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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes – 9/7/25

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Celtics PR Man Jeff Twiss (left) with the NBA’s Brian McIntyre – the only two living Bunn Award winners from the Communications, Public Relations and Media Services industry (Photo by Tom Carelli).

By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

UNCASVILLE (Connecticut) – The old Boston Garden was an interesting and historic place. Not only did it house the legendary NBA champion Boston Celtics but it also was the home of Bobby Orr and the great Boston Bruins. The building was old, the parquet beat up, the ice surface too small, the locker rooms cramped. In every corner of the arena, there were crazy characters to be uncovered and covered, tradition to be respected and there was always a surprise awaiting.

Sometimes, the surprise was a 98-degree, hazy, hot and humid summer night to play an NBA Finals game where 14,890 ticket holds and another thousand or more guests and mysterious navigators of hidden access to standing room situated throughout the building. Other nights, the Garden would fall down to a power failure during a Stanley Cup Final game.

During the change-overs from ice hockey to basketball or vice versa, innocent public relations staffers or media types risked being run down by the evil Boston Garden Bull Gang who took pride in inflicting pain, especially to the ankles or other parts of the lower body, as they rolled racks of chairs or sections of parquet floor. Every corner, every level, and pretty much every section, aisle or seat had historical significance.

Then, there were the people. From legendary coach, team general manager and Celtics patriarch – the late Red Auerbach – to the ushers and security guards to the tickets takers and the front office workers. One of those Celtics front office executives was in the building every single night. In fact, Celtics Media/PR Services guru Jeff Twiss missed only 11 games in 45 years of service to his organization.

This weekend, Twiss was honored by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame with the most prestigious honor outside of Enshrinement as a player, coach, ref or contributor. Twiss accepted the John Bunn Award on Friday night and gave a perfect and inspiring speech to the basketball community and Celtics family.

“To my Celtics family for the last 44 years, what an amazing ride,” said Twiss. “As a 25-year-old intern in May of 1981, I watched the Celtics arrive in Boston after beating the Houston Rockets for the championship, they gingerly got off the plane after celebrating their victory. I assumed this is what the NBA is all about. Part of it is celebrations but I learned the meaning of teamwork on and off the court and as Red Auerbach said and we continue to believe today, the Celtics are not just a team, we are a family.

“I’m a kid from Vermont who grew up fascinated with how the Boston Celtics played, how they were coached and how they were so successful every year,” he said. “I’m living my dream working for this great organization. I’m so very fortunate to go to work every day and enjoy what I do.

“To those who found something in me and worthy of this distinguished award, thank you,” he said. “I will continue to do my very best to continue to fulfill what this award stands for. Mystique, pride, and tradition are words that are associated with the Boston Celtics. Red Auerbach, the person who hired me, said I wanted a certain type of player and worker for the Celtics, this is a true winner.”

The Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award, named after the Hall’s first executive director, it recognizes those whose behind-the-scenes contributions had shaped basketball’s legacy.

In Twiss, the Bunn Award is perfectly illustrated. Honesty, integrity, reliability and dedication are the tent polls of every Hall of Famer. Of course, his longevity in doing an impossible job for what might be an impossible amount of time served, nights worked, road trips travelled and personnel trained and mentored.

On a personal level, your columnist started at the NBA in 1981, the same year Jeff Twiss was hired full-time at the Celtics. Our friendship began on the parquet but blossomed over the many years to the point where he and a handful of colleagues, like Celtics’ former CFO Joe Dilorenzo, marketing maven Tod Rosensweig, ticket directors extraordinaire x 2 in Stephen Riley and Duane “DJ” Johnson, and former GM Jan Volk welcomed a young league office guy into the family and adopted him when he moved to Massachusetts. I am forever grateful for the honor to simply stand next to them all, never mind call them all dear friends. In fact, it ws quite an honor to stand on the parquet, next to Jeff, when the Celtics were raising yet another banner.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES: Last week, you were promised a deeper dive into the NFL season. As this Sunday begins, there are two games in the books (Philly over Dallas, 24-20) and the (LA Chargers over KC Chiefs, 27-21). There’s a lot of football to be played until NBC Sports broadcasts the Super Bowl on February 8, 2026.

