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Rockets, Sengun Take It to Celtics

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HOUSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Houston’s Alperen Sengun posted 26 points and 10 assists and the Rockets used a 10-0 fourth-quarter rally to seal a 109-93 win over the visiting Boston Celtics on Monday.

Sengun capped the run with a hook shot that lifted the Rockets to a 97-79 lead. His basket followed a trio of Houston 3-pointers, two from Marcus Smart and another from Reed Sheppard, plus a Sheppard layup.

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After Boston clawed within 13, Sengun passed out of a trap and assisted on an Amen Thompson dunk with 2:29 left that secured the win.

Sengun added seven rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Jabari Smith Jr. (14 points, 10 rebounds) also posted a double-double for the Rockets, who have won seven of eight games this season. Thompson added 14 points while Tari Eason chipped in 13 points and two blocks off the bench. Houston shot 54.4% and outscored the Celtics 50-34 on paint points.

Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 19 points and nine assists, but he missed 11 of 16 shots. Neemias Queta posted 16 points and six rebounds while Luka Garza added 14 points and four 3-pointers off the bench for the Celtics, who had their five-game winning streak snapped.

The Rockets struggled to pull away until their fourth-quarter rally. A Sengun block resulted in a transition 3-pointer from Smith that stretched the gap to 75-68 in the third, and Kevin Durant (12 points) sank his lone shot attempt in the second half with 16.9 seconds left to give Houston an 82-73 lead entering the fourth.

The Rockets took their first double-digit advantage at 25-15 following back-to-back Eason 3-pointers, but the Celtics closed the first period with a 14-4 rally keyed by Tatum.

Tatum started the run with a four-point possession and an assist before Garza drilled a pair of 3-pointers that pulled the Celtics even. The score was 29-29 entering the second quarter.

Houston led by 11 three times in the second quarter, but a late Tatum 3-pointer shaved the margin to 57-50 at the intermission.

The Celtics and Rockets combined to shoot 12-for-39 (30.8%) from behind the arc in the first half.

–Field Level Media

Maye’s Second Half Beats Miami

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MIAMI – (Wire Service Report) – Drake Maye completed 16 of 20 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns, and did most of his damage in the second half to lead the New England Patriots to a 24-19 comeback win over the host Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

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Maye threw both of his touchdown passes in the second half when he went 9 of 10 for 146 yards after the Patriots (5-3) fell behind 13-3 at halftime to the upset-minded Dolphins (1-6), who were looking to string together back-to-back AFC East wins after an 0-5 start.

Instead, Maye led a second-half comeback after recording his fifth consecutive game with three or more total touchdowns, and tied a Patriots single-season record with three games in which he’s thrown two touchdown passes of 30 or more yards, tying Tom Brady and Steve Grogan, who both did it twice.

And Maye did this despite the Patriots playing without A.J. Brown (ankle/knee) and down to four active receivers. Tight end Hunter Henry also exited the game early in the second quarter with an apparent foot issue and did not return.

Maye found Kyle Williams for a 43-yard touchdown pass to cut the Dolphins’ lead to 13-10 with 9:23 left in the third. Maye’s 2-yard touchdown run with 59 seconds left in the third put the Patriots ahead 17-13.

On Miami’s ensuing drive, Kevin Byard III intercepted a pass by Malik Willis that was deflected high in the air off DaQuan Jones’ helmet. DeMario Douglas, who caught three passes for 76 yards, extended the lead to 24-13 with 12:39 left in the fourth when he caught a throw on the run by Maye and raced for a 48-yard touchdown.

Willis completed 21 of 32 passes for 211 yards, two touchdowns, one interception and was sacked five times in the first half.

The Dolphins drove 11 plays and 45 yards into New England territory, but Zane Gonzalez missed a 43-yard try wide left with 6:41 to go in the fourth.

Willis found Kevin Coleman Jr. open for a 35-yard touchdown pass with 2:04 left to cut New England’s lead to 24-19, but Miami’s two-point try failed on an incomplete pass. The Patriots recovered an onside kick and ran out the clock. Rhamondre Stevenson totaled 82 yards on 19 carries for New England. Ollie Gordon II had 69 yards on 19 carries for Miami.

–Field Level Media

Milwaukee’s Wait is Over

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ST. PETERSBURG – The Milwaukee Brewers’ 57-season wait is over.

The team from Major League Baseball’s smallest market made its biggest statement on Wednesday by capturing its first World Series title.

