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Ailing Mariners Host Struggling Sox

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SEATTLE – (Wire Service Preview) – Outfielder Luke Raley was over the lower back tightness that forced him to miss the first two games of the Seattle Mariners’ series with the Baltimore Orioles. But he sat out the series finale on Thursday in Seattle with the flu.

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The players who normally occupy the top six spots in the Mariners’ batting order — J.P. Crawford, Cal Raleigh, Julio Rodriguez, Josh Naylor, Randy Arozarena and Raley — all missed games this week because of injuries.

Crawford (left hand contusion) and Raleigh (strained right oblique) were activated from the injured list Tuesday, the same day Arozarena (left hamstring strain) was placed on the IL. Naylor (right wrist discomfort) missed two games before returning Thursday, and Rodriguez (hamstring spasm) sat out the finale against the Orioles after leaving Wednesday’s game after six innings with a left hamstring spasm.

“We were banged up, no question,” Mariners manager Dan Wilson said. “We’ve had some injuries over the last week, but it doesn’t do any good to focus on that. We focused on winning the series.”

The Mariners did that with a 3-0 victory Thursday, scoring all of their runs in the first inning to back Bryan Woo, who allowed three hits over seven-plus innings with nine strikeouts.

“That’s the team stepping up in a situation where we needed it to,” Wilson said. “That’s what the fight in there is all about.”

Wilson said he considers Rodriguez, who ran in the outfield and performed agility drills before Thursday’s game, as day-to-day.

“Julio’s just getting a chance to get a day (off) to make sure we’re all set with his legs,” Wilson said. “I think that’s a smart thing to do.”

The Red Sox, in last place in the AL East, have lost four games in a row and eight of their past 10. They were swept in a three-game series at home by Toronto, including a 4-3 defeat Thursday afternoon as the Blue Jays scored the go-ahead run off closer Aroldis Chapman in the ninth inning.

That came after Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin hit back-to-back homers leading off the bottom of the eighth to give the Red Sox the lead.

“They’re all kicks (to the gut),” Kiner-Falefa said. “Swept at home, in division, it doesn’t get worse than that, right? So hopefully, we just go to the West Coast and play well. We’ve got to go on a streak, and we’ve got to go on a streak now. It’s time to go on a streak, or we’re going to be having new players in this locker room. So just got to figure it out ASAP.”

The Red Sox will start left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.21 ERA) in Friday’s series opener against Mariners right-hander Bryce Miller (3-0, 1.54)

Suarez is 0-1 in his past seven starts since his last win on April 27. He didn’t get a decision Saturday in a 6-3 victory against visiting Texas despite allowing just two runs on six hits over five innings, with seven strikeouts.

Suarez is 2-0 with a 1.42 ERA in two career starts against Seattle.

Miller has won his past two starts and three of his past four. He pitched eight innings in a 10-2 victory last Friday at Washington, giving up two runs on four hits with seven strikeouts.

Miller is 0-3 with an 8.22 ERA in three previous starts vs. the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

Sox Can’t Walk 500 Miles for a Win

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor in Chief

BOSTON – Screw Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline” and here’s a hearty New England welcome to “The Proclaimers.“

If you were around in 1988 and buying records in the United Kingdom, all the kids’ pounds (£) were being plunked down in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen for a catchy little tune that made it to No. 11 on the charts.

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“I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” was the song and it was released in August of that year, placed on an album called, “Sunshine on Leith.”

Apparently, the Toronto Blue Jays and Red Sox closer Aroldis Chapman didn’t buy the album, as Chapman – the closer of closers – came to the mound at Fenway with the score tied, 3-3, in the top of the ninth inning. He was in for the hold, really, with Boston interim manager Chad Tracy dreaming of a come-from-behind victory on a gorgeous Thursday afternoon when 32,027 fans packed the tiny ballpark. And, yes, about 5,000 of those fans had first-hand connections to the Scottish National soccer team who will play their second of three World Cup preliminary games at “Boston Stadium” in Foxborough on Friday night. They were all singing 500 Miles and they were lit.

Fenway’s game ops people have jumped on the Scottish bandwagon since Sunday night when a (literal) parade of Scots in kilts marched to Fenway from the Fens, playing bagpipes and singing their favorite tunes. “Sweet Caroline” is not one of them, as that particular song has been co-opted by England’s footy team, so the Scots sit it out when the Fenway faithful sing-a-long in the middle of the eighth, as per usual.

