Digital Sports Desk

Online Destination for the Best in Boston Sports

MLB

Red Sox and Braves Battle it Out

by

ATLANTA – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox and host Atlanta Braves have authored two dramatic finishes to begin their weekend interleague series.

What will Sunday’s rubber game have in store?

Embed from Getty Images

Boston hands the ball to right-hander Brayan Bello (2-4, 6.46 ERA) as it looks to build off a 3-2 Saturday win, which came on the strength of a two-out, two-run home run by Willson Contreras in the eighth inning. Aroldis Chapman stranded the bases loaded in the ninth for a save, making the big swing and Payton Tolle’s eight-inning start stand tall.

“It feels great to be able to help the team,” Contreras said. “We’re trying to play better baseball, we’re trying to have better at-bats. … I come here every single day to play baseball and play for the guys. Tonight, we played for each other.”

Tolle and Bello have helped the Red Sox pitch the ball incredibly well in May, as their 2.34 team ERA for the month is tops in the American League.

Sunday is expected to be a true start for Bello, who has followed an opener in each of his last two outings. After going 1-4 with a 9.12 ERA through six starts to begin the season, Bello is 1-0 with a 1.35 ERA in his last two outings (13 1/3 innings).

Bello followed Jovani Moran into the game and ultimately tossed 6 1/3 innings of one-run ball in his Tuesday appearance against the Philadelphia Phillies.

“Sometimes you gotta flip something,” Boston catcher Carlos Narvaez said. “Flip that mentality, and coming out of the bullpen he probably thinks, ‘OK, I gotta be convicted right now. It’s not like, OK, I got five innings, 90 pitches.’ Something in his mind has changed.”

In three career starts against Atlanta, Bello is 1-1 with a 6.61 ERA.

The Red Sox started Saturday with shortstop Trevor Story being placed on the 10-day injured list with a sports hernia, but he is contemplating surgery that would sideline him for at least six weeks. Nick Sogard was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to take Story’s roster spot.

“He’s meant a lot to me in my transition here, the way he’s accepted me and pushed other guys to do so. So he’s a big piece of it,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said of Story.

The Braves were unable to duplicate their series-opening magic, as Mike Yastrzemski — a Massachusetts native and grandson of Red Sox legend Carl — hit a 10th-inning double to make the difference in a 3-2 Friday win.

On Saturday, they were held to just four hits by the duo of Tolle and Chapman. Drake Baldwin and Jose Azocar both had two, with the former leading off the bottom of the first with a home run. It was the team’s National League-leading 64th of the season.

“Bryce (Elder) was throwing the ball well, pitch count was OK. It’s unfortunate (to lose),” Atlanta skipper Walt Weiss said. “The game was going to be Bryce and Martin (Perez).”

Baldwin, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year, has swung a hot bat of late. He has socked first-inning homers in the first two games of the series.

“There’s no egos here,” Yastrzemski said earlier this week. “Nobody feels like they own any piece of this team. We’re all pulling on the same rope together, the same direction. Whatever opportunities come for you that day, that’s good enough.”

Grant Holmes (2-1, 4.35) looks to earn his first win since April 24 against Philadelphia and lift Atlanta in the series. Last Tuesday, Holmes allowed two runs on one hit and four walks while striking out five in a four-inning start against the Chicago Cubs.

The Braves have won four consecutive Holmes starts.

Holmes is 0-1 with a 3.86 ERA in two career starts against the Red Sox, both coming in May of last season.

–Field Level Media

Yaz! – “Say It Ain’t So”

by

ATLANTA – (Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Mike Yastrzemski’s leadoff double in the bottom of the 10th inning propelled the Atlanta Braves to a 3-2 win over the visiting Boston Red Sox in the opener of a three-game series on Friday night. The Massachusetts native and grandson of Red Sox legend and Hall of Famer Carl Yastrzemski lined a 1-2 pitch into left field and past Jarren Duran’s attempted cutoff throw, allowing automatic runner Ha-Seong Kim to score the deciding run from second base.

Embed from Getty Images

Drake Baldwin went 2-for-4 with a home run that gave the Braves a first-inning lead. Michael Harris II also went deep before the Red Sox clawed back into a tie game with single runs in both the sixth and seventh innings.

The last of five Atlanta relievers to appear, Didier Fuentes (3-0) stranded two runners on base to post a scoreless 10th. Atlanta has won five of its last six  games.