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Rookie Cooper Pratt drove in two runs and Jacob Misiorowski tossed 5 2/3 scoreless innings, helping the Brewers to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Brewers, who dispatched the Rays in five games, won 11 of their 13 postseason games for their first championship since the franchise relocated from Seattle in 1970.

“I know the city has waited a long, long time for this, and we’re so happy to bring it back to them,” Brewers captain Christian Yelich said. “I can’t wait to get back there and celebrate.”

Pratt followed up his four-hit performance in Game 4 on Tuesday with an RBI single in the second inning and a base hit in the fifth. His six consecutive hits set a World Series record for a rookie, eclipsing the mark set by the New York Yankees’ Brian Doyle in 1978.

Pratt’s run of consecutive hits ended with a sacrifice fly in the sixth inning.

“This is one of the greatest moments of my life,” Pratt, 22, told Fox Sports. “Oh my gosh. It doesn’t even feel real.”

William Contreras was selected the World Series MVP after going 8-for-21 (.381) with four RBIs against the Rays. He ripped an RBI double, and David Hamilton added a run-scoring single to mark his fourth straight game with an RBI.

The offense was more than enough for Misiorowski (2-0), who notched his second win in the World Series. The fireballer scattered two hits and a walk before exiting in the sixth inning due to a cramp in his right calf. He struck out two.

“I don’t even have words,” Misiorowski told Fox Sports with a tear in his eye. “You know, it’s amazing, just watching my guys celebrate. In the city, I know they’re going crazy in Milwaukee. It’s awesome.”

Two relievers bridged the gap to Trevor Megill, who handled the last two innings. Megill allowed an RBI double to Chandler Simpson with two outs in the ninth before inducing Richie Palacios to ground to second base for the final out.

“I’m crushed right now (and) disappointed,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “But it’s easier to handle because of what we all meant to each other throughout the course of this season and certainly this last month in October.”

Pitching on three days’ rest, Rays right-hander Drew Rasmussen (2-1) ran into trouble in the second inning.

Brice Turang ripped a one-out double and scored two batters later after Pratt deposited a first-pitch cutter from Rasmussen into center field.

The Rays attempted to respond in the fourth inning after Simpson took advantage of a slight bobble by right fielder Sal Frelick to reach second after a single. That put runners on second and third base, but Misiorowski induced Ben Williamson to ground out to end the inning.

Pratt notched his sixth consecutive hit over a two-game stretch with a one-out single off Kevin Kelly in the fifth inning. Garrett Mitchell and Hamilton each added a single, with the latter’s hit to right field plating Pratt to give Milwaukee a 2-0 lead.

The Brewers tacked on two more runs in the sixth. Contreras’ double off the left field wall scored Yelich from first base. Pratt followed three batters later with a fly ball into foul territory, but it was deep enough for Contreras to score from third base.

Rasmussen permitted one run on two hits in four innings. He fanned four without issuing a walk.

The Brewers were appearing in their second World Series, having lost in seven games to the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982. The Rays are still seeking their first championship, having also lost in the World Series in 2008 and 2020.

–Field Level Media

Knicks Bring their Title to Boston

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Winning the franchise’s first title in 53 years created a lasting bond among the members of the 2025-26 New York Knicks.

But those bonds will take a back seat Friday night when the Knicks face former teammate Mitchell Robinson and the Boston Celtics in a clash of Eastern Conference powers.

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Both teams have been off since losing their season openers Tuesday. The Knicks began their championship defense with a 106-100 loss to LeBron James, Jaylen Brown and the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. The Celtics squandered a 22-point third-quarter lead in a 121-113 loss to the host Detroit Pistons.

For the Knicks, the loss was a disappointing coda to a memorable night. Returning players and coaches received their championship rings before the banner commemorating the long-awaited title was raised to the rafters at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks led by 10 points three times in the second quarter but fell behind for good when the 76ers ended the third quarter on an 11-0 run. Jalen Brunson, whose finishing skills last spring turned him into an all-time Big Apple sporting icon, was 1 of 5 from the field in the fourth quarter, including a missed turnaround jumper with 3:46 left that would have given New York the lead.

“I think it’s good for us to, you know, kind of get knocked down off the mountain, humble ourselves, put our egos in check and see what’s going to happen,” Brunson said.