Scotland’s fans have fallen in love with Boston, mainly because the locals have been buying the sons and daughters of Scotland cold beers to act as a gesture of hospitality to make up for the ridiculous price-gouging by the trains, planes and automobile prices to get from Boston to the hinterlands of what was formerly known as Gillette Stadium – located someplace west of Boston and east of Providence. There’s talk of Glasgow and Boston becoming sister-cities.

Somewhat fueled by a raucous Boston crowd, singing and dancing and carrying on in the middle of the 8th inning, Boston shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa and third baseman Caleb Durbin hit back-to-back solo home runs to lead-off the home half of the eighth and tie the score at 3-all, knotting what had been a 3-1 Toronto Blue Jays crusher and another loss at home.

But, the Scots and The Proclaimers sang of “Walking 500 Miles” in a song expressing a deep commitment to love, and emphasizing the lengths one would go to for a partner, a fan, maybe a teammate?

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It just wasn’t meant to be when Toronto’s second baseman Ernie Clement got onboard with an infield hit in the ninth. With two outs, Blue Jays back-up catcher Brandon Valenzuela drove in the game-winning run with a double down the left field line to score Clement from first base and put the Jays up, 4-3.

The run earned Toronto its second series sweep and sent the Red Sox packing for Seattle as losers of four straight, and eight of 10. The Sox were swept in a series for the fifth time this season, including the third time at home. Boston is now (29-43) and in last place in the American League East, 16 games off the lead, while the Jays are mired in third place in the AL East at (37-38).

Chapman took the loss (0-2) after starter Sonny Gray went a season high 7.0 IP and 89 pitches (63 strikes). Gray let up three earned runs and six hits with a walk and four strikeouts. Toronto’s starter, Trey Yesavage pitched a strong, career-high  7.1 innings, giving up only four hits with the three earned runs and six strikeouts. Reliever Tommy Nance was credited with the victory, his first of the season against two losses. Blue Jays reliver Mason Fluharty earned the save, his first, against two losses.

The loss dropped Boston record against AL East teams to (6-17) as they have lost each of their last seven games to divisional opponents, dating back to June 7 at New York (Yankees). It was Toronto’s first series sweep of the Sox since September 15-17, 2023.

Boston jets off to Seattle for a three-game set (Friday to Sunday), then continues to Colorado for three games, scheduled June 22 to 24. The Red Sox return home, without their friends from Scotland, for a four-game series against the AL division leading Yankees, June 25-28.

 

 

 

Blue Jays Way

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BOSTON – Toronto’s Dylan Cease tossed five scoreless innings and the visiting Blue Jays received home runs from Andres Gimenez, Davis Schneider and George Springer en route to a 6-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Tuesday night.

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Cease (4-3) limited Boston to four hits, walked four and struck out seven. He threw 108 pitches. Louis Varland recorded the final four outs and earned his 13th save.

Schneider and Gimenez hit back-to-back home runs in the fifth, then Springer drove in two in the ninth with his 300th career homer. Springer had three RBIs in the win.

Jarren Duran accounted for Boston’s run by hitting a solo home run against Tommy Nance in the eighth. Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Connor Wong each collected two hits for the Red Sox, who were 1 of 12 with runners in scoring position. Willson Contreras struck out four times.

Gimenez, who missed Sunday’s game against the New York Yankees with a sore wrist, scored the game’s first run in the third inning. He doubled, moved to third when Myles Straw hit a fly ball to right and scored on Springer’s sacrifice fly.

The home runs by Gimenez and Schneider in the fifth both came against Boston starter Payton Tolle and stretched Toronto’s lead to 3-0.

Tolle (3-4) also was pulled after five innings. He allowed three runs on four hits, walked two and struck out six.

Toronto made it 4-0 in the sixth. Kazuma Okamoto walked, took third on a Nathan Lukes single and scored when Schneider doubled.

Duran’s home run cut Toronto’s lead to 4-1 in the eighth. Boston brought the tying run to the plate, but Varland entered and struck out pinch hitter Mickey Gasper to end the inning.

The loss dropped the Red Sox’ record to 9-30 when their opponent scores first.

–Field Level Media

Rangers Hold Off Red Sox

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Wyatt Langford and Kyle Higashioka homered in back-to-back innings to start the game, and the visiting Texas Rangers avoided a three-game series sweep at the hands of the Boston Red Sox with a 6-4 win on Sunday night.

The Rangers tagged Boston starter Connelly Early (5-5) for six runs and 11 hits through the first 4 2/3 innings and totaled 13 knocks in the game.

