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Boys of Summer / Gone

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – Charles De Ketelaere of Bruges scored a brace and added an assist as Belgium eliminated the United States from the World Cup with a 4-1 win in their round of 16 match on Monday. It was a convincing performance against the co-hosts for Belgium, who advance to play Spain in a quarterfinal match in Inglewood, California this Friday.

After Belgium thoroughly dominated in taking a 2-1 halftime lead, the U.S. ratcheted up the pressure coming out of the break seeking the equalizer. Instead, Belgium built a two-goal advantage when U.S. goalkeeper Matt Freese left his area only to misplay a long ball, leading to a goal into an empty net by Belgium midfielder Hans Vanaken in the 57th minute.

De Ketelaere was credited with the assist, which came after a pair of goals that asserted the Red Devils’ superiority in the first half. The Atalanta forward scored in the ninth and 33rd minutes, both times taking advantage of an overmatched United States backline to leave Freese with no chance.

“We played with mastery, with willingness and with determination,” Belgium coach Rudi Garcia said. “We showed a great face to the world.”

U.S. midfielder Malik Tillman tied the  game at 1-1 in the 31st minute when his free kick from just outside Belgium’s box was deflected and found the back of the net with Belgium goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois diving in the opposite direction.

It finally gave the partisan sellout crowd of 66,925 something to cheer about, but the momentum was very short-lived.

Less than two minutes later, De Ketelaere connected with a header off a cross from Leandro Trossard. It was the second time De Ketelaere got between American defenders Tim Ream and Antonee Robinson, this time out-jumping Ream for the clean header.

His first goal came in the ninth minute, when the U.S. failed to clear their lines despite having numerous players in the box. Nicolas Raskin, starting in place of Kevin De Bruyne, collected the ball on the edge of the penalty box. He sent a short cross to De Ketelaere, who easily converted after sneaking between Ream and Robinson.

“I think when you concede goals that easily against a team of that quality and that caliber, it’s going to be difficult,” U.S. midfielder Tyler Adams said. “We gave them good chances, or even half-chances, and they finished them.

“It was just a little bit too easy today.”

It marked the seventh and eighth international goals for De Ketelaere, who also scored in Belgium’s 5-2 win over the USMNT in a March friendly in Atlanta. He was predictably named the player of the match.

“It is something you dream of as a kid,” De Ketelaere said. “Being a decisive player in a knockout game is a dream come true.”

The American backline that had been considered the team’s weakness entering the World Cup appeared overwhelmed by the step up in competition from the outset against the ninth-ranked Belgians.

“Today we did not show our real quality,” U.S. coach Mauricio Pochettino said. “We started in a really poor way. Wasn’t our day, in a collective or an individual way.”

Garcia made four changes to his starting XI from his team’s dramatic 3-2 win over Senegal in the round of 32. He said that after going to extra time to get past Senegal, some players were still not fully recovered as of Sunday and that he did not settle on his starting lineup until hours before the Monday match.

“I wanted speed in the attack,” Garcia said. “They wanted to have a high press, and that’s what we did, not them.”

The Red Devils were aggressive from the outset, logging their first shot attempt in the first minute, forcing a diving save from Freese. Belgium captain Youri Tielemans also failed to convert an excellent look a few minutes later.

Pochettino brought on Giovanni Reyna to begin the second half in an attempt to find more scoring opportunities. However, the U.S. were forced to substitute off star Christian Pulisic in the 59th minute after the forward was injured attempting to line up a shot attempt and instead kicking the leg of a defender.

Another mistake by the U.S. backline led to Belgium’s fourth goal when Romelu Lukaku scored in second-half stoppage time after a turnover by Chris Richards.

“There’s so many different thoughts and emotions that are running through me at the minute that I’m not even thinking tactically or what could have been different or what should we have done,” Ream said.

“It’s just one of those that I probably won’t be able to personally think about for a few days, until I really sit back and allow the emotions to subside.”

Pochettino added, “It just hurts to be eliminated.

“We did not play at the level that we had shown in the past. In spite of that, we are very proud of our whole campaign together. And today hurts.”

–Derek Harper, Field Level Media

Red Sox vs White Sox

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CHICAGO – (Wire Service Report) – The Chicago White Sox will greet the visiting Boston Red Sox on Tuesday with a one-game lead atop the American League Central.

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While the White Sox realize they are nowhere near the finish line, they can appreciate the perch in the final week before the All Star-break. Especially on the heels of three straight 100-loss seasons.

“We are in a good spot. It’s exciting and it just shows the kind of growth we are at,” right-hander Davis Martin said. “It doesn’t matter if we are playing bad. We still find a way to find ourselves in every game.

“It’s a great time. We love winning. We do a good job celebrating each other’s successes. We are having fun being ourselves and enjoying it.”