The Knicks weren’t haunted Tuesday by their decision to bring back everyone from last year’s rotation except Robinson, who signed a three-year deal with the Celtics on July 6 after New York owner James Dolan made it clear he wouldn’t go into the second apron to keep the entire title team together.

Andre Drummond, Robinson’s replacement as the backup to center Karl-Anthony Towns, posted a double-double (12 points, 14 rebounds) in 24 minutes while Towns battled foul trouble.

Robinson, meanwhile, finished with four points, three rebounds and two blocked shots in 18 minutes in his Celtics debut. On Thursday, he said he was more focused on having a better game than facing his ex-teammates.

“It doesn’t really matter that I’m playing my former team,” Robinson said. “It’s more so just trying to bounce back from what happened two nights ago.”

But Knicks head coach Mike Brown expects to see an energized Robinson on Friday.

“At the end of the day, we want to kick his (butt) like he probably wants to kick ours,” Brown said.

Robinson was part of an offseason overhaul by the Celtics, who traded Brown, their top scorer last season, to the 76ers in exchange for Paul George on July 6.

George, the NBA’s ninth-leading active scorer, collected a game-high 38 points Tuesday, including 11 of the Celtics’ first 14 points in the second half as they extended their lead to 72-50 with 8:32 left in the third quarter.

But George hoisted just eight more shots after that. The Celtics went 15-for-40 from the field while being outscored 71-41 the rest of the way. The Pistons’ game-ending surge included a 23-0 run in the fourth quarter.

“We’ve got to try to find a play — big stop, big shot whatever it is — to kind of end those (runs) as quick as possible,” Celtics guard Derrick White said. “And we just weren’t able to find it (Tuesday).”

–Field Level Media

A “Bear” to Deal With for Patriots

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CHICAGO – Bears QB Caleb Williams threw for 308 yards and two touchdowns on Thursday night, leading the Chicago to a 30-24 victory over the visiting New England Patriots.

Chicago’s Luther Burden III caught four passes for 130 yards and a touchdown. Colston Loveland and D’Andre Swift scored the Bears’ other touchdowns, and Williams completed 22 of 33 passes.

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The Bears (5-2) also received three field goals from Cairo Santos, who made a career-best 58-yarder to give Chicago a 30-21 lead with 1:34 to play.

New England cut its deficit to six points on Andy Borregales’ 47-yard field goal with 37 seconds left, but the Bears recovered the ensuing onside kick and ran out the clock.

Patriots quarterback Drake Maye produced 321 yards and two touchdowns on 24-of-31 passing. Maye, who was intercepted once, also ran for a touchdown.

Rhamondre Stevenson and Eli Raridon had New England’s TD catches. Stevenson caught five passes for 93 yards.

The Patriots (4-3) entered the contest on a three-game winning streak.

The Bears jumped out to a 10-0 lead in ethe first quarter thanks to a Santos 43-yard field goal and Swift’s 4-yard touchdown run.

New England responded when Maye scored on a 7-yard run early in the second quarter, but Santos made a 31-yard field goal to give Chicago a 13-7 lead with 7:04 remaining in the period.

The teams traded touchdowns in the final 14 seconds of the half. After Williams connected with Burden for a 24-yard TD pass, New England scored on a 48-yard pass from Maye to Stevenson with no time remaining on the clock.

Stevenson caught the pass on the Chicago 47 and eluded several defenders on his way to the end zone. Borregales made the extra point, which pulled the Patriots within 20-14.

Chicago extended the margin to 27-14 when Loveland capped the second half’s opening drive with a 12-yard TD catch, but New England answered with a 30-yard scoring pass from Maye to Raridon on the ensuing drive.

–Field Level Media

ACC Football: Pitt Faces Test at BC

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CHESTNUT HILL – The undefeated run is over, but Pitt’s Atlantic Coast Conference journey continues with a Saturday test at Boston College.

The Panthers (5-1, 2-1) trek north to Chestnut Hill, Mass., in search of their sixth straight ACC road win dating back to last season after suffering a 21-17 defeat at home against North Carolina last week.

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Fifth-year quarterback Holden Geriner will continue to start after sophomore Mason Heintschel tore his ACL at Virginia Tech two weeks ago. Heintschel and the Panthers racked up 503 yards in a 48-7 win over Boston College on Oct. 4, 2025.