Here’s one look at how the upcoming season might go:

AFC East – Buffalo Bills

NFC East – Philadelphia Eagles

(Those are the easy picks)

AFC North – Baltimore Ravens

NFC North – Detroit Lions

AFC South – Houston Texans

NFL South – Tough to predict in September, but look for the Tampa Bay Bucs to rise

AFC West – KC Chiefs will battle the Denver Broncos and LA Chargers.

NFC West – San Francisco 49ers

AFC Champion: Buffalo Bills

NFC Champion: Philadelphia Eagles

Super Bowl Champion: Buffalo Bills

IT’s JUST A FANTASY: Once every football season, readers are bored to tears reading about my fantasy football squad. The SWFL is a difficult league to compete. It’s only eight teams, so everyone is stacked. The rules include the requirement to play two quarterbacks but roster only three. Receivers are rewarded with a 1/2 point for every reception. And, a great rule is to allow the teams to simply park their Team Defense/Special Team unit and Place Kicker on bye weeks, instead of needing to make a cut to make room for another Defense or Kicker for one week.

So, Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls, for 2025 – here’s TL’s Lovetrons who owned the second pick in the draft:

Overall Pick, Player:

2. Josh Allen (QB Buffalo)

15. De’von Achane (RB Miami)

18. Kyren Williams (RB/LAR) – Strategy was to go 2 RBs, since WR position is deeper

31. AJ Brown (WR/Philly)

34. Jackson Smith-Njigba WR/Seattle) – a No. 1 level wide-out

47. Brock Purdy (QB/SF) – Nix was taken one pick ahead… bummer

50. James Conner (RB/AZ) – best avail RB

63. Xavier Worthy WR/KC – was shocked he was still there

66. Caleb Williams (QB/Chi) – best avail… Other top QBs were off board

79. Devonte Smith (WR/Philly) – backed up AJ in case

82. Kaleb Johnson – (RB/Pitt) – RB position was thin, a nice gamble

95. Khalil Shakir – (WR/Buff) – surprised he was available

98. Jacobi Meyers – (WR/LV) – will probably sit on bench except for a bye week

111. Can Skattebo – (RB/NYG) – total wild card pick

114. Broncos D – (Was best scoring D last season) – Balt went down pick before

127. Jake Bates – (K/Det) – top rated on many draft boards; Indoor FG not terrible

130. Trey Benson – (RB/AZ- the hand-cuff to Conner, in case of injury

Earlier this week, AJ Brown (WR) of Philadelphia was limited to one catch and a 0.5 output. The next night, KC’s Xavier Worthy (WR) went down to a shoulder injury early in the game. The Lovetrons are already struggling.

The team nickname, Lovetrons, is in honor of the late Darryl Dawkins of the Sixers, one of the all-time great players and characters of the game of basketball – not American Football.

DRYDEN: Some bad news came across the sports wires over the weekend. Former NHL and Montreal Canadiens goalkeeper Ken Dryden passed away after battling cancer for quite a while. He was 78.

His NHL career was nicely honored by league Commissioner Gary B. Bettman:

From the moment Ken Dryden joined the Montreal Canadiens as a 23-year-old rookie in 1971, he made an immediate and lasting impact on the NHL, the Canadiens franchise and the goaltending position. After playing in only six regular season games during that first year, Ken proceeded to lead his team to a Stanley Cup while winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoffs’ most valuable player. It is almost incomprehensible to believe that he accomplished all of that the year prior to winning the Calder Memorial Trophy as the league’s best rookie in 1971-72.

“Ken’s early success was only a harbinger of what was to come. In eight years with the Canadiens, Ken would lead a team filled with future Hall of Famers to six Stanley Cup championships, quickly becoming a beloved figure in his adopted hometown of Montreal. He won five Vezina Trophies as the league’s top goaltender, including four consecutive awards from 1975-76 to 1978-79. Named as a member of the League’s Greatest 100, he was the NHL’s dominant goaltender during the 1970’s.

“His work in hockey extended to the Front Office of the Toronto Maple Leafs where he served as President of the organization. Ken was also a prolific author whose works chronicled the sport including the critically-acclaimed “The Game” and “Home Game: Hockey and Life in Canada.”