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Beyond the long balls, Brandon Nimmo (2-for-5) hit a clutch two-RBI double in the fourth inning, while Justin Foscue went 3-for-3 with a run scored. Higashioka and Cody Freeman also had multiple hits.

The early offense stood tall as Rangers starter Nathan Eovaldi (6-7) pitched seven innings, striking out six while working around three runs and six hits.

Willson Contreras homered twice on his 3-for-4 night and Masataka Yoshida went 2-for-4 with a double and run scored to lead the Red Sox, who have lost five of their last seven games.

With the Tartan Army filling the Fenway Park stands after Scotland’s World Cup win in Foxborough, Mass., on Saturday, Early was tagged for a first-pitch leadoff home run for a second consecutive start. Langford crushed a solo shot completely over the Green Monster and out of the ballpark to lift Texas to an immediate 1-0 lead in the first inning.

The Rangers busted open the score with three straight hits to start the second. After Foscue and Cody Freeman stung back-to-back singles to center, Higashioka drove them both home with a three-run shot that just cleared the left-field wall.

After Eovaldi set down his former team 1-2-3 to start the game, Contreras went deep to left to get Boston on the scoreboard at 4-1. The inning continued with Caleb Durbin drawing a one-out walk and Isiah Kiner-Falefa knocking an infield single over second base. After a wild pitch moved both into scoring position, Marcelo Mayer’s RBI grounder made it a two-run game.

Early escaped a two-on jam without any damage in the third, but Texas extended its lead in the following frame. Alejandro Osuna started the rally with a one-out single, then back-to-back walks preceded Nimmo’s key double high off the Monster.

While Greg Weissert (1 1/3 innings), Ryan Watson (two innings) and Tommy Kahnle (one inning) teamed up for scoreless relief, Boston inched closer when Contreras knocked another solo shot out to deep left with two outs in the sixth, making it a 6-3 game.

In the eighth, Yoshida’s one-out knock got the Sox started, and he scored on Abreu’s liner to right two batters later.

Contreras followed with his third hit, but Jacob Latz entered to induce an inning-ending grounder from Jarren Duran before dealing a scoreless ninth to finalize his 11th save.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Aim for Sweep of Texas

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – After their first home series win since April, the Boston Red Sox go for a series sweep against the visiting Texas Rangers on Sunday evening.

The Red Sox are now 2-8-1 this season in home series and interim manager Chad Tracy knows if Boston is going to climb out of the American League East cellar, it will have to improve its performance at home.

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“It’s been a minute (since a home series win) and it feels good,” Tracy said. “It’s no secret. We all know we have to play better at home. We played two really good ball games and now have a chance to go sweep a series. It feels good for the guys for sure.”

While Red Sox fans haven’t had a lot to cheer about at home, Ceddanne Rafaela changed that – for an afternoon anyway – with a clutch, two-run go-ahead single that came with two outs in the seventh to give Boston a 4-2 lead.

The 25-year-old center fielder ranks second on Boston in batting average (.291), doubles (14) and stolen bases (seven).

“Every win matters,” Rafaela said. “Especially at home. I want the fans to be happy, that’s what we are showing up for to try and accomplish.”

With two straight wins, Jarren Duran said Boston has to stay focused as it has the chance to get on a roll. Duran launched a two-run homer in the eighth to provide the Red Sox bullpen with breathing room.

“We are picking it up, which is good,” Duran said. “We just need to put our heads down and keep going.”

Boston starter Connelly Early (5-4, 3.30 ERA) is scheduled to make his first career appearance against the Rangers. The left-hander allowed two runs on five hits with four walks and six strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings in a 3-1 loss in his last start at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday.

The Rangers will counter with Nathan Eovaldi (5-7, 4.26 ERA), who took the loss in a 5-3 setback at the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday. The veteran right-hander surrendered four runs on four hits with three walks and three strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.

In 12 appearances, including 11 starts, against one of his former teams, Eovaldi is 4-1 with a 4.68 ERA. He’s racked up 46 strikeouts in 59 2/3 innings pitched.

After scoring just four runs in the first two games of the series – a 10-1 loss on Friday and a 6-3 setback on Saturday – Rangers manager Skip Schumaker said his club’s offense has to provide more support for its pitching staff.

“The challenge for us is providing more cushion on the offensive side for our starting pitchers,” Schumaker said.

Jake Burger provided some offense with a solo shot in the eighth, his 100th career home run. Burger leads the Rangers in homers (12) and RBIs (42).