Chicago split a four-game series against the Cleveland Guardians, its closest Central competitor, over the weekend.

A power surge propelled the White Sox to a 7-6 victory in Sunday’s finale. Colson Montgomery and Tristan Peters belted home runs among their two hits while Kyle Teel also went deep.

Red Sox starter Payton Tolle (4-6, 3.39 ERA) will aim to limit the White Sox attack and stop a recent penchant for allowing the long ball.

Pitching against the Washington Nationals on Wednesday, Tolle was unable to build upon his previous start — seven one-hit innings during a 6-1 victory on June 26 against the New York Yankees. Washington reached him for six runs and seven hits — including two homers — in three innings in a home loss.

Tolle figured to adjust the mechanics on his four-seam fastball after finding the Nationals “were ready for it.”

“I think I was also probably just being too fine,” he added, “trying to hit spots rather than just trying to execute pitches and just flying through the zone.”

Boston’s loss to Washington marked a rare recent blip for a club that is jelling under interim manager Chad Tracy. Although the Red Sox still occupy the AL East basement, they’ve won eight of 10 after completing a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels to begin a nine-game road trip before the break.

On Sunday, Boston overcame an early injury to All-Star left-hander Ranger Suarez to defeat the host Angels 7-5. Jarren Duran and Willson Contreras homered.

Contreras leads the Red Sox with 20 home runs, a milestone he has reached seven times.

“This year has been good to me,” Contreras said. “Of course, I’ve been doing my homework. I put the work in the cage and my mindset is still there.”

Rookie left-hander Noah Schultz (2-5, 5.86) is set to get the call for the White Sox. Schultz returned from right knee patellar tendinitis on Wednesday at Baltimore but endured the same result as his two previous starts before the injury: he lost.

Schultz has hurt his own cause with control issues and has a WHIP (walks plus hits per inning pitched) of 1.35.

Against the Orioles, Schultz allowed two runs and three hits in 4 1/3 innings with four walks and seven strikeouts. He has walked 26 batters and hit four with a pitch in 43 total innings.

He has yielded a home run in three consecutive starts and four of the past five. He has allowed five total homers.

Tolle is set to face Chicago for the first time in his career. Schultz has not previously opposed Boston.

–Field Level Media

Folarin Balogun Back in Action

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Report) – After a dream start to the World Cup they are co-hosting, the United States are one win away from their first quarterfinal appearance since 2002.

They’ll have the added benefit of being able to play star forward Folarin Balogun on Monday in the round of 16 against Belgium after FIFA made the unexpected move of overturning his automatic red-card suspension Sunday.

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After Belgium’s football federation released a lengthy statement decrying FIFA’s decision, which concluded with a promise to investigate “all potential options,” national team coach Rudi Garcia said at a press conference that the integrity of the game was top of mind.

“I didn’t know that at the FIFA World Cup, the fifth of July is now first April and that it’s April Fool’s Day. It is news to me,” Garcia said via a translation.

“I am a head coach, I will focus on my team on tomorrow’s game regardless of the 11 starting players from the U.S. I will focus on my team, the pitch tomorrow and for us to get the victory so we can reach the quarterfinals.”

Both Garcia and goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois said nothing changes in Belgium’s gameplan in reaction to the Balogun decision.

“Of course, it was the day prior to the game so that was a bit of a surprise,” Courtois said via a translation. “Had it been done earlier we would have been able to be more mentally prepared, perhaps.

“They have 11 players too. There’s not only Balogun. We just have to play on the pitch, be on the pitch and do what we do, play football and try and win this game.”

Balogun scored the first goal of the Americans’ 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the round of 32, but he was sent off in the 64th minute after a VAR review led to his red card — the protocols for which were misapplied. Referees were not supposed to use slow-motion replays and stills to judge the severity of his contact with Tarik Muharemovic.

A team cannot appeal a red card to FIFA, but on Sunday the governing body cited article 27 of its disciplinary code, which says “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”

Balogun is now considered on probation for one year. The suspension of discipline would be revoked if he “commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity.”

The USMNT was preparing to face Belgium without its leading goal-scorer of the tournament (three). Coach Mauricio Pochettino, who confirmed that U.S. Soccer pleaded its case to FIFA, concentrated on the argument that Balogun’s red card was wrongly applied in the first place.

“We were punished enough against Bosnia to play with 10 men for 30 minutes, in a decision that was unfair,” Pochettino said. “It’s not because I’m the head coach of the USA. … I think 99.9% of people agree it was an unfair red card.”

Amid the potential distraction and the joys of playing well at a home World Cup, the Americans must be ready for a top-flight goalkeeper in Courtois and a balanced Belgium attack. Romelu Lukaku, Youri Tielemans and Leandro Trossard have two goals apiece to pace the team, while five different players have contributed one assist.