“Ken’s love for his country was evident both on and off the ice. He was a key member of the 1972 Canadian Summit Series team that thrilled the entire nation with an historic win over the Soviet Union. As a member of Parliament, Ken continued to serve Canada. He was named an Officer of the Order of Canada.

“On a personal note, Ken was a fellow Cornellian (Cornell University alum) whose career ranks among the greatest runs in collegiate hockey. Ken compiled a 76-4-1 record over three years and famously led the Big Red to the 1967 NCAA Championship.

“On behalf of the National Hockey League, we mourn the passing of a legendary Canadian and extend our sincere condolences to his wife Lynda, family and many friends and fans all over the hockey world.”

TIDBITS AND NUGGETS: Since Halloween candy is already avAilable in the grocery stores, it’s not too early to pass along Blue Ribbon College Basketball bible’s Top 25 for the 2025-26 collegiate basketball season. Yes, I must point out, St. John’s is ranked a rather high No. 6.

1. Florida

2. Purdue

3. Houston

4. Duke

5. Connecticut

6. St. John’s

7. Tennessee

8. Kentucky

9. Michigan

10. Louisville

11. Alabama

12. UCLA

13. Auburn

14. Texas Tech

15. Arkansas

16. BYU

17. Iowa State

18. Kansas

19. Creighton

20. Illinois

21. Wisconsin

22. Arizona

23. Gonzaga

24. Texas

25. North Carolina

SOX UPDATE: The Red Sox have 21 games and 7 series remaining in the 2025 regular season. They’ll play 12 road games (six games, 9/5-10 and six games, 9/19-25) and nine home games (six games, 9/12-18 and three games, 9/26-28). Boston will play nine very important games against AL East clubs (three vs. NY Yankees, three at TB Rays, three at Toronto), six against the Athletics (3 home, 3 away), along with the current series at Arizona. The regular season will conclude with a three game finale vs. Detroit. Boston has nine games remaining against sub-.500 clubs (ARI-3, ATH-6) and 12 against teams with a record of .500 or better (DET-3, NYY-3, TB-3, TOR-3).

THIS JEST IN: According to courtside reports from the 2025 FIBA Euro Cup by the Associated Press, Finland’s Elias Valtonen scored eight points in the final two minutes to help his Finland national team stun Serbia and (All NBA center) Nikola Jokic, 92-86, Saturday in the round of 16 at the World Championship qualifier EuroBasket tournament. Jokic finished with a game-high 33 points, but it was Finland that came up with the big shots late to spring the biggest upset of the tournament so far. Serbia scored six unanswered points to take a 77-75 lead in the fourth quarter, but Valtonen’s 3-pointer with two minutes left put the Finns up 82-78. He then added a tip-in and another trey to help Finland pull away.

By the way, the United States held on to take the Bronze (90-85 over Canada) last week at the AmericaCup tournament. Brazil defeated Argentina in the Gold Medal game.

YOU CAN’T MAKE IT UP: Go figure? USA President Donald Trump will watch the United States Open men’s tennis final from Rolex’s suite in Arthur Ashe Stadium, a person with knowledge of the details said but could not be identified as they were not authorized to divulge the President’s schedule and plans. It will mark Trump’s first appearance at the Grand Slam tournament in Flushing Meadows, Queens, NY since 2015 — before his first run for the White House. The irony will be the fact Trump will be a guest of the Swiss watchmaker just weeks after his administration imposed a 39% tariff on Swiss products.

Guardians Avoid Sox Sweep

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Gabriel Arias hit a two-run home run during a six-run second inning that propelled the visiting Cleveland Guardians to an 8-1 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Wednesday, Sept. 3.

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Arias’ home run, his 10th of the season, gave Cleveland (69-69) a 3-0 lead. The six-run second included an RBI single by Steven Kwan, who later scored on a wild pitch; an obstruction call on Boston catcher Connor Wong that forced in Brayan Rocchio; and an error on left fielder Jarren Duran that allowed Jose Ramirez to score.

The Guardians received a strong pitching performance from Joey Cantillo (4-3), who limited Boston to a run on five hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked two.