Marcelo Mayer hit a game-tying homer while Mickey Gasper (2-for-5, RBI) and Ceddanne Rafaela (2-for-3, double) both had multiple hits to lead Boston, which has lost four of its last five.

Tyler Samaniego (0-2) gave up the game-winning hit.

Baldwin helped the Braves to a 1-0 start in the bottom of the first, knocking a one-out solo homer out to center field. Rafaela had the ball pop out of his glove as he attempted to make a leaping catch at the wall.

The Red Sox were held without a hit until Gasper knocked a leadoff single into right to begin the fourth, but Atlanta starter Spencer Strider wound up facing the minimum after Sandy Leon caught Gasper trying to steal second.

The bottom half of that frame saw Harris double Atlanta’s lead, crushing a leadoff line-drive shot into the bullpen in center. Boston starter Connelly Early retired the next two batters and worked around Jose Azocar’s two-out single to escape the inning without any further damage.

Strider also benefited from Rafaela being caught stealing following a leadoff double in the fifth and left with a lead after 5 1/3 despite the visitors coming within 2-1. After Carlos Narvaez knocked a leadoff double down the left field line, Gasper drove him home with a two-out RBI single off reliever Dylan Lee.

After Tyler Kinley induced back-to-back flyouts to start Boston’s seventh, Mayer’s towering blast out to right-center knotted the score.

The Red Sox had two on with two outs in the ninth with a chance to win the game, but Raisel Iglesias struck out Andruw Monasterio to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman then set down the Braves 1-2-3 to force extras.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox: Rafa to the Rescue

by

BOSTON (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela hit a two-run homer and Trevor Story also went deep, propelling the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday night. After Wilyer Abreu singled in the sixth, Rafaela pinch-hit for Masataka Yoshida and delivered his fourth home run of the season to put Boston in front 3-1.

Embed from Getty Images

Story gave the Red Sox a 1-0 lead when he homered against Andrew Painter in the second inning. It was his third home run of the season.

Boston received six innings from starting pitcher Sonny Gray (4-1), who limited the Phillies to a run on two hits. He struck out six and waked one. Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.

The Phillies had runners on second and third with two outs in the ninth thanks to two walks and a double steal, but Chapman earned his ninth save by striking out Alec Bohm to end the game.

Justin Crawford hit a solo home run for Philadelphia, which entered the matchup on a three game winning streak. Tanner Banks (0-3) was charged with a run in two-thirds of an inning.

Abreu collected three of Boston’s eight hits. Story finished 2-for-3 as the Red Sox ended a two-game losing streak.

Kyle Schwarber began the night with at least one home run in each of the past five games, but he went 0-for-2 with two walks. No Philadelphia player has ever homered in six straight games.

Painter exited the mound after five innings. He allowed a run on four hits and no walks with four strikeouts. He threw 62 pitches, 46 of which were strikes.

Shortstop Trea Turner wasn’t in Philadelphia’s starting lineup, but he drew a walk when he pinch-hit with two outs in the ninth. Interim manager Don Mattingly said Turner was ill.

After Story homered, Philadelphia made it a 1-1 game when Crawford hit his second home run of the season in the third inning.

Rafaela’s home run capped the scoring.

–Field Level Media

 

Sox Contreras Out; Hit by Pitch

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras left Sunday’s game after being hit on the right hand by a pitch from Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Nick Martinez in the first inning.

Embed from Getty Images

Contreras ran the bases, but did not return to the field for the second inning as the Red Sox initially said he had a contusion. However, the club said it would have Contreras undergo imaging to determine the severity as the ball seemed to hit where the palm of his hand meets the wrist, a complicated area of the joint.

It was the eighth time Contreras has been hit by a pitch, which tied him with St. Louis’ J.J. Wetherholt and Ivan Herrera for the MLB lead.

Contreras, who turns 34 on Wednesday, leads Boston with eight homers and 23 RBIs while batting .259 in 39 games.

The three-time All-Star is in his first season with the Red Sox. He has a .258 career batting average with 180 homers and 571 RBIs in 1,116 games with the Chicago Cubs (2016-22), St. Louis Cardinals (2023-25) and Boston.

Andruw Monasterio replaced Contreras at first base and poked hits in his first two at-bats.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Motoring in Motown

by

DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Detroit Tigers have dropped one game under .500 after losing the first two games of a three-game home series against the Boston Red Sox. They will look to a struggling starter to prevent a sweep.

Under different circumstances, right-hander Jack Flaherty might be in danger of losing his starting spot. With the rotation decimated by injuries, the Tigers will continue to ride with Flaherty and hope he can solve his issues.