After pushing through the group stage in underwhelming fashion (two draws, then a win over New Zealand), Belgium fell behind 2-0 to Senegal, one of Africa’s best teams. But Lukaku and Tielemans broke through Senegal’s defense in the 86th and 89th minutes to force extra time, Tielemans drew a penalty at the 120+5 mark and he completed the improbable comeback by converting from the spot.

Belgium understand that, with or without Balogun, the U.S. will be a dangerous opponent.

“We always prepare for all the possible strikers,” Courtois said. “I think (Balogun) is a very fast striker. Obviously a different profile than maybe (Ricardo) Pepi, but I think they are all good strikers. Also with (Sergino) Dest playing on the right wing, (Christian) Pulisic can play there. A lot of quality up front. They arrive well in the box. They create a lot of 1-v-1’s with the goalkeeper.”

They’ll also be up against a partisan crowd in a soccer-crazed part of the country, at a stadium that seats roughly 67,000.

“We’re very fortunate to have such amazing support as we’ve had. Specifically Seattle has been unbelievable in hosting us,” midfielder Tyler Adams said at training this weekend. “So it’s exciting to come back to a place that feels familiar, that obviously we had the win over Australia, to know that we can expect that same energy again in the biggest moment in our careers is really special.”

-Field Level Media

TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 5

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By TERRY LYONS

BOSTON – It was very hot this week in Boston. In fact, most of the nation was hot, humid and quite still. There were some thundershowers and there was a full moon, too, a Strawberry Moon. When there’s a full moon, people get weird. Strange things happen – usually bad things – the kind of things you regret when the moon sets and the sun rises.

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For the full moon of July 1, 2026 – it’ll be four parts regret and no parts forget. It was a bad day in Boston Celtics history. It wasn’t Strawberries & Cream, it was reverse Red (Auerbach) and Creamed. It was trading in your Rolex to a guy in an alley with a vest full of Patek Philippe knock-offs. It was trading in your Bentley Continental GT Convertible for a broken-down 2014 Ford Taurus, a car – up on blocks with no wheels.

This trade reminded you of that guy in your fantasy football league who trades Josh Allen for Mac Jones and Nick Folk, and he thinks he got the best of the deal. It was like turning down a romantic dinner-for-two in Vegas with Julia Roberts for a last row show ticket to see Weird Al Yankovic in Reno.

It was so bad, the Celtics might have to bring in Nico Harrison to blame for suggesting the trade heard ‘round the Commonwealth.

Trade?

No, it was more like a smash and grab.

In the deal, the 76ers received:

  • Jaylen Brown, second team All-NBA and No. 6 in the MVP voting

The Celtics took a door prize which included:

  • Paul George, 36 year old, drafted in 2010, but 9x NBA All-Star
  • 2028 first-round pick* with contingencies
  • 2031 first-round pick (via PHI)
  • 2028 second-round pick (best of GSW/OKC/MIL)
  • 2030 second-round pick (best of WAS/POR/PHX)

Add-ons, the Celtics get:

  • Two tickets to see “No, No Nanette” at The Wilbur
  • A box of Mike’s Pastries from the North End
  • Two tickets to NBA Cup finale at Hinkle Fieldhouse
  • $25 gift card for WaWa
  • $50 coupon good for Cheesesteaks at Jim’s (South Street)

As of the 4th of July, speculation was that Celtics GM Brad Stevens had a “Plan B” in his back pocket, some other move to be made to make sense of the nonsensical deal to ship Brown down the Schuylkill River. The transactions for the start of the 2026-27 season can’t be announced until July 6 at Noon when teams can officially sign contracts under the guise of the 2026-27 Team Salary rules.

Thoughts, please? Any ideas? We’re all ears.

It wasn’t as much as realizing the Celtics dealt Brown, it was the fact they took so little in return.

Maybe it’s retribution by the Sixers to make up for the ill-fated 2017 swap of draft picks that the club used to draft Markelle Fultz at No. 1 while Danny Ainge, GM of the Celtics, got his man – Jayson Tatum – at No. 3, anyway.

Are the Sixers righting the wrong of the 1968 and 1981 Playoffs when the Celtics came back from 3-to-1 game deficits to win a pair of important playoff series vs. Philly?

No.

This is the cold, new reality of the ultimate in salary dumps, the dark backbone of the NBA Collective Bargaining Agreement which drives the league’s entire set of basketball-related operations.

Brown was on the Celtics’ books for three more seasons at some $185 million, and the club was bound to extend him one more year come July 27. Paul George has two years at $114.3m (approx. $54 and $56m). By doing the deal, it saved the Celtics $71m plus another $142m over two additional years that the extension would provide. Now, the Sixers will need to negotiate that extension. At the end of the fray, that’s $213m the Celtics will keep in their coffers, or utilize to sign other free agents.