Kwan had three hits in the win. C.J. Kayfus and Bo Naylor each added two hits for Cleveland, which ended a three-game losing streak. Romy Gonzalez collected two of Boston’s seven hits.

Brennan Bernardino (4-3) took the loss. Bernardino, one of five pitchers the Red Sox used, exited the mound after recording two outs in the first inning. He gave up a run on one hit and walked one.

Jordan Hicks surrendered four of the six runs Cleveland scored in the second.

The victory prevented Boston (78-63) from completing a three-game sweep. The Red Sox won 6-4 Monday, Sept. 1, and 11-7 Tuesday, Sept. 2.

Kwan gave the Guardians a 1-0 lead when he scored on an infield groundout in the first inning.

After Cleveland extended its lead to 7-0, Boston scored in the fourth. Nick Sogard’s single drove in Rob Refsnyder to make it 7-1.

It was 8-1 after Naylor scored on a Kayfus sacrifice fly in the eighth.

Boston’s Nate Eaton started in right field in place of Roman Anthony, who was placed on the 10-day injured list Wednesday with an oblique injury. Eaton batted in the leadoff spot and went 1-for-3.

Six of Boston’s seven hits in the game were singles.

Roman Anthony Out 4-6 Weeks

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Boston rookie outfielder Roman Anthony was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left oblique strain and is expected to miss four to six weeks, Red Sox manager Alex Cora told WEEI Radio.

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Anthony grabbed his back after he struck out in the fourth inning of Boston’s 11-7 triumph over Cleveland (68-69) on Tuesday. He was replaced in right field by Nate Eaton in the top of the fifth by the Red Sox (78-62).

“He’s going on the IL. He has an oblique strain,” Cora said Wednesday. “Timetable, we don’t know… Usually takes from 4-6 weeks.”

The left-handed-hitting Anthony said he first felt discomfort during a check swing earlier in the at-bat.

“Pretty sudden,” he said after Tuesday’s game. “I’m hoping for the best and staying positive, but any time I’m not out there, I’m pretty (angry). It (stinks).”

Anthony was named the American League Rookie of the Month for August on Wednesday morning.

He has been one of Boston’s most productive offensive players since he was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on June 9. He’s batting .292 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage in 71 games with the Red Sox. He has eight home runs, 18 doubles, 32 RBIs and 48 runs.

The Red Sox already are down one outfielder; Wilyer Abreu has been on the injured list since Aug. 21, retroactive to Aug. 18, with a right calf strain.

–Field Level Media

Red Sox Out-Slug Guardians

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox broke open a tie game by scoring four runs in the bottom of the eighth inning en route to an 11-7 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Tuesday night.

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Alex Bregman’s RBI single handed the Red Sox (78-62) an 8-7 lead. Jarren Duran followed with an RBI double and then Trevor Story added a two-run double. Three of the four runs were charged to Cade Smith, who allowed four hits and didn’t retire a batter.

Cleveland’s Hunter Gaddis (1-2) pitched one inning and allowed one run before giving way to Smith.

Nathaniel Lowe (No. 18) and Ceddanne Rafaela (No. 16) homered for Boston, which has won three in a row.

Cleveland (68-69) received solo home runs from Jhonkensy Noel (No. 3) and Austin Hedges (No. 4), a two-run home run from David Fry (No. 7) and a three-run home run from Brayan Rocchio (No. 4). All four home runs were hit off Boston starter Garrett Crochet, who allowed seven runs on nine hits in six innings.

Noel’s home run opened the scoring in the second. Boston strung together six straight hits in the bottom of the inning, when it took a 4-1 lead. The inning featured an RBI single by Romy Gonzalez, a two-run single by Rafaela and an RBI single by Roman Anthony.

Three of Cleveland’s four home runs came in the top of the sixth, when the Guardians scored six runs to take a 7-5 lead. Hedges’ home run made it 5-2, Fry’s two-run shot pulled the Guardians within a run and Rocchio’s three-run home run put the Guardians in front 7-5.

Rafaela tied the game by hitting a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth.

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Anthony left the game after he struck out in the fourth inning. He grabbed his back and went straight to the clubhouse, and Nate Eaton replaced him in right field. The Red Sox said Anthony exited with left oblique tightness.