Embed from Getty Images

Flaherty (0-2, 5.90 ERA), who will make his eighth start Wednesday, has been unable to record more than 11 outs in his last three appearances.

He issued six walks to Boston hitters on April 20 and was removed after 3 1/3 innings. Flaherty surrendered six runs, including three home runs, in two innings at Cincinnati on April 25.

In his last start, Flaherty gave up four runs in 3 2/3 innings on Friday to Texas while allowing five hits and three walks. He admitted afterward that his struggles have taken a mental toll.

“You just lose it for three hitters and it’s just like, agonizing, it’s frustrating,” Flaherty said. “It probably pisses you off, because it’s — I’m losing sleep over it every single day, trying to figure out what goes on in that little bit right there where we end up walking three guys in a row.”

Overall, Flaherty has walked 25 batters in 29 innings. During 2024 when Flaherty began the season with Detroit and then was traded to the eventual champion Los Angeles Dodgers, he walked just 38 batters in 162 innings. Last season, Flaherty went 8-15 while rejoining the Tigers and issued 59 walks in 161 innings.

“Just giving guys free passes and walking guys, that’s where it gets frustrating,” he said. “I never walked guys like this in my career, so it’s one of those things that is gonna be frustrating to really figure it out.”

He’s 1-0 with a 3.14 ERA in four career outings (three starts) against Boston.

Right-hander Sonny Gray is expected to be activated from the injured list and start for the Red Sox.

Gray (2-1, 4.30) strained his right hamstring while opposing Flaherty last month. In 12 career outings (11 starts) against Detroit, Gray is 5-2 with a 2.45 ERA, including a start last season in which he tossed six scoreless innings with 10 strikeouts with the St. Louis Cardinals.

Boston has scored 15 runs in the first two games of the series despite an injury to outfielder Roman Anthony. He suffered a sprained right wrist during the series opener on Monday but was not placed on the injured list. He will not play tonight.

“The thing is, even with a sprain, it’s still going to be reactive on how it is feeling, and how is it progressing,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “That’s good news, but we still have to see how he feels over the next couple of days. To know that something happened, and we don’t see a break, and we don’t see any structural (damage) right now. But again, there’s still steps to take to make sure that he feels good and healthy.”

–Field Level Media

Red Sox to Face Tigers’ Ace

by

DETROIT – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The Detroit Tigers are missing three starting pitchers but still have one standout. He will be on the mound tonight against the visiting Boston Red Sox. Framber Valdez (2-1, 3.35 ERA) will start the middle contest of the three-game series for Detroit. The left-hander has given up two runs or fewer in six of his seven starts.

Embed from Getty Images

Valdez was sharp in his latest outing, at Atlanta on Thursday. He held the Braves to two runs and six hits in six innings. He didn’t issue a walk while striking out a season-high eight batters.

The Braves’ runs against him came in the second and third innings.

“He got better and better as the day went on,” manager A.J. Hinch said. “He had a little trouble getting into the game, just because he mis-executed pitches. But given how the game started and the way his pitch count was driving up, for him to go six innings and really look strong at the end was huge.”

Valdez and catcher Jake Rogers changed tactics, relying more on his breaking pitches.

“They were on time for his sinker early,” Rogers said. “Just mixing in his changeup and curveball to keep them off the heater, then sneaking the heater in every once in a while was a really big thing. He did a really good job of landing the changeup and he even threw some good sliders to their lefties, which is a good pitch against those guys.”

Valdez recorded his most recent victory against the Red Sox, limiting them to one run in six innings on April 19. He is 4-2 with a 2.83 ERA in seven career outings (five starts) against Boston.

Valdez steps into the role of de facto ace of the staff with Tarik Skubal on the injured list. The team announced on Monday that Skubal would undergo surgery to remove loose bodies from his pitching elbow.

Two other Tigers starters, Justin Verlander and Casey Mize, also are on the injured list.

Valdez will be opposed on Tuesday by the Boston combination of opener Jovani Moran (0-0, 2.33 ERA) and bulk reliever Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA).

Moran most recently pitched Sunday, when he got two outs without allowing a run or a hit against the Houston Astros. He allowed one run in three innings over two relief appearances vs. the Tigers last month, leaving him with a 7.45 ERA and a 0-1 record in nine lifetime outings against Detroit.