Michael Helman also contributed to the Rangers’ offensive output with an RBI sacrifice fly that tied the game 2-2 in the fourth. But the center fielder, who has 30 at-bats in 15 games, was hit by a pitch on his right hand in the eighth, and after being checked out by the Rangers’ training staff at first base, he exited the game.

“Michael has multiple fractures in at least one finger, if not two,” Schumaker said. “He will be out for a bit, (the pitch) got him pretty good.”
-Field Level Media

 

Baltimore’s Alonso Reminds Red Sox of What Could’ve Been – “A Monster”

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief, Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – The ballgame was tied 1-1, going into the top of the 3rd inning. Baltimore catcher Adley Rutschman singled to left-center field with one out and Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early was throwing darts.

But …

Batter-up, Pete Alonso.

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Alonso was floating in the wind for two seasons as he completed a stellar career playing for the New York Mets. Aside from Mets retired third baseman, David Wright, Alonso was the face of the franchise and very well liked and respected by the fans. But, the Mets were beginning a re-build and both time and money were short.

The Mets signed Alonso to a couple short-term contracts when he was seeking, at least a five year deal. Then, last summer Alonso opted for free agency and hit the jackpot with the Orioles, signing a 5-year, $155 million contract that pays him $31m this season, then $33m for four more years. It was a major commitment by the O’s.

The Red Sox stood by and watched, never a serious bidder, and instead signed Willson Contreras, currently the club’s No. 4/clean-up hitter and the most consistent bat on the team. Contreras has 11 home runs and 33 RBI – not too shabby.

But Tuesday night, the fans in Fenway Park – both Red Sox and busloads of Orioles fans – witnessed what might have been if the Sox had taken an aggressive play at Alonso.

As the third batter up in the 3rd inning, Alonso hit a ball 400 feet at 110.8 mph and it was rising as it cleared the Green Monster and then plugged a seat so hard, the Fenway Park and Boston building inspectors might need to take a look later tonight, or maybe Wednesday morning when the steam subsides. It was a glimpse of “what might have been” for the Red Sox is they truly went after the long ball hitting free agent – either in 2024 or 2025.

It wasn’t meant to be for the Sox, and Alonso’s homer put the Orioles ahead 3-1. Baltimore followed up with an insurance run in the fourth inning to make it 4-1.

Boston’s Mickey Gasper scored in the 5th inning, the result of a single, a wild pitch, advancing to third base on a ground-out and then scoring on a Marcelo Mayer sacrifice fly to center field.

Baltimore starter Shane Baz went seven full innings, allowing four hits, two earned runs while walking two and striking out six Boston batters. He was credited with the win and is now (3-5).

Boston’s Connelly Early pitched well, but allowed four earned runs in 5.1 innings. He allowed six hits of which two were home runs. (Coby Mayo’s seventh, hit in the 2nd inning. Early walked only one batter and struck out six. He threw 96 pitches and 64 were strikes. Two were mistakes.

Baltimore and Boston continue their three-game series Wednesday night when Chris Bassitt (4-3) takes the mound for the Orioles and rookie Payton Tolle (2-2) starts for Boston. Baltimore is three games ahead of the AL East cellar-dwelling Red Sox.

MLB Preview Red Sox vs. O’s

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BOSTON – (Wire Service preview) – Quality at-bats and quality starts are what it’s all about in baseball.

The Boston Red Sox hope that both trends can continue as they return home to host the Baltimore Orioles for the first time this season, opening a three-game series with their American League East rival on Tuesday night.

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After Boston rode a six-run seventh inning to a series-clinching 9-4 win at the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, rookie Connelly Early (5-2, 2.95 ERA) will take the ball looking to deliver another quality start. The 24-year-old left-hander has worked at least six innings in five of his last eight outings.

Sunday’s win saw Boston log 12 hits — including at least one from all nine starting batters — with Masataka Yoshida highlighting the big inning with a go-ahead two-run single.

“You got to tie the game before you can take the lead, so those were really quality at-bats,” interim Red Sox manager Chad Tracy said. “We keep stacking on after that to get into a comfortable lead.”

Tracy’s lineup also has Isiah Kiner-Falefa riding a seven-game hit streak, while Caleb Durbin tripled as part of his second consecutive multi-RBI effort.

While left-hander Garrett Crochet deals with left lat tightness in a setback of his return from shoulder inflammation, the Red Sox hope that Early can continue the team’s recent momentum. He pitched seven scoreless, four-hit innings with seven strikeouts en route to his win over the Atlanta Braves last time out on Wednesday.