–Field Level Media

Roman Not Built in a Day

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox may be without rookie outfielder Roman Anthony tonight when they conclude a three-game series against the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

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Anthony grabbed his back after he struck out in the fourth inning of Boston’s 11-7 triumph over Cleveland (68-69) on Tuesday. He was replaced in right field by Nate Eaton in the top of the fifth by the Red Sox (78-62).

“Left oblique tightness,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “He’ll have an MRI (Wednesday), so we’ll know more during the day. Sore. He’s sore.”

Anthony said he first felt discomfort during a check-swing earlier in the at-bat.

“Pretty sudden,” he said. “I’m hoping for the best and staying positive, but any time I’m not out there, I’m pretty (angry). It (stinks).”

Anthony has been one of Boston’s most productive offensive players since he was recalled from Triple-A Worcester on June 9. He’s batting .292 with a .396 on-base percentage and a .463 slugging percentage in 71 games with the Red Sox. He has eight home runs, 18 doubles, 32 RBIs and 48 runs.

The Red Sox already are down one outfielder; Wilyer Abreu has been on the injured list since Aug. 21 with a calf strain.

Boston moved a season-high 16 games over the .500 mark on Tuesday by winning its third straight game.

Despite hitting four home runs, Cleveland lost its third consecutive game.

The Red Sox, who will seek a series sweep on Wednesday, hold the second wild-card spot in the American League, and the Guardians are four games behind the Seattle Mariners in the race for the third and final berth.

Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said his team will employ a six-man rotation for the foreseeable future in an attempt to make a late playoff push.

Cleveland will start left-hander Joey Cantillo (3-3, 3.93 ERA) in Wednesday’s series finale. He’ll be joined in the rotation by Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Slade Cecconi, Logan Allen and Parker Messick.

“We’re going to go with the six-man rotation for a little while,” Vogt said. “Just with the starting pitching, where they are innings-wise and where they are in their career. And we have 24 games in 24 days, so we thought it was a good opportunity for us to get them … they’ll all be on five days’ rest throughout this long process.”

Cecconi and Williams already have passed their respective career highs in innings pitched.

Cantillo’s only career appearance against the Red Sox came in relief on April 27. He allowed three runs (two earned) on one hit in two innings and did not factor in the decision in Cleveland’s 13-3 loss.

Left-hander Brennan Bernardino (4-2, 3.08) is scheduled to start what likely will be a bullpen game for Boston today. Bernardino, who pitched a scoreless ninth inning Tuesday, is 1-2 with a 1.54 ERA in 11 career appearances (one start) against Cleveland.

Cora said before Tuesday’s game that rookie Payton Tolle will start against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday and Dustin May will make a temporary move to the bullpen.

“(May will) start again next week,” Cora said. “So we’re just moving pieces right now.

“(Wednesday) we might have a bullpen day, and (May is) part of it. And then if he doesn’t pitch in the bullpen this week, it’s going to be 10 days in between starts. So we’re not going to do that to him.”

–Field Level Media

 

NFL: Eagles Prep for New Banner

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PHILADELPHIA – (Wire Service Report) – The Philadelphia Eagles have the Lombardi Trophy, while the Dallas Cowboys once again own the headlines — for better or worse.

The 2025 NFL season kick offs Thursday when the host Eagles raise their Super Bowl LIX banner before entertaining their NFC East foes, currently the subject of derision for trading away one of the best defenders in the game.

Eagles coach Nick Sirianni and his locker-room leaders refuse to discuss the possibility of a repeat.

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“We’re not talking anything about a title or anything. We’re talking about the Dallas Cowboys,” Sirianni said. “How do we put ourselves in the best position to win this football game … and how do you continue to get better as the year goes on? That’s your habits. That’s all we’re thinking about.”

Yet the Week 1 spotlight will shine less on the champs and more on their opponents.

Dallas owner Jerry Jones ended a contract standoff with sack master Micah Parsons by trading him to the Green Bay Packers a week before the season opener. The Cowboys acquired defensive tackle Kenny Clark and the Packers’ next two first-round draft picks, but they surrendered an All-Pro pass-rusher entering his prime.