Against North Carolina, Geriner completed 71% of his passes with no turnovers in the first half for 99 yards. But he threw two interceptions following intermission in finishing 27 of 44 for a career-high 219 yards. Pitt also turned the ball over on downs in three straight drives at the end of the game and lost despite forcing two turnovers and allowing only 20 rushing yards.

“(Starting Geriner is) still the plan moving forward,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “You get too much rotation, then you’ve got problems. We got a ton of confidence in Holden. … I didn’t quite see what I wanted to see in the second half, but that’s football.”

Boston College (2-3, 0-2) had a bye week after letting a slight first-half lead slip in its 25-16 loss at then-No. 21 SMU on Oct. 3.

The recent time off helped the Eagles get healthier after 53 players had the flu the week of the trip to Dallas, while Notre Dame transfer Bodie Kahoun, a linebacker, has returned to the depth chart for the first time since leaving the Week 2 game against Rutgers.

“I think he probably has a good chance to play,” Boston College coach Bill O’Brien said of Kahoun.

The Eagles stayed in it against SMU thanks to Mason McKenzie passing for 208 yards in his first two-touchdown effort of the season, but five sacks helped neutralize his dual-threat ability (80.7 rushing yards per game). He finished with 74 yards on 21 carries, including a 40-yarder.

Before his injury, Kahoun quickly emerged on a Boston College defense that has eight takeaways and ranks second in the ACC with 164.6 passing yards allowed per game.

Pitt, meanwhile, averages 459.8 total yards per game and has thrown for 17 touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Patriots Roll on Vegas, 45-17

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FOXBOROUGH – New England quarterback Drake Maye completed 26 of 34 passes for 374 yards and four touchdowns and also rushed for a TD to help the Patriots defeat the visiting Las Vegas Raiders 45-17 Sunday in Massachusetts.

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Rhamondre Stevenson added a 5-yard touchdown run for New England, which outgained Las Vegas 536-306. DeMario Douglas had two TD catches for the Patriots.

The Raiders (3-2) received a touchdown catch from tight end Brock Bowers (eight receptions, 110 yards) and a TD run from running back Dylan Laube.

Maye tossed two touchdown passes in the first half, when New England (3-2) built a 21-7 lead.

The Patriots struck first on a 35-yard pass from Maye to Douglas with 11:23 left in the first quarter, but Las Vegas tied the game 7-7 on a 13-yard touchdown pass from quarterback Kirk Cousins to Bowers with 8:19 to go in the period. Stevenson’s touchdown run gave New England a 14-7 lead with 1:30 left in the first.

Maye’s second touchdown pass was an 11-yard completion to tight end Hunter Henry with 24 seconds remaining in the first half.

The Patriots extended their lead to 28-7 on a 34-yard scoring pass from Maye to Kyle Williams with 12:58 left in the third quarter.

Las Vegas’ Matt Gay made a 46-yard field goal with 8:30 left in the third to make it 28-10, but Maye responded with a 3-yard scoring run to push the lead to 35-10 with 3:10 remaining in the period. Andy Borregales’ 28-yard field goal 48 seconds into the fourth quarter extended the margin to 38-10.

Laube scored his first NFL touchdown on a 2-yard run with 10:49 to play to trim New England’s lead to 38-17. The Patriots answered with an 8-yard scoring pass from Maye to Douglas with 6:06 on the clock.

New England lost two key offensive players to injuries in the first half. Running back TreVeyon Henderson (ankle) and left tackle Will Campbell (knee) both went down in the second quarter. Neither returned to the game.

–Field Level Media

 

What’s With Drake Maye?

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FOXBORO – (Wire Service Report) – Have we already seen the worst of quarterback Drake Maye this season?

Have we already seen the worst of quarterback Drake Maye this season?

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That’s the question undoubtedly on the minds of New England fans as the Patriots prepare for an AFC East matchup with the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in Orchard Park, N.Y.

Through three games, Maye has looked nothing like he did a year ago, when he led the Patriots (1-2) to the Super Bowl and finished as the runner-up to Matthew Stafford in voting for the NFL’s Most Valuable Player award. Maye has thrown one touchdown pass and has been intercepted six times.

Although he practiced on Wednesday, Maye was on New England’s injury report due to a right shoulder issue. He said the injury has not affected his play on the field.

“No, it hasn’t,” he said. “It hasn’t. And it doesn’t impact my decision-making. That’s what makes and breaks play for quarterbacks. I don’t feel like we’re struggling to move the ball. I think we’re turning the football over, doing things that are preventing us from scoring touchdowns. And I think that’s one of the biggest things for me.”

