Digital Sports Desk

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TL’s Sunday Sports Notes | July 13

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – In the span of one week in this glorious summer of 2025, Boston experienced the (Savannah) Bananas playing two games at America’s Most Beloved Ballpark and the Fenway Faithful going bananas over a Boston Red Sox come from behind victory in a Major League Baseball game played Friday night at Fenway. These are their stories.

If comparing the two? The Red Sox victory over the Tampa Bay Rays wins – every day of the week.

Let us compare the two in more detail, and then I’ll turn the column over to a third party observer who did a tremendous job describing the scene – much better than I can do from a press seat in the Fenway “Bresh Box.”

We’ll use the simple “good” and “not good” method of comparative analysis.

Savannah Bananas:

Good:

  • The Build-up – On a very hot weekend afternoon (3pm start), there was a lot of excitement and revelry going on outside of the ballpark. The Bananas took over (bought out) adjacent parking lots and created mini carnivals and merch sales sites, with admission for anyone and not just ticket holders.
  • On Jersey Street – There were bands playing and players making appearances, signing autographs on jerseys and inflatable plastic bananas. It was quite festive.
  • The Fenway Concourse Scene: Fans jammed the concourse level and stood in line for Banana replica uniforms and every kind of “merch” you could imagine. It did not take a genius to realize the whole carnival was a “merch sale” play, somewhat like the sale of popcorn and circus lights at the old Ringling Bros. Circus at Madison Square Garden.
  • Atmosphere Leading Up to Game: The pregame buzz was fantastic and much of it was generated by very excited children. The Game Operations staff for the Bananas organization should get some combination of an Oscar, an Emmy, a TONY, or a Grammy. The music and activity was pre-programmed and non-stop.
  • Intros: The Banana Players were introduced with much fanfare, and they took the field, not from a dugout, but, instead, from the Green Monster. The players took the field doing flips, back-flips and other tricks, all choreographed to music which was pumping – non-stop – all night long.

Not Good:

  • Once the Game Started: Although there were 18 talented baseball players competing, and some great celebrity (honorary) first pitches (Doug Flutie, Bill “Spaceman” Lee, Brock Holt, Johnny Damon), the game itself didn’t excite anyone. No one cared who won. Bananas vs Firemen? No villain.
  • Rules: The Bananas pride themselves on a two-hour show, so they actually set a countdown clock. Nice idea. There’s the normal score of runs produced, but there’s also a side show for trick play points, like a toss of a ball between the legs before throwing a batter put at first. You can even “steal” first if the catcher bobbles a pitch or allows for a passed ball or can’t stop a wild pitch. Nice idea.
  • Music: While the musical selections were good and the Fenway Faithful can sing a tune or two, the constant barrage of music just got to be too much. The dancing and cheerleading umpires were a sight to be seen at first, but it got to be a little much by the late innings. And, how could the Bananas NOT do “Sweet Caroline?”
  • No Player Recognition: After the initial introductions, there was very limited fanfare over the Bananas’ players. If comparing the Bananas to the Harlem Globetrotters, there was no Meadowlark Lemon, and no Curly Neal. As the event moved along, there was no character development – no one player to root for in a big way. The Bananas were hawking one brand and one brand only. Money.
  • Merch Sales, Good, Beer Sales Not Good: Only the Mormon Tabernacle Choir shows might sell less beer than the Bananas. Even on a hot day, the concession lines for hot dogs and soft drinks were quite long but the beer sales were non-existent.
Midway through the Savannah Bananas Game, the beer bartenders were bored.

Boston Red Sox

Good:

  • Maxing Out Fenway Park: On the sports business and marketing side, the Boston Red Sox absolutely “max-out” tiny Fenway Park. From the “Green Monster Seats” in left field to the “Sam Adams Deck” in right field, every inch of the ballpark is packed with seats, fans, ads and revenue generating magic. Seemingly every season, the Fenway Sports Group figures out another way to make an extra buck, and that means booking acts like the Bananas and a whole schedule of Summer Concerts.
  • Atmosphere: From carnival-like activities (all game long) on Jersey Street to good food all around the stadium to the best Game Ops, pre-game ceremonies, honorary first pitches, customer services and everything outside the lines, the Red Sox team (organization) is second to none in sports. They’ve carried that torch with pride for a couple decades. The buzz and excitement on Friday night was as good as its been since the 2018 World Series.
  • The ballpark, itself, is an American treasure.
    • The crowd at a Sox game adds so much to the experience. Of course, it’s magnified when the team carries a nine-game winning streak, but Saturday’s sell out crowd of 36,453 made a 1-0 shutout and complete game by Sox SP Garrett Crochet seem like an event worthy of the Duck Boats being fired up.;
  • As wonderful as the Savannah Bananas spectacle is and can be for fans all across the USA, there’s nothing like a real Major League Baseball game that matters in the standings.