Jones defended his decision, envisioning a world in which Parsons nets future stars for Dallas the same way the Herschel Walker trade did early in Jones’ tenure.

“Our fans, as well as my mirror, are saying, ‘Come on, let’s change something up. Let’s do something a little different here,’” Jones said.

But those draft picks won’t help this season, and fans in fact were incensed that Parsons was traded. Not even franchise quarterback Dak Prescott tried to spin the move too positively.

“I’m not going to say we’re better,” Prescott said. “We’ve got to go out there and prove it. We’d have to prove it even if (Parsons) was on this team, so I’m not going to say that by any means.”

The Cowboys’ defense already was behind the 8-ball after allowing 27.5 points per game last year, second-worst in the league (at 17.8 ppg, the Eagles were second-best). Rookie defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku will join Clark and journeymen Dante Fowler Jr. and Solomon Thomas in a remade defensive front.

Dallas traded for mercurial receiver George Pickens to line up opposite CeeDee Lamb, but the run game will be another question mark. Rico Dowdle left in free agency after a 1,000-yard season, and the Cowboys will balance vets Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders and rookie Jaydon Blue out of the backfield.

They’ll all have to come together under a new coach in Brian Schottenheimer after the team moved on from Mike McCarthy. Promoted from offensive coordinator, the career assistant gets his first crack as a head coach.

“Nothing’s changed. My goals haven’t changed. Our team goals haven’t changed,” Schottenheimer said after the Parsons trade. “I hit the players on that … after I talked about the tough couple of days for all the guys. It doesn’t change. The standard is the standard.”

The Eagles won’t look much different from the team that routed the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22 in February. Saquon Barkley will try to replicate the ninth 2,000-yard rushing season in league history, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith still lead the receiving corps and the defense remains chock-full of former Georgia Bulldogs.

Whatever his critics say, two-time Pro Bowl quarterback Jalen Hurts can call himself a Super Bowl champion as well. He threw for just 2,903 yards and 18 touchdowns in 15 starts last year, but had his fourth straight year with double-digit rushing touchdowns (14). No one will benefit more from the owners voting down attempts to ban the “tush push” play last spring.

Hurts’ relationship with Sirianni, which appeared strained 12 months ago, has grown “day by day,” per the quarterback.

“We obviously, both of us, love to work, love hard work, have a ton of grit to ourselves,” Hurts said this week. “We’re passionate about that. We express that through our work. So I think it’s been able to grow and evolve.”

The Eagles may not have three-time Pro Bowl left guard Landon Dickerson (back) for the opener as he missed practice Monday. Backup quarterback Tanner McKee (right thumb) also missed practice, while linebacker Joshua Uche (groin) and rookie safety Andrew Mukuba (hamstring) were limited.

The only Dallas player to miss practice Monday was defensive tackle Perrion Winfrey (back). Star cornerback Trevon Diggs and left tackle Tyler Guyton, both dealing with knee injuries, were full participants.

–Field Level Media

Narvaez Pinch Hit Drives Sox

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Timely hitting hasn’t been a problem for the Boston Red Sox in their past two games, and they will aim for their third straight victory on Tuesday when they battle the visiting Cleveland Guardians.

Carlos Narvaez came up with the first pinch hit of his major league career on Monday, and it was the key blow in Boston’s 6-4 victory over Cleveland.

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Narvaez came off the bench to hit for Nathaniel Lowe with the bases loaded in the fifth inning, and he delivered on an 0-2 pitch from lefty reliever Erik Sabrowski. The two-run single broke a 3-3 tie.

“I just (saw) one pitch to get comfortable and then I got two strikes already so I just got back to my approach, which is going to the opposite field,” Narvaez told WEEI. “I saw four fastballs in that at-bat, so I tried to put the ball in play. … Glad to drive in two runs there.

“That’s my bread and butter — trying to go to the other field. Sometimes I was not confident earlier in the month trying to pull the ball. … Sometimes I take my chance if it’s 2-0 or 3-1, but as soon as I get two strikes, I just get back to my approach. I know it probably could be better if I do that from the first pitch, but as of now, that’s what’s bringing me back: trying to put the ball in play to the other side.”

Prior to Monday, Narvaez was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts as a pinch hitter in his career.