Yes, in the end, it’s all about the math and money, not the players. It’s the (possible) move backwards before (potentially) moving forward. Pay them now, or pay them later? Brad Stevens is at the poker table called the “Summer of ‘26.”

Note: Celtics’ President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens and the team’s Lead club Owner and Governor Bill Chisholm will meet the media on Monday, July 6 at 4:00pm (EDT).

This season, there’s no 4th of July “invitation only” cookout and meet & greets for teams to line up at the East Hampton (LI) digs of a Kevin Durant. There was no long line outside of LeBron James’ door, not any “The Decision” TV specials.

The Boston vs Miami for a trade for the services of Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo was the highlight of the off-season. Whatever James decided to do will be a great story for the one city/team he chooses. Most of the NBA will shrug at the news, wishing him well and awaiting the release of the 2026-27 NBA schedule to circle the date for a rocking chair presentation, a la Dr. J (Julius Erving) and Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar).

For James, who is being courted by Golden state, Cleveland and, now, Philly, I’ll put my money on Cleveland being the final destination, as he’ll look to come full circle and have a legitimate chance to compete with a contender for the 2027 NBA title. No other city really makes sense for LeBron’s swan-song departure from the NBA at this point in time. If Philly steps up, gets James at a veteran’s minimum or some other salary cap exception, it’ll raise eyebrows in New York, San Antonio and Oklahoma City, a.k.a. “The Teams to Beat.”.

One thing is for sure. James will retire from active NBA play as one of the all-time greats, to be compared to Michael Jordan or Elgin Baylor or Oscar Robertson, or even to the greats of the 80s – Dr. J, Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, or even to the great centers like Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain and Abdul-Jabbar.

If James can carry a team to the 2027 NBA Finals and earn another title, he might be placed on top of that glorious list.

An A.I. Dream Team, sans David Robinson, Chris Mullin and Christian Laettner

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: There’s a great series of features of the “The USA’s Top Ten Sports Moments) (over 250 years) and it’s been posted on Substack at a pace of “one a day” leading up the the 4th by author Adam Steinmetz.

One peek is a quote about Larry Bird’s participation for the USA in Portland, Monte Carlo and Barcelona: “Larry was the ultimate teammate. He affected the game just by being in the huddle, and it was very obvious. They didn’t need any rah-rah, but his presence was very noticeable.”

One of the very best editions of the Top Ten is the 4th of July entry about the great Lou Gehrig. Says Steinmetz, “Four score and seven years ago, on this exact date in 1939, a great American delivered one of the most famous speeches in the 250-year history of the United States. His opening line reverberated beyond baseball. His speech echoed beyond sports.

“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” – Gehrig

Born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig in 1903, Gehrig, along with Babe Ruth, became one of the greatest baseball players (and athletes) the game had ever seen. So sadly on May 2, 1939, Gehrig took himself out of the New York Yankees’ line-up and ended a record 2,130 consecutive games played streak (it was since passed by Cal Ripken – 2,632). Gehrig was later diagnosed with the fatal Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (known to most as Lou Gehrig’s disease). Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37.

ESPN has done a marvelous job at Wimbledon, thanks to John McEnroe (ESPN)

ESPN COVERAGE OF WIMBLEDON: Serena Williams’ first round loss to Maya Joint averaged 1.8 million viewers on ESPN Tuesday afternoon, helping the network to an average of 937,000 for the full day of coverage — up 55% from last year. It was the network’s most-watched opening round Wimbledon telecast on record. The full opening round, which included Monday’s play, was the most-watched openers on record with an average of 734,000 fans tuning into ESPN’s coverage from England. The last time Williams played in any Grand Slam tournament prior to this year was at the U.S. Open in 2022.

ESPN’s decision to have John McEnroe in the broadcast bunker/booth is the key to the men’s bracket coverage and the anchor to the entire production. Maybe ESPN suits should consider McEnroe as a pairing with Mike Breen (and Jay Bilas) for NBA coverage?

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: The Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced the closing of a $100 million Series E financing round led by Ares and Joe Tsai, representing the largest capital raise in the history of professional lacrosse. According to a news release issued by the PLL, the round included a subsequent minority equity investment from ESPN, along with investments from actor, writer and producer Glen Powell, Co-chairman of Wrexham A.F.C, actor and producer Rob Mac (formerly McElhenney), country music singer and songwriter Warren Zeiders, and actor Tony Cavalero. As part of the financing, Co-Head of Ares Sports, Media and Entertainment, Jim Miller, will join the PLL’s Board of Directors.