“After what he did last year for us in the playoffs, I feel like he had to grow up pretty quick,” outfielder Jarren Duran said of Early. “Some of us forget he’s a rookie and he’s doing the things that he’s doing.”

Early faced the Orioles for the first time in his career on April 26, recording the win and allowing just a pair of solo home runs on four hits through 6 2/3 innings.

The Red Sox are just 9-19 at home. Early’s performance came in the only win of Boston’s last homestand — a 1-5 stretch against the Minnesota Twins and Braves.

Though the Orioles sit just ahead of the Red Sox at the bottom of the division standings, they’ve put together one of their most consistent runs of the season.

A 9-5 Sunday win against the Toronto Blue Jays was Baltimore’s seventh on a season-high 10-game homestand it entered having lost five of six. Colton Cowser hit a three-run homer and drove in four to lead the support of Kyle Bradish, who allowed just one unearned run over seven innings.

“I’m not going to say the team needed it, but I think it’s one of those things that is encouraging and keeps morale up, keeps confidence up, and hopefully (we’ll) continue to build momentum,” said Cowser.

Manager Craig Albernaz agrees.

“We were playing the baseball that we’re capable of,” he said. “Just all the work that these guys have been putting in relentlessly every day, we’re starting to see the rewards now, and against some really good teams. It’s been fun to watch.”

Confidence has gone a long way on the mound as well. Shane Baz (2-5, 4.48) has been a part of it, putting together back-to-back solid starts ahead of taking the mound at Fenway Park.

Baz notched a season-high nine strikeouts across seven innings of one-run ball against the Tampa Bay Rays last Tuesday. It was his third straight start working at least six frames and his second straight allowing just one run.

The right-hander, who has spent his entire five-season career in the AL East with the Tampa Bay Rays and Orioles, is 3-1 with a 2.64 ERA in five career starts against the Red Sox.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Take Series vs. Guardians

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – A six-run seventh inning propelled the visiting Boston Red Sox to a 9-4 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday in the rubber game of a three-game series. Boston trailed 4-3 entering the seventh and scored all six runs with two outs. The inning included a two-run single by left fielder Masataka Yoshida, who had misplayed a fly ball in the fifth that allowed Cleveland to score the game-tying run.

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Jarren Duran hit his 10th home run of the season for the Red Sox. It extended his hitting streak to eight games. Every player in Boston’s lineup had at least one hit in the victory.

Chase DeLauter and David Fry each collected three hits for the Guardians.

The Red Sox lineup didn’t include Willson Contreras or Ceddanne Rafaela. Contreras, who is dealing with a lingering hand/wrist issue, entered in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement. Rafaela was a late scratch with lower back tightness.

Jovani Moran (2-1) earned the win for pitching 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief after Ranger Suarez tossed 10 strikeouts but allowed all four of Cleveland’s runs over the first five frames.

Colin Holderman (3-1) took the loss. He recorded one out and allowed two of Boston’s six runs in the seventh.

After Duran led off the game with a home run, Cleveland took a 2-1 lead in the second when Austin Hedges drove in Fry and Rhys Hoskins with a two-run single.

Boston regained the lead by scoring twice in the fifth. Mickey Gasper’s sacrifice fly drove in Marcelo Mayer, and Connor Wong scored on Wilyer Abreu’s single to put the Red Sox up 3-2.

Cleveland tied the game when Yoshida didn’t see a Jose Ramirez fly ball that dropped in for a double and allowed Brayan Rocchio to score. DeLauter followed with a single that drove in Ramirez to give the Guardians a 4-3 lead.

It was 4-4 after Cleveland reliever Tim Herrin walked Abreu with the bases loaded in the seventh. After Yoshida’s two-run single extended Boston’s lead to 6-4, Isiah Kiner-Falefa came up with a run-scoring single that drove in Abreu, and Caleb Durbin tripled to score Yoshida and Kiner-Falefa to make it 9-4.

Guardians starter Tanner Bibee went six innings and struck out five while scattering three runs and six hits.

–Field Level Media

It’s the Connor Wong Show

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CLEVELAND – (Wire Service Report) – Connor Wong hasn’t seen much action of late behind the plate for the Boston Red Sox, so he has to maximize every opportunity he receives.

Thanks to his big game Saturday, the Red Sox have a chance at earning a rare series victory against the host Cleveland Guardians.

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Boston will send left-hander Ranger Suarez (2-3, 3.02 ERA) to the mound against Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee (0-7, 4.57) today, seeking its sixth series triumph in 19 sets this season.