“It’s not an easy thing coming in to pinch-hit,” Narvaez said. “I really admire the guys who do it like (Rob Refsnyder) early in the season, (Romy Gonzalez) early in the season with a lot of pinch hits.”

The Red Sox (77-62) also received a timely hit from Jarren Duran in the fifth inning of their 5-2 triumph over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday. Duran hit an inside-the-park home run to break a tie and give Boston a 4-1 advantage.

The highlight for Cleveland (68-68) in the Monday loss was a solo home run by first baseman Kyle Manzardo. It was his third long ball in the past four games and his 24th of the season.

Manzardo, 25, made his major league debut last season, when he hit .234 in 53 games.

“I just think he’s turning into a complete hitter,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “Early in the year he was really selling out to the damage, to the homers. He wasn’t taking as many walks or anything.

“Since early July he’s been taking good at-bats. He’s been taking his walks. He’ll take a single the other way, and if you make a mistake, he still has the power to do (hit a homer). He’s really developing into a complete hitter.”

Manzardo and the Guardians will be facing one of the best pitchers in the game Tuesday, when Boston is scheduled to start left-hander Garrett Crochet (14-5, 2.40 ERA) in the second game of the three-game series.

However, after winning nine consecutive decisions, Crochet is 1-1 with a 3.38 ERA in his past four outings. In 12 career appearances against the Guardians (one start), Crochet is 1-1 with a 1.17 ERA.

Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi (5-6, 4.41 ERA) is scheduled to start on Tuesday in his first career appearance against the Red Sox. He hasn’t won since July 18, going 0-2 with a 5.35 ERA in his past seven starts.

–Field Level Media

Duran Rattles Pirates with Inside the Park Drive

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Jarren Duran’s three-run, inside-the-park home run punctuated a four-run fifth inning, helping the Boston Red Sox salvage their weekend series with a 5-2 win over the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday afternoon.

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Duran reached base in all four of his plate appearances, going 2-for-2 with a double and two walks alongside the homer. Nathaniel Lowe also had two hits as Boston supported starter Lucas Giolito (10-2), who worked around five walks to finish six innings of three-hit, one-run ball with six strikeouts.

Aroldis Chapman struck out two in a 1-2-3 ninth to post his 27th save. It was his 15th consecutive hitless appearance to post the save.

Alexander Canario was 2-for-4 with a homer for Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller (6-13) allowed four unearned runs, but struck out seven and gave up four hits and one walk over the first five innings.

After a two-on, no-out situation went to waste in the fourth, the Red Sox trailed 1-0 and had just two hits entering the game-changing inning.

Duran’s first career inside-the-parker came on a liner to right-center-field, splitting Pirates outfielders Oneil Cruz and Canario before rolling all the way to the wall and kicking around in the triangle area. The speedy left fielder circled the bases and scored standing up.

Romy Gonzalez had led off the inning by reaching on a throwing error and advanced to third on Carlos Narvaez’s ground-rule double down the right-field line two batters later. Roman Anthony’s grounder to shortstop produced the tying run. Alex Bregman was hit by a Keller pitch to set the table for Duran’s electrifying moment.

Ceddanne Rafaela beat out a one-out infield single to score Nathaniel Lowe, adding to the Red Sox lead in the sixth.

Canario greeted Red Sox reliever Justin Slaten with a solo homer to deep left-center in the seventh, but Garrett Whitlock struck him out with the bases loaded to end the following frame.

Giolito allowed just one hit as he cruised through the first three innings. After retiring the side 1-2-3 in the first on just six pitches, he benefited from center fielder Rafaela’s sliding catch to rob Nick Gonzales of a leadoff hit in the second.

The Boston starter, however, lost the strike zone and issued three consecutive two-out walks — all after Spencer Horwitz was caught stealing third base — in the fourth. A wild pitch allowed Gonzales to score the opening run.

–Field Level Media

China’s Miranda Wang Takes FM Crown

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NORTON (Mass) – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – LPGA Tour rookie Miranda Wang of China rolled in a birdie on the 17th hole Sunday afternoon to snap a tie with World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand and seize her first LPGA Tour victory with a 20-under-par 268 at the FM Championship in Eastern Massachusetts.