Not Good:

  • Inconsistency, trades, cold weather, errors, poor base-running can frustrate any home team fan anywhere in MLB. In Boston, the crowds take it a bit more serious than they should, but that is the price a franchise pays for playing in a city that only counts championships as a success.
  • That’s about it in this category.
  • Draw your own conclusions.

HERE NOW, THE NOTES AND A THIRD PARTY POINT OF VIEW: As promised, it’s time to turn the column over to a budding, young sports marketer. Here’s the viewpoint of James Gumina, a Yale University student who played baseball, learned Japanese and used to watch Red Sox games in the morning in Tokyo, as we experienced the game the “prior’“ evening in Boston. Gumina is co-founder of Yale’s Media Entertainment and Sports Business Association and he even has Theo Epstein on speed dial. Here’s his look-see:

By JAMES GUMINA

This weekend I watched the Savannah Bananas bring “Banana Ball” to a sold out crowd at Fenway Park. The game started at 3:30, but the show began on Jersey Street well over an hour before first pitch, with music, dancing, and a parade of players and characters. Once inside the stadium, on-field festivities began around 3, and nearly every seat was already occupied, a rarity for October Red Sox games, let alone a game in early July. Not only was it a packed house, it was chock full of yellow Bananas jerseys. The lines outside the stadium for merchandise stretched and snaked all over the concourse, and nearly every fan in the building under the age of 16 was wearing a replica jersey; the majority of which were sporting autographs from the players, a testament to the “Fans First” ethos behind the Bananas’ brand.

Once the game started a raucous crowd was treated to two hours of entertainment, including local Boston legends, like Doug Flutie and Bill Lee. “Banana Ball” is more of an event than a game, with action happening nonstop, both on the field and in the stands. From the dancing umpires and coaches, to the “Man-ana” cheerleading squad, there was not a moment of dead air from when I sat down at 3 to when it was over around 5:30. As a veteran of many Red Sox games, I cannot remember a crowd as engaged in a game since some of the playoff contests I have been to, especially given the brutal 90+ degree temperature. While it is easy to compare the product to that of Major League Baseball, “Banana Ball” is a fundamentally different experience. The Bananas make baseball the backdrop for unique, fun, and innovative ideas, and from the size of the crowd it is obviously working. I was also at the Red Sox game the following day, and it could not have been a more different experience. While the crowd was solid for a weeknight game, it still paled in comparison to the Bananas’ crowd in both size and energy. Based on my experience in the stadium I would almost describe the two as separate sports, the experience was that different. From the constant musical cues, to the dancing, to the backflips on the field, the Bananas drew your attention to a million different places at once, while MLB funnels your attention directly to the battle between the pitcher and the hitter.

If you have heard of the Bananas, and at this point most people have, chances are you first encountered them on social media. Their meteoric rise in recent years has been, in large part, due to constant viral attention on social platforms like TikTok, both from the team and from individual players (The Bananas have 2 million more followers on TikTok than MLB). This growth strategy is clearly at the forefront of the games, with camera crews all over the field. While some of the made for social media moments fell a little flat in-person, the vast majority still played well to the in-stadium experience, and clearly work very well for the social media and TV audience. These videos, and their focus on specific players like Jackson Olson, have allowed the Banana’s to not only turn the team into a must see event, they have also grown many of the players’ individual brands. For instance, Olson, the star of the Bananas, has more followers on Instagram than Red Sox star players Alex Bregman and Jarren Duran, let alone Tik Tok followers. With reach that large, it is no wonder that the Bananas are able to sell out some of the largest football stadiums in the world.

While I do not think the Savannah Bananas’ version of baseball is going to dethrone that of Major League Baseball anytime soon, the Bananas have clearly established the brand and team as more than a gimmick offshoot of baseball. With a recently added fourth team, and no signs of that growth slowing down, the Bananas are looking to form their own style of independent league, one that could attract far more attention and fans than any traditional baseball independent league ever could. Often compared to the Globetrotters, through expansion and their social media dominance, the Bananas have a road map toward much more growth than the age-old Globetrotters. It is not clear exactly where that map will take them, but it is clear that the Savannah Bananas are here to stay.

Editor’s Note: When the Savannah Banana equipment trucks were packing up at Fenway on the evening of July 6, this reporter ask one of the technicians – okay, call ‘em roadies – what his next stop would be. “St. Louis,” he said. Yes, while the franchise played easy games in Savannah and Salem, Virginia this weekend, the big show was on its way to St. Louis for a July 18-19 pair of games at Busch Stadium. On July 26-27, they travel to Philadelphia for a pair of sold out games at Citizens Bank Park, and so on. The Banana Schedule for their 2025 “World Tour” is relentless.

It must get tiresome at some point?

TIDBITS & NUGGETS: If you’ve been following along via WWYI, you surely remember this space applauding the game of – James Wood – of the Washington Nationals. Remember that you heard it first as Wood was named to the 2025 National League All-Star team this week. … Wood will also participate in the HR festivities. In addition to Wood, the full list of participants for the 2025 MLB Home Run Derby include Ronald Acuña Jr., Byron Buxton, Junior Caminero, Oneil Cruz, Cal Raleigh, Brent Rooker and Jazz Chisholm Jr. … The event will take place on July 14, 2025, at Truist Park in Atlanta, with the All-Star Game on July 15 … Look out!