Bello will be coming out of the bullpen for the first time this year. He has made it past the fifth inning in just one of his six starts this season, and he has allowed 43 hits and 15 walks in 25 2/3 innings.

In his latest outing, Bello began with two scoreless innings against the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday. He fell apart from that point and departed after 3 2/3 innings, having served up four runs and six hits.

“He looked great early,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “(He) attacked the zone, (was) in the zone. A lot of weak contact. And then, in the third … started to nibble a bit when guys got on, and we got into a tight spot.”

Bello was frustrated when Tracy pulled him in the fourth.

“Obviously, I was upset,” Bello said through an interpreter. “I haven’t been able to pitch well in the past few starts. I haven’t been able to pitch deep into the  games. That’s what I want (to do), and (Wednesday), it went that way, as well.”

Bello gave up four runs on five hits in four innings during a loss to Detroit on April 18. He is 0-2 with a 6.41 ERA in four career appearances (all starts) against the Tigers.

Boston won the series opener 5-4 on Monday behind Jarren Duran’s three-run homer in the seventh inning.

–Field Level Media

Lowly Astros Take Series vs Sox

by

BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Houston’s Cam Smith had three hits, including a two-run single in the top of the 10th inning, to help the visiting Astros earn a 3-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Sunday. Smith’s two-out single came against Zack Kelly (0-2) and drove in Braden Shewmake and Jose Altuve.

Embed from Getty Images

Boston had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the 10th, but Bryan Abreu got Ceddanne Rafaela to ground into a double play to end the game.

Jarren Duran hit a solo home run for the Red Sox, who stranded 13 runners and were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Duran’s home run was his third of the season and his second of the series. He hit a three-run homer in Boston’s 3-1 victory Friday night.

Abreu (1-2) pitched two scoreless innings to get the win. He gave up one hit, walked one and struck out one.

Willson Contreras collected three of Boston’s nine hits in the loss.

Christian Walker and Christian Vazquez each had two-hit games for the Astros, who won two games in the three-game set.

Boston starting pitcher Ranger Suarez was pulled after four scoreless innings because of hamstring tightness. He gave up three hits, walked one and struck out three. Suarez threw 70 pitches.

Duran’s home run off Houston reliever AJ Blubaugh opened the scoring in the fifth. Houston tied the game in the sixth, when Walker reached on an infield single, took third on Altuve’s double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Brice Matthews.

The Red Sox had a chance to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. An error on Abreu allowed Contreras to reach second with two outs in the inning, but Roman Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.

Houston had the bases loaded with no outs in the 10th, but Altuve grounded into a 6-2-5 double play. Following a walk to Matthews, Smith delivered his two-run single.

–Field Level Media

Jarren & Jake Lead Red Sox

by

BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Jarren Duran hit a three-run home run and their rookie spot starter Jake Bennett pitched well in his major league debut to propel the Red Sox to a 3-1 victory over the visiting Houston Astros in the opener of their three-games series Friday night.

Embed from Getty Images

Bennett, who was called up from Triple-A Worcester on Friday to start in place of Garrett Crochet, allowed one run on five hits in five innings. He walked two and struck out three. Crochet was placed on the injured list Wednesday with shoulder inflammation.

Boston received four scoreless innings from four relievers after Bennett (1-0) was pulled. Carlos Correa doubled against Aroldis Chapman with two outs in the ninth, but Chapman got Yordan Alvarez to ground out to second to end the game. Chapman earned his sixth save.

The victory ended Boston’s two-game losing streak, and its three-game home losing streak.

Correa had three hits, including his third home run of the season. Isaac Paredes and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros.

Houston starter Mike Burrows (1-4) took the loss. He surrendered three runs on eight hits in six innings.

Roman Anthony collected three of Boston’s 10 hits. Anthony hit a double and singled twice. Trevor Story was 2-for-4, and Marcelo Mayer collected a single to extend his hitting streak to nine games.

The Astros grabbed a 1-0 lead on Correa’s solo home run in the top of the third.

 

Sox Back at Fenway for 3-Game Set

by

BOSTON – The Houston Astros might have caught a break in advance of their road game against the Boston Red Sox tonight. Houston was scheduled to face Boston ace Garrett Crochet in the opener of a three-game series but is expected to see rookie left-hander Jake Bennett instead.

The Red Sox placed Crochet on the 15-day injured list with left shoulder inflammation on Wednesday. He said he began to feel some fatigue in his shoulder on Saturday when he pitched against the Baltimore Orioles and hopes he can rejoin the rotation when he’s eligible in about two weeks.