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Wang, 26, carded a 2-under 70 in the final round to claim the $615,000 championship check. She trailed Thitikul by one shot when she stepped to the 17th tee, but Thitikul bogeyed the par-4 17th in the group ahead of her.

Wang proceeded to sink a sliding 5-foot birdie putt to reclaim the lead. Then the 2019 Duke graduate tapped in a 2-foot putt for par at No. 18 to become the 23rd champion in as many LPGA events this season. She was feted with a Champagne shower on the 18th green.

“It’s a dream come true,” Wang said. “Winning LPGA has been my dream since actually since Day 1 of my golf, because I started playing golf because when I was eight years old I was watching LPGA tournament on TV. I was like ‘Oh, that’s I want to do and I want to be on this tour. I want to win out there.’ So I finally did this. Very proud of myself.”

Wang had to work hard Sunday because Thitikul, who started the day four shots behind, was hot from the start. She birdied the first hole to trigger a 5-under 31 on the front nine as she drilled irons within tap-in range at Nos. 5 and 9.

Thitikul made the turn at 19 under while Wang posted three birdies and one bogey to make the turn at 20 under. Wang then strung together five pars before bogeying No. 15. Meanwhile, Thitikul birdied No. 12 to jump into the lead.

The 22-year-old Thitikul, who overtook Nelly Korda in early August for the world No. 1 spot, kept the lead until bogeying No. 17. She finished with a 67.

“Just take a really positive (lesson from today),” Thitikul said. “Especially the final round that I have, especially the front nine that I have… (My) final round wasn’t that good as the first couple round, but I just prove to myself that today I can go low on the final round as well.”

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim, played in the final pairing with Wang, fashioned a 2-under 70 to finish three shots behind Wang. Andrea Lee also posted a final-round 70 to finish fourth, four shots behind the champion.

South Korea’s Jin Hee Im started the day in a tie for 37th place, but she soared all the way to fifth Sunday on the strength of a record-tying 10-under 62. She birdied nine of the first 12 holes to climb to 14-under, but posted five straight pars before closing with her 10th birdie of the day.

“When I got the first two birdie,” Im said, “I just kidding my caddie, ‘I try just 18 more birdies.’ And I just made straight three birdies after that.”

–Field Level Media

Consistently … Inconsistent

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – A combined eight-run onslaught across the fifth and sixth innings propelled the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 10-3 win over the Boston Red Sox on Saturday.

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All nine Pirates hit safely, and three had two RBIs in support of Johan Oviedo (2-0), who allowed two runs on three hits and struck out six across five innings. Pittsburgh now has two straight wins in the series and eight in 10 games.

Jared Triolo and Spencer Horwitz (2-for-4) combined to score five runs, Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzalez each had two-RBI hits and Oniel Cruz hit his 19th home run.

Pittsburgh began breaking the game open after the team scored three runs in the fifth inning before recording an out.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a leadoff infield single, and after Boston starter Dustin May (7-11) hit a batter and walked another, Reynolds stung a two-RBI knock to right to give the Pirates a lead. Pham’s hit to left provided the inning’s third run.

The visitors sent 10 to the plate to score five runs in the sixth, including Cruz depositing the second pitch of the frame into deep center field for a solo homer.

A Joey Bart double and a walk two batters later ended May’s day. Horwitz then recorded an RBI single to center off of Brennan Bernardino to plate Bart, who kicked the ball away as he slid into home on a Ceddanne Rafaela relay to allow a second run to cross on the play.

After Bernardino walked two and struck out Andrew McCutchen, Gonzales snuck a two-out, two-run single up the middle to up Pittsburgh’s lead to 9-2.

Boston got a run back as Gonzalez hit the third of three straight singles against reliever Mike Burrows in the sixth.

A McCutcheon single and Gonzales double started Pittsburgh’s ninth, and a Jordan Hicks wild pitch brought in the 10th run.

Trevor Story and Romy Gonzalez each had two hits, and Carlos Narvaez homered for Boston.

The Pirates grabbed a quick 1-0 lead four batters into the game, loading the bases on an error, a Horwitz single and a walk against May, which led to Pham’s RBI groundout to third base.