FIBA U-17 BASKETBALL WORLDS: Although overshadowed by the FIFA World Cup tournament, FIBA is staging its World Cup for Under-17 years old Men in Istanbul. The USA defeated Australia, 114-65, to advance to the gold medal game. In the quarter Final game, Türkiye’s Omer Kutluay poured in 30 points to go with 11 assists and two rebounds in a 94-87 win over France to reach the Semi-Finals. Kutluay, son of former NBAer Abrahim (Seattle Sonics), did not commit a single turnover despite being the focal point of France’s aggressive defense. Omer Kutluay was previously signed by Real Madrid to play for their junior level club. With his U-17 age, he is prime material to be signed by a USA college program. … Serbia defeated Türkiye, 76-71, to advance to the final vs. USA (Sunday, 13:15, local).

THINGS TO THINK ABOUT: Why? We do not know.

  • What ever happened to white wall tires?
  • The two squirrels that live in the trees by our home are nuts. They run around like crazy animals, chasing each other for no reason – Squirrel ZOOMIES!
  • Our dog(s) do not bark, nor care about squirrels. They prefer to bark at other dogs and people.
  • You knew Canada’s World Cup hopes were limited when there was no player named Guy Lafleur on the roster.
  • How can the PGA Tour completely re-do their schedule and not place a tournament at TPC Boston (like the good olde days of the DeutschBank Championship (DBC), Northern Trust and the FedEx Cup Playoffs)?
  • When we toast bread, it’s just “Toast.” But, if we’re talking about bagels, it’s a “toasted bagel,” and not Toast.” … Which brings this post about “Toast” to its key point. Why, when something is done, over, useless, defeated, is it “Toast?”
  • Why doesn’t FIFA lay down a red line and two blue lines for Offsides?
  • Why don’t MLB teams have a top of the 4th inning stretch well ahead of the traditional 7th inning stretch? Everyone definitely needs a stretch before the middle of the 7th.
  • Many of us aspire to compete on Jeopardy! – the great American television game show that tests knowledge in broad areas of concern. Now get this: FOX television is now proudly promoting the Nation’s Dumbest, a new reality competition show. The goal of contestants on the show is to lose. Figures.

PARTING WORDS & MUSIC: And, you ‘all thought I’d go with “Saturday in the Park” by Chicago. The answer is – No.

  • Since I attended two Goose concerts this week, did I see Goose or Geese?
  • In case you didn’t know, Goose and Tedeschi Trucks Band are the two best and most talented bands touring this summer.

Gray Gets the Job Done for Sox

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ANAHEIM – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Sonny Gray allowed a run and four hits in six innings and Willson Contreras and Romy Gonzalez hit home runs as the Red Sox routed the Los Angeles Angels 8-1 on Saturday night in California.

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Wilyer Abreu added two RBIs and scored two runs for the Red Sox, who have won the first two games of the series.

Josh Lowe homered for the Angels, who lost their fifth in a row.

Gray (10-1, 2.61 ERA) walked two and struck out seven. Neither he nor Contreras (19 HR, 56 RBI, .285 batting average, .914 OPS) were among the All-Star Game participants announced earlier in the day.

Los Angeles starter Sam Aldegheri (3-4) gave up three runs and one hit in four innings with four walks and two strikeouts.

Contreras’ three-run homer in the first inning gave Boston a 3-0 lead.

He belted Aldegheri’s 2-1 changeup an estimated 421 feet into the left field stands. Anthony Seigler and Abreu, who had both walked, scored ahead of Contreras.

Lowe’s solo homer in the second put the Angels on the board and made it 3-1. He drove Gray’s first-pitch cutter high over the center field fence an estimated 437 feet. It was Lowe’s seventh homer of the season.

Los Angeles had runners on first and second with one out later in the inning, but Gray struck out Donovan Walton and Tyler Heineman.

Boston put the game out of reach with four runs in the fifth for a 7-1 lead. Abreu hit a two-run double and Gonzalez lofted a two-run homer just inside the foul pole in left for his first home run.

All four runs came off of reliever Samy Natera Jr.

Ceddanne Rafaela doubled in a run in the eighth for the final margin.

Relief pitcher Aroldis Chapman and starter Ranger Suarez were selected for the All-Star Game for Boston and Los Angeles outfielder Mike Trout, who is on the injured list with a hamstring injury, was picked as a starter for the game in Philadelphia on July 14.

–Field Level Media

Sox: Craziest Game of the Season

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Red Sox SP Sonny Gray Lost No-hit Bid in the 8th Inning

By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief

BOSTON – On July 9, 1969, there was this ten-year old kid from New York who watched reserve outfielder Jimmy Qualls of the Chicago Cubs break-up a Tom Seaver potential perfect game with one out, opposite field blooper fly ball that landed on the Shea Stadium turf in the top of the ninth inning as New York Mets left-fielder Cleon Jones had no play on the ball. It fell in.

A couple years later, the 4th of July in 1972, and it was Seaver on the mound, once again, for the Mets. One out, top of the ninth and San Diego Padres scrub Leron Lee single up the middle to break up the no-hitter.