Embed from Getty Images

Bennett, 25, was scratched from his start for Triple-A Worcester on Tuesday. Multiple media outlets said he likely will be on the mound Friday for his major league debut, but those reports have not been confirmed by the Red Sox.

Bennett is 2-1 with an 0.86 ERA in five starts with Worcester this season. He has struck out 16 and walked three in 21 innings.

Boston acquired Bennett from Washington for pitching prospect Luis Perales last December. The Nationals selected Bennett in the second round of the 2022 MLB Draft. He missed the 2024 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery.

“Big-time strike thrower,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “The velocity and the fastball has obviously ticked up. He was coming off an arm injury when he was with Washington. But when he’s sitting there 94 (mph) — another guy kind of like (Payton) Tolle, doesn’t throw as hard, but big guy that really gets down the mound with big extension. So he tends to get in on hitters, too, because the fastball plays up.”

“He’s in the zone a lot,” Tracy added. “Does a good job of holding runners. He can go from a slide step, he can use a leg kick, lands all stuff. But he’s really, really good, at least down there has been, getting the ball in the strike zone. And he gets a lot of weak contact.”

Houston is scheduled to start right-hander Mike Burrows (1-3, 6.25 ERA) in the series opener. He is 1-0 with a 3.86 ERA in two career appearances against the Red Sox.

Boston, which is coming off back-to-back losses to the Toronto Blue Jays, is at the bottom of the American League East standings. The Red Sox were held to one total run in those two losses.

Houston split a doubleheader with Baltimore on Thursday. Yordan Alvarez had his 13-game hitting streak end in the opener, a 10-3 loss, but he hit his 12th home run during Houston’s 11-5 victory in the second game. Few Boston pitchers have had success against Alvarez, who is hitting .391 with nine home runs and 25 RBIs in 26 regular-season games against the Red Sox.

Alvarez is tied for the AL lead in home runs (12) and is first in RBIs (27) and batting average (.356).

Houston won the second game without veterans Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa, both of whom were held out of the lineup after playing in the first game.

“It’s going to take the whole entire team,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “Those guys (Altuve and Correa) have been playing every day, they’re grinding through it. We need some of these other guys to come in and support, do some things on the bases, at the plate, defensively. And those guys did that today.”

The Astros, who are tied with the Los Angeles Angels for last place in the AL West, swept a three-game series against the Red Sox in Houston from March 30-April 1. Both the Astros and Red Sox have 12 wins this season.

–Field Level Media

Jays’ Yesavage ’26 Debut Blanks Sox

by

TORONTO – (Wire Service Report) – Trey Yesavage pitched 5 1/3 sharp innings in his season debut Tuesday night and the Toronto Blue Jays shut out the visiting Boston Red Sox 3-0. Yesavage (1-0) allowed four hits and no walks while striking three. He started the season on the injured list due to a right shoulder impingement.

Vladimir Guerrero Jr. had two hits and an RBI while Kazuma Okamoto had a two-run single to help the Blue Jays end Boston’s three-game winning streak.

Embed from Getty Images

Louis Varland struck out the side in the ninth to earn his fourth save.

Boston won the opener of the three-game series 5-0 on Monday, when Toronto was limited to two hits. The decisive match will be played Wednesday afternoon.

The Red Sox had runners at third base without scoring in each of the first two innings against Yesavage. Willson Contreras was stranded at third after his one-out double in the first. Boston left runners at first and third in the second after Trevor Story bunted for a single and Marcelo Mayer singled to right with two outs. Mayer extended his career-best hitting streak to seven games.

Toronto took a 2-0 lead against Payton Tolle (0-1) in the third. Andres Gimenez led off with a single and took third on Guerrero’s two-out double to left. Both runners scored on Okamoto’s single off the wall in left, but Okamoto was retired while trying for a double.

The Blue Jays added to the lead in the fifth. After Myles Straw and Ernie Clement accepted two-out walks, Zack Kelly replaced Tolle and saw Guerrero hit his first pitch for an RBI single to center.

Tolle allowed three runs, three hits and four walks with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Yesavage struck out Contreras to open the sixth before being replaced by Mason Fluharty.

Toronto’s Jeff Hoffman pitched a perfect seventh with two strikeouts, and Tyler Rogers added a perfect top of the eighth. Boston did not have a hit after the fourth inning.

Boston’s Wilyer Abreu went 0-for-3 with a walk to end a six-game hitting streak.

–Field Level Media