Maye has also been sacked nine times this season.

“You turn on the tape from last year, and it was dynamic,” Buffalo defensive coordinator Jim Leonhard said. “You just have to put some pressure on him and hope that the trend continues. Great players are eventually going to come out the other side. You just hope it’s after you play them.”

The Patriots are tied for the NFL lead with eight turnovers.

“If we want to get where we need to get to, we’re going to have to go through bumps along the way,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “This is all a part of the journey. When we talked about preparing for the journey, the journey wasn’t always going to be 10 wins in a row, road warriors and everything else. It comes, sometimes, with turnovers, you give up touchdowns, you miss a field goal, and sometimes that’s what the journey looks like.”

Buffalo (3-0) is one of three unbeaten teams in the AFC, joining the Kansas City Chiefs and Las Vegas Raiders, but the Bills turned the ball over five times last week in a 24-16 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers. Quarterback Josh Allen was intercepted twice and lost a fumble in the win, though he ran for two touchdowns.

“I’m not concerned with Josh,” Buffalo coach Joe Brady said. “It’s so hard to play the quarterback position. You can look at Josh, for example. The questions I’m getting about Josh this week are different than the first two weeks. … It’s a week-to-week league.”

Buffalo running back James Cook III ranks third in the NFL with 346 rushing yards. The Bills are averaging 5.2 yards per carry, which is tied for second in the league.

“(The Patriots) were a great defense last year, and through three games they haven’t taken any dropoffs,” Brady said. “They’re a hard team to game-plan for. …

“We’re not the same as we were last year, they’re not the same as they were last year. It’s two teams that are just still trying to figure out who they are at this point in the season, and it’s going to be great football game.”

Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (shoulder), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (foot) and defensive tackle Christian Barmore (shoulder) did not practice on Wednesday.

New England outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder) and tight end Eli Raridon (thigh) returned to the field on Wednesday as limited participants after sitting out the Patriots’ 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars last week.

Bills linebacker Joe Andreessen (knee), cornerback Christian Benford (toe), wide receiver Keon Coleman (ankle) and defensive tackle T.J. Sanders (illness) sat out the team’s Wednesday practice.

–Field Level Media

SMU Outlasts BC in the Rain

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DALLAS – (Wire Service Report) – No. 21 SMU carried a three-point lead into halftime and nearly pitched a second-half shutout in a 25-16 win over visiting Boston College in Atlantic Coast Conference action on a rainy Saturday afternoon in Texas.

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Kevin Jennings threw touchdowns to Randy Pittman Jr. and Derrick McFall after intermission, finishing 20-for-30 passing for 160 yards.

The Mustangs (4-1, 2-1 ACC) were outgained 322-218 in total, managing only 160 yards through the air after averaging 393 through their first four games.

SMU sacked Boston College quarterback Mason McKenzie five times and held the Eagles (2-3, 0-2) scoreless over seven straight possessions from the first quarter until a touchdown with 2:07 left in regulation. That streak included a fumble and two turnovers on downs.

McKenzie also threw for two scores and 208 yards on a 20-of-31 day.

SMU forced a key takeaway after Boston College drove into opposing territory over the first 6:51 after halftime. Aakil Washington’s fumble recovery and 34-yard return following a McKenzie sack set up the Mustangs in the red zone.

Three plays later, Jennings hit a wide-open Pittman for a 14-yard touchdown. A second botched extra point followed.

Boston College’s stout defense and three SMU penalties forced a 4th-and-50 on the ensuing series, but the Eagles could not take advantage after tight end Cameron Kossmann dropped a would-be touchdown on fourth-and-1 and the 7-yard line.

Another infraction helped the Mustangs put the game away on McFall’s 20-yard touchdown reception from Jennings with 4:37 left in regulation. McFall was stuffed on a 2-point conversion.

The Eagles broke the string of seven straight scoreless possessions on McKenzie’s 6-yard touchdown toss to Danny Edgehille with 2:07 left.

SMU put together an eight-play, 75-yard scoring drive to start the game, with Kendrick Raphael diving into the end zone for a 2-yard score. A bad snap on the point-after attempt kept the score at 6-0.

The ensuing series saw Boston College recover two fumbles in a span of four plays to score its first points when Luca Lombardo drilled a career-long field goal of 52 yards with 5:43 left in the opening quarter.