Can a life-long baseball man, now a reporter, get a break?

Can your guy see a no hitter in person?

Fifty-five years later, Boston Red Sox starter Sonny Gray was cruising along, having just struck-out his ninth batter of the game as the New York Yankees batted in the top of the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Not a single soul of the 34,573 bipartisan crowd had left the building as the tension mounted.

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One out, and it was batter-up for Yankees designated hitter Amed Rosario who nervously stepped to the plate.

Guess what?

Base hit to left field and Gray’s no-hit bid was lost, just as Seaver had lost his. It was an inning earlier for Gray’s effort, as he went 7.1 innings, allowed just the one hit, no runs, one walk in the fifth inning (to spoil the potential perfect game), and nine punch-outs as he tossed 97 pitches with 64 strikes.

Of course, as the spell was broken and the obvious mental let-down set-in for Gray, his teammates and the hometown crowd provided a heartfelt standing ovation which accompanied Gray to the Sox dugout as reliever Tyron Guerrero took the ball from Boston manager Chad Tracy. Guerrero did the job by allowing a ground ball force out of Rosario at second base, then a fly ball – can of corn – to Sox centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela.

Boston went down in order in the bottom of the eighth and then the ridiculousness began.

Fenway’s outfield lights ‘a flashing saw Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman take the mound with a 2-0 lead. It was just a formality, as the Yankees were three outs away from a four game sweep by the last place Red Sox and showing no life whatsoever.

Nope, not so fast.

Yankees’ shortstop Jose Caballero, the No. 9 hitter in the order, singled to left, then stole second base.

Anthony Volpe, who had entered the game in the sixth inning when teammate Jazz Chisholm was ejected for arguing balls and strikes, walked – a sign of Chapman struggling at best – choking at worst.

New York first baseman Ben Rice flew out to right and the bottom fell out when Sox right fielder Wilyer Abreu missed everyone and the cut-off man as each runner tagged to advance. The throw went astray and rolled all the way to the home plate backstop, allowing both Caballero and Volpe to score. Tie game, 2-2.

Could the Red Sox pull it off with a bottom of the ninth victory?

Although Willson Contreras singled to start the home ninth, newly activated designated hitter Romy Gonzalez grounded into a double play – 6-4-3 – to quash any hope of that ninth inning celebration.

The game went into extra innings, and the phantom runners came out.

Justin Slaten took the mound for Boston, and the game went from really bad to really worse for Boston. Slaten gave up a base hit to Rosario which eluded the glove of Abreu – a player truly having the worst game of the season for a Sox defender. The phantom runner (reserve Max Scheman) scored to put the Yankees ahead and that fact placed the pressure squarely on the Red Sox. A sacrifice bunt by NY’s Oswaldo Cabrera moved Rosario to third base, then a fielder’s choice grounder scored Rosario from third and the Sox trailed by two runs, 4-2.

Gray’s no hitter was not only squandered but the Yankees suddenly were in position to win the game. There was the home half-inning to be played.

Bottom of the tenth, trailing by two, Caleb Durbin took second base as his place with the phantom, extra innings MLB rule.

Crazy time in reverse was about to play out.

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It went down like this:

o A base hit by Anthony Siegler scored Durbin.

o A double by pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida moved pinch-runner Andruw Monasterio to third, as men on 2nd and 3rd set the scene.

o A sacrifice fly by No. 9 hitter Tsung-Che Cheng scored Monasterio (tie game) and advanced Yoshida to third base.

Outfielder Jarren Duran stepped up to the plate, having entered the game as a pinch hitter in the eighth inning (when he struck out).

The Yankees adjusted their defense to bring five infielders in to cut down any attempt Yoshida might have to score. But, Duran belted a line drive to right field which landed clearly on the outfield turf. Yoshida scored easily and Duran was mobbed by his teammates as he rounded first base with the walk-off RBI.

The Red Sox won, 5-4.

Boston earned its four-game sweep of the Yankees, won their fifth game of the last six they played and the seventh of 10 games since June 19. Only a couple botched games at Colorado on June 22 and 24 are the blemishes on a team that is still in the American league East cellar, but showing signs of life and potential, especially as the Sox starting pitchers continue to throw quality starts. (It was Gray’s sixth straight quality start and Boston’s 11th straight game with a quality game by a starter).

Sonny Gray did not get his no-hitter.

Justin Slaten earned the victory, his first of the season vs. four losses. He grabbed victory in place of the bitter defeat.

Yankees reliever Fernando Cruz took the loss, his third.

Jarren Duran took a postgame Gatorade bath from his celebratory teammates.

Aroldis Chapman blew the save but did get his 1,363rd career strikeout, tying Hoyt Wilhelm for the most K’s in relief in Major League Baseball history. Chapman will need to work on his game, as blowing saves seems to be a trend.

