postponed due to rain, that was it for Fitts who allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

                                                     Short and sweet for Fitts

Anthony grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third and Toro flied out to right. Narvaez walked and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rain then postponed the game to the following day and when action resumed, Brayan Bello took the mound to start the top of the fourth. Hays grounded out to third but Lux walked. Steer then hit a home run all the way to Franklin Park Zoo to put the Reds on top. Trevino struck out swinging and Benson grounded out to second to end the inning but the Reds were up 3-2.

                                                         Steer jacks one out

Sam Moll came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Story grounded out to short to start. Mayer struck out swinging and Hamilton popped up to third to end the inning.

Strand grounded out to third to open the top of the fifth and Friedl flied out to left. McLain grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rafaela struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Duran whiffed as well. Anthony swung at air to end the inning.

De La Cruz grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth and Hays grounded out to short. Lux took strike three to end the inning. Scott Barlow came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Toro doubled off the glove of De La Cruz to start. A wild pitch moved Toro to third and he scored on the sac fly by Narvaez to tie the game. Abreu got a base hit to right but Story lined out to third. Abreu stole second but Mayer lined out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                         Tie game

Steer was hit with a pitch to start the top of the seventh but Trevino struck out swinging. Benson grounded into a double play to end the inning. Lyon Richardson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hamilton lined out to short to start. Rafaela grounded out to short and Duran took strike three to end the inning.

Strand popped up to second to begin the top of the eighth but Friedl was hit with a pitch. McLain grounded into a double play to end the inning. Santiago Espinal came in to play third in the bottom of the eighth and Anthony took strike three to start. Toro got a base hit to left and Nate Eaton ran for him. Eaton stole second and moved to third on the Narvaez grounder to second. Abreu got a base hit to right to score Eaton and Story doubled to left to score Abreu just like that. Story was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                           Sox take the lead

Romy Gonzalez came in for Eaton with Aroldis Chapman now on the mound to start the top of the ninth. De La Cruz struck out swinging and Hays grounded out to short. Lux grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Aroldis Chapman for earning his 350th career save.

                                                               Aroldis Hero

The Good:

Abraham Toro was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Nate Eaton stole a base and scored a run.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and an rbi.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball to earn the win.

The Bad:

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Richard Fitts allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Romy Gonzalez played first in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox to rally at the end after getting nothing done up to that point. The only problem is there's another game to play today and they already used Chapman. Bello had a yeoman's effort to win this one and hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum into "game 2" later. Apart from the bottom of the order being completely useless, this was a good win to scratch out runs the way they did. Obviously the Rafael Devers trade is going to affect them offensively but being able to scratch and claw will be a necessity at this point. Still, at least they won a game for once. The win improved the Sox to 43-44. Technically since this game concluded on Wednesday, there's no point in posting the standings. The Sox are going to go with a bullpen game against Nick Martinez of Cincinnati. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.