After Lombardo’s boot, the Eagles’ defense forced a quick 3-and-out and turned around to take a 10-6 lead with 1:41 to go in the quarter. The seven-play drive saw McKenzie connect with Jaedn Skeete and Javarius Green for chunk plays before a perfect ball to Evan Dickens, who came out of the backfield to catch the ball through two defenders and score a 43-yard touchdown.

The Mustangs carried the lead into halftime after finishing a 15-play, 83-yard drive — aided by a pair of penalties, including one on fourth-and-8 — with 10:05 left in the second quarter. Following the flag, Jennings faked the handoff and rushed to the right for a 4-yard score.

–Field Level Media

“It Comes Down to Reality”

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“Some folks like to get away
Take a holiday from the neighborhood
Hop a flight to Miami Beach
Or to Hollywood
But the Sox are taking a Greyhound
Up the Hudson River Line
They’re in a New York state of mind,” – Apologies to Billy Joel

BRONX – (Wire Service Report) – New York’s Cody Bellinger hit a three-run homer during a six-run sixth inning and finished with four RBIs as the Yankees pulled away for a 9-2 rout of the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday and a two-game sweep of an American League wild-card series.

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The Yankees beat the Red Sox in the wild-card round for the second straight year and were significantly more prolific at the plate than last year, when they needed three games to advance.

Despite the absence of Aaron Judge, who has a strained right calf, New York scored 18 runs and totaled 26 hits in the series to advance to the AL Division Series against the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays. The best-of-five ALDS begins Saturday in St. Petersburg, Fla.

“That was very satisfying to play that well in these two games,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said after the win. “ … Just really pleased with how we played. Obviously, we’re really going to enjoy that and excited to get our shot at a really good Tampa club.”

Bellinger capped New York’s big inning by hitting a 1-0 changeup from Garrett Whitlock into the right-center-field seats after the Red Sox opted to intentionally walk Ben Rice. The blast pushed New York’s lead to 8-1.

“That was a cool moment. I feel like I was able to enjoy that one,” Bellinger said. “Just a home game in Yankee Stadium, it’s a really fun atmosphere, it’s fun to play (here) and hopefully we get many, many more this month.”

In the fifth, Bellinger chopped an RBI single against left-hander Erik Miller over second baseman Nick Sogard’s head to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead.

New York’s Max Fried (1-0) followed Cam Schlittler’s dominance in the series opener by allowing one run on three hits in six innings on Wednesday. Fried struck out six and walked one.

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“Being able to celebrate with your teammates after a playoff series win, it doesn’t get old,” Fried said. “This is what we start practicing in February for. This is where we want to be. So just about playing our game, having fun and hopefully we’ve got a couple more of these that we can do.”

Luis Garcia Jr. also homered for the Yankees, connecting against Sonny Gray’s 1-2 sweeper while leading off the fourth to open the scoring.

The Yankees sent 10 to the plate against Garrett Crochet and Whitlock in their big inning, getting things started with rookie Spencer Jones hustling around the bases.

Jones started things by reaching on a wild-pitch strikeout when he beat catcher Adley Rutschman’s throw by a step on a call that was overturned on replay after the Yankees challenged. Jones then stole second, advanced to third on Rutschman’s throwing error and scored on George Lombard Jr.’s single.

After singles by Jazz Chisholm Jr. and Trent Grisham loaded the bases, Whitlock replaced Crochet. Austin Wells lifted a sacrifice fly, and Ryan McMahon followed with a soft RBI groundout for a 5-1 lead.

“They swung the bats extremely well. You’ve got to give them credit. It was frustrating,” Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. “ … Both nights it kind of started to accumulate late in the game.”

Willson Contreras homered off Fried in the sixth, and Nick Sogard homered off Will Warren in the seventh for Boston’s only runs of the season.

Wells added an RBI single in the bottom of the seventh.

Gray (0-1) allowed two runs on six hits in 4 2/3 innings, with five strikeouts and no walks. Crochet made his first appearance since April 25, having recovered from a shoulder ailment, and was charged with four runs without recording an out.

The Red Sox finished with seven hits in the series and experienced a disappointing end to a season where they overcame firing their manager in April and having a 32-46 record in late June. Boston vaulted into playoff contention with a 32-5 surge that included a 15-game winning streak but struggled at the plate in the final month.

–Field Level Media