And, a writer who recalled a pair of Tom Seaver lost no hit bids, and saw another big league no-hitter go down the drain.

Nope … no hitters … no triple plays.

Time has been marching by. It’s now time for another 55 years worth.

Maybe not.

 

Could This Be Sox Turning Point?

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston rookie left-hander Jake Bennett allowed one run over 6 1/3 innings,  designated hitter Masataka Yoshida and rookie infielder Anthony Seigler each belted a solo home run and the host Boston Red Sox earned a 4-1 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday afternoon. It was Seigler’s first homer of his career and proved to be the 25th Boston home run off New York Yankees starter Gerrit Cole since 2020, when Cole joined the Yanks.

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The first hit allowed by Bennett (2-3) came with two outs in the fifth inning, courtesy of a solo homer by Max Schuemann. Bennett yielded two more hits and struck out three batters before exiting to a standing ovation.

Yoshida launched a solo shot in the first inning and Seigler — a first-round pick of the Yankees in the 2018 MLB Draft — added his homer in the second.

Boston’s Willson Contreras ripped a two-run double in the third inning, one day after sparking a benches-clearing push-and-shove incident in a 6-1 win over New York on Friday night.

The early offense on Saturday powered the Red Sox to their third straight win to open the four-game series. The Yankees, in turn, have lost six of their last eight games.

Justin Slaten relieved Bennett and struck out Jose Caballero and Jazz Chisholm Jr. to end the seventh inning. Garrett Whitlock retired the side in order in the eighth and Aroldis Chapman got the final three outs in the ninth to secure his 16th save.

Boston bolted out of the blocks as Yoshida deposited the second pitch of the game from Gerrit Cole (2-3) over the wall in right-center field. The homer was the second of the season for Yoshida and first since May 24.

Seigler doubled the advantage in the second inning by sending a 3-1 fastball from Cole just over the Green Monster.

Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela each singled to center to lead off the third inning before both runners sprinted home on Contreras’ hard-hit smash to left-center field.

New York finally solved Bennett in the fifth, as Schuemann deposited a first-pitch sinker over the wall in center field.

Cole struggled in his second straight outing, permitting four runs on seven hits in 5 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

 

Scheffler Leads the Pack at Travelers

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CROMWELL (Conn) – (Wire Service Report) – Scottie Scheffler bumped in a par putt at No. 18 for a second-round 60 to stand atop the leaderboard at 16 under through 36 holes of the Travelers Championship on Friday at the TPC River Highlands course, just south of Hartford, Connecticut.

Scheffler missed a long birdie by mere inches to the right on the par-4 18th before tapping in for the 10-under 60, one better than Norway’s Viktor Hovland (61 on Friday) and two better than Akshay Bhatia’s second-round 62.

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Hovland is alone in second, two back of Scheffler at 14 under. Bhatia ended the day in a tie for third at 12 under with Eric Cole (65).

“After birdieing 15, I was kind of like, ‘Oh, yeah, maybe 9 under now. A few more, you could shoot 59,’” Scheffler said.

“At the end of the day, I was very focused on just my execution out there. … I’ve put myself in position now this week. Go home, get some rest, and get ready for tomorrow.”

Overnight rain led to soft greens and low scoring at TPC River Highlands on Friday, a common theme in the second round albeit nothing entirely novel at the event.

With a round of 60, Scheffler ties Patrick Cantlay (2011) and Tommy Bolt (1954) for the top second round. Jim Furyk (58 in 2016) holds the tournament single-round scoring record and Cameron Young posted a 59 in the third round two years ago.

“The conditions were really good this morning. Softer golf course, not as much wind,” Scheffler said. “Going out yesterday in the afternoon, when the greens get firm out here and the wind starts to blow, it can get tricky pretty quickly.

“Yeah, going out this morning, you definitely had a feeling the conditions were going to be easier, so you need to go out there and try and take advantage of it.”

After opening with a birdie Friday, Scheffler made a bogey 5 at the second. The missed 6-footer on the par-4 was arguably his last mistake Friday before shifting into overdrive. He had 10 birdies on his final 16 holes in the second round with matching scores of 30 on the front and back nine in his bid to win the event for the second time in three years.

Hovland was 9 under on Friday with a 30 on the front nine and a highlight eagle on the par-5 13th.

“It was awesome stuff today,” said Hovland, who tied his career-low round on tour. “Obviously been kind of battling some stuff. You know, my golf swing had not felt all that comfortable. But, you know, I felt like things stabilized a lot more today, and I was able to put the ball in the fairway, hit some great iron shots, and putter finally cooperated a little bit more today.”