Wong drove in three runs, including the go-ahead double in the sixth inning, and had a pair of hits for the Red Sox in a 9-1 win. It was just his third start at catcher in a 22-day span as Mickey Gasper and Carlos Narvaez have taken most of the playing time.

“Just a really, really good performance by a guy who hasn’t played much,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Don’t forget, he also had a rocket in the second that (Daniel Schneemann) made a great play on in center. Most days, that falls for a double here.”

Wong finished 2-for-5 with a run and was able to wear the Red Sox’s prized Wally the Green Monster mascot head for the first time, only to have a replay review by crew chief John Tumpane take away the home run that earned him the privilege.

The 30-year-old’s double in the sixth was initially called a homer, which would have been his first since 2024, but the MLB command center ruled the ball had struck the yellow line atop the fence before hitting the guardrail.

“It sucks that was taken away,” said Wong, who is a .442 hitter with five homers and 12 RBIs in 13 career  games against Cleveland. “I still think it was a homer. I wish I could have appealed it myself. But any time you get the win, it feels great.”

Wong played a significant role defensively as well, as winning pitcher Sonny Gray allowed only one run in six innings and credited him for calming him down after a rough first inning.

“He’s great back there,” Gray said. “I was happy for him with the way he played today.”

Suarez has either been terrific or terrible in his first 10 starts for Boston, giving up four or more runs in four of them — and one total run in the other six outings. He was rocked for a season-high five runs in a loss to the visiting Atlanta Braves in his last game on May 26.

In three career appearances against Cleveland, all as a member of the Philadelphia Phillies, Suarez is 1-1 with a 2.77 ERA.

The American League Central Division-leading Guardians have endured a historically bad first two months from Bibee. His low point occurred on May 25, giving up a franchise record-tying five homers in three innings during a 10-2 loss to the visiting Washington Nationals.

“I thought it was a lack of execution, and we just haven’t seen that from Tanner,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “It was a tough one, just a lot of mistakes over the middle. He didn’t have much. That was it.”

Bibee went exactly five innings in both of his previous games against Boston, going 1-0 with a 1.80 ERA. The Red Sox have worked him for four walks and struck out only five times.

A roster move could be in the offing for the Guardians, who are now without two starting outfielders. Left fielder Angel Martinez is scheduled to have an MRI after exiting Saturday’s game with left foot inflammation in the fifth inning.

Center fielder Steven Kwan, a multiple-time Gold Glove winner in left, remains on the bereavement/family medical emergency list. Stuart Fairchild was recalled from Triple-A Columbus to take his place and went 0-for-2 with a throwing error on Saturday.

–Field Level Media

SOX SLAMMED!

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Atlanta’s Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a grand slam and Michael Harris II and Ozzie Albies also homered to propel the visiting Braves to a 10-2 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

Acuna’s home run, his third of the season, came against reliever Greg Weissert and was part of a five-run sixth inning that handed Atlanta a 7-2 lead.

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Harris hit a solo home run in the seventh inning to extend Atlanta’s lead to 8-2, and Albies finalized the scoring with a two-run homer in the ninth. Albies had three hits for the Braves, who won two games in the three-game series.

Chris Sale (8-3) limited the Red Sox to two runs in five innings to earn the win. He allowed six hits, walked three and struck out eight. Danny Coulombe (0-2), responsible for three runs in the five-run sixth, took the loss.

Boston starting pitcher Payton Tolle was pulled with two outs in the fifth. He gave up two runs on five hits, walked two and struck out seven.

Boston’s Isiah Kiner-Falefa had two hits and reached base four times. The Red Sox also received two hits from Caleb Durbin.

The Braves grabbed a 2-0 lead by scoring twice in the fourth. After Matt Olson scored on a Jorge Mateo single, Dominic Smith hit an RBI single that drove in Albies to make it 2-0.

Boston responded by scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth. Durbin drove in Kiner-Falefa with a double, and then Durbin scored on Jarren Duran’s single.

The Braves regained the lead when Coulombe loaded the bases with no outs and Mike Yastrzemski drew a bases-loaded walk from Weissert to break the 2-2 tie. Acuna followed with his grand slam to left center.

Jovani Moran gave up the home run to Harris, who also homered when the Braves beat the Red Sox 7-6 on Tuesday. Albies homered against Ryan Watson.

Boston has lost five of its last six games, and is 2-8 in its last 10 home games.

–Field Level Media