Bhatia walked off the course earlier with the lead before Hovland and Scheffler closed out the round emphatically. He had four birdies on each nine in a bogey-free trip around River Highlands, including putts from outside 26 feet at Nos. 3 and 10.

“I feel like I’ve putted really good the whole year,” Bhatia said. “I went through a stretch where when the greens were as good or consistent, even though I hit good putts, they just weren’t going in. … I feel like I kind of showed up this week, you know, did my same stuff, and my speed has been really good this week. I’ve had pretty stress-free putts.”

Englishman Matt Fitzpatrick had a late-afternoon run undone by bogeys at Nos. 16 and 18. He settled for a 66 and a tie for fifth at 10 under with Bud Cauley and Ben Griffin, each of whom also posted 66.

There was no 36-hole cut at the 72-man signature event. Notables down the board include defending champion Keegan Bradley (65) and U.S. Open champ Wyndham Clark (64) at 8 under, PGA Championship winner Aaron Rai of England (68) at 7 under and Justin Thomas (66) at 6 under.

–Field Level Media

Opposite Ends of the Standings

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Preview) – Teams at opposite ends of the American League East standings will meet tonight when the New York Yankees open a four-game series against the host Boston Red Sox. The division-leading Yankees enter the series on a two-game winning streak after a 4-2 victory over the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday. Paul Goldschmidt hit two solo home runs off Tarik Skubal, and Jasson Dominguez delivered a two-run shot in the sixth inning.

“Obviously (Skubal is) one of the best pitchers in the game and facing him is a tough challenge,” Goldschmidt said. “I just try to get in there and compete, and fortunately, I was able to get a couple balls I was able to get out of there.

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“We didn’t have many hits (six). We didn’t have much offense, but it was enough just because our pitching was so good. … This game is hard. Nights like this when you have success, enjoy it because there are a lot of games where we either lose or individually you have a bad game or there’s stretches of bad games.”

Ryan Weathers and three relievers scattered two runs and eight hits against the Tigers.

Boston, meanwhile, is at the bottom of the AL East and dropped 14 games below .500 with Wednesday’s 8-6 loss against the Colorado Rockies in Denver.

The Red Sox led 6-3 when shortstop Marcelo Mayer made an error on a routine grounder with two outs in the seventh inning. The Rockies scored three runs in the inning after the error to tie the game.

Mayer entered the contest when third baseman Caleb Durbin had to leave after injuring his left hand while sliding into first base. Boston made two errors in the loss, and five of Colorado’s eight runs were unearned.

“I mean today it was fairly clear, we didn’t play well enough defensively,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “A lot of their run-scoring opportunities and run scores were a product of us. We have to take care of the ball.”

New York has won four of five games against the Red Sox this season, including a three-game sweep in Boston from April 21-23.

Left-hander Connelly Early (6-5, 3.64 ERA) is expected to start for Boston on tonight.

Early is 0-1 with a 5.06 ERA in his only regular-season start against the Yankees. He gave up three runs on five hits, walked three and struck out four in a 4-0 loss to New York on April 21.

Right-hander Cam Schlittler (8-3, 1.71 ERA) is New York’s probable starter. He’s 1-0 with a 1.32 ERA in two career regular-season starts against Boston.

Schlittler also earned the win when New York beat Boston 4-0 in Game 3 of the AL wild-card series last season. He struck out 12 in eight innings during that game. Early gave up all four New York runs in 3 2/3 innings and took the loss.

Tonight will mark the first of seven straight home games for the Red Sox, who are 12-25 at Fenway Park this year.

Boston infielder Romy Gonzalez has yet to play this season after having shoulder surgery in March but could be activated this weekend.

“I’m trying to push for Saturday to be activated,” Gonzalez said. “We’ll see what happens. Definitely, I want to be (there) Sunday with (New York’s Carlos) Rodon going Sunday. I want to be in the lineup.”

–Field Level Media

A.J. is the One

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BROOKLYN – (Wire Service Report) – The Washington Wizards opened the NBA draft on Tuesday night by selecting BYU forward AJ Dybantsa with the No. 1 overall pick. The Wizards tabbed Dybantsa over Kansas guard Darryn Peterson, who had a checkered college season at Kansas last season. The Utah Jazz then chose Peterson with the No. 2 overall pick. Dybantsa grew up in Brocton, Mass. and played high school ball at St. Sebastian’s School in Needham, Mass.

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The 6-foot-9 Dybantsa led the nation in scoring at 25.5 points per  game in his one college campaign and should be ready to make an immediate impact.

“This means a lot,” Dybantsa said on ESPN of going first in the draft. “It’s a stepping stone. Obviously, I have a lot more work to do.”

This is the third time Washington has held the No. 1 overall pick. The Wizards selected Kwame Brown in 2001 and John Wall in 2010.

Dybantsa is the first BYU player to go first overall.

–Field Level Media