PREZ VANVLEET: The National Basketball Players Association announced that Fred VanVleet was elected President of the NBPA during the annual summer meeting of the Board of Player Representatives. VanVleet’s four-year term begins immediately. “It’s truly an honor to be elected as President of the NBPA by my peers and I look forward to continuing to advocate for the best interest of all the members,” said VanVleet. “With a deep appreciation for the complexities and challenges players face on all levels of their NBA journeys, I am committed to approaching this role with the passion, dignity, and dedication every player deserves.” … VanVleet, a nine-year NBA veteran and current Houston Rockets guard, began his professional career un-drafted in 2016.

U-19 = ONE-SIDED: The USA women’s U-19 team (1-0) tipped off the 2025 FIBA U19 Women’s World Cup this weekend. The USA is looking for its 11th overall and fourth consecutive gold medal at the event, and they began in high gear and grand style with a 134-53 win against Korea (0-1) in Brno, Czechia. The 134 points set a single-game U19 record, besting the USA’s own marks of 129 set in 2005 and 2021.

RED SOX: The Boston Red Sox won their season-high ninth straight game on Saturday. It’s the club’s longest winning streak since also winning nine consecutive from April 5-14th, 2019. … The victory also placed the Sox a game and a half above the AL East fourth place Tampa Bay Rays and set a 2025 season-high mark of seven games above .500 for the first time since August 21, 2024 when they were (67-60). … Boston won 11 of their last 12 games going into Sunday’s MLB first half finale against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays. … Boston’s Saturday (1-0) win ensured the club’s fourth consecutive series win as ace starting pitcher Garrett Crochet tossed a three-hit complete game, the first CG of his career and the second CG of Boston’s ‘25 campaign (Bryan Bello there the other). … Bello faces Tampa’s Ryan Pepiot in Sunday’s series and first half/ All-Star break curtain call. … The game will be on NESN and the MLB Network.

Sinner Takes Down Alcaraz

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WIMBLEDON – (Wire Service Report) – World No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy built an early advantage and shook off some late jitters to finish a 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4 victory over No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz at Wimbledon on Sunday, giving Sinner his first win at Wimbledon and fourth Grand Slam win ever.

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Sinner shook off an opening set loss to notch the major victory at the All England Club.

Previously a two-time winner at the Australian Open (2024, 2025) and a champion at the US Open in 2024, the Wimbledon win was his first Grand Slam final victory over Alcaraz and left him just the French Open — where he finished as runner-up this year — remaining to give him the rare career Grand Slam.

“Back in the days, when I was young, this was only a dream,” Sinner said. “I’m just living a dream.”

Making his first Wimbledon championship all the sweeter, Sinner ended a five-match losing streak to Alcaraz and ended the Spaniard’s 24-match winning streak.

In his first Grand Slam victory off of hard courts, the 23-year-old Sinner actually emerged as a winner as a slight underdog, as Alcaraz, 22, came in with an 8-4 advantage in head-to-head results.

A much anticipated rematch of an epic French Open final in June in which Alcaraz won a five-set marathon that lasted five hours, 29 minutes — the longest Roland Garros final ever — Sinner wrapped this one up in a tidy three hours, six minutes.

“It’s so special,” Sinner said. “I had a very tough loss in Paris. At the end of the day, it really doesn’t matter how you win.”

Sinner led 4-2 in the fourth set with a 2-1 set advantage and dropped a game before falling behind 40-15 in the eighth, but the Italian rallied to win that game and wrestle back control of the set at 5-3. From there, he put the finishing touches on with a commanding finishing game.

“Every moment can change the match, so I’m very happy I held my nerves.”

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Utilizing a strong serve and playing aggressively near the net for much of the match, Sinner had 30 net points and 81 service points in earning 40 winners.

Alcaraz had 15 aces but was hurt by seven double faults.

“It’s always difficult to lose, even when it’s in the final,” Alcaraz said, pointing to a great off-court relationship with Sinner with an equally good on-court rivalry that has pushed him to get better. “Thank you very much, and congratulations.”

After dispatching Taylor Fritz in four sets on Friday, Alcaraz eventually became the betting favorite to take home his third consecutive Wimbledon title. Sinner swept through 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic to set up the rematch final.

–Field Level Media

Chelsea Wins Club World Cup

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EAST RUTHERFORD – (Wire Service Report) – Chelsea were clear underdogs before the FIFA Club World Cup final. Cole Palmer didn’t seem to mind, and the pressure of a global stage didn’t slow him down.

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Palmer rang up two goals and one assist in a sensational first half and Chelsea toppled Paris Saint-Germain 3-0 to win the Club World Cup on Sunday.

The 23-year-old winger scored in the 22nd and 30th minutes and Joao Pedro tacked on the third goal right before halftime, capitalizing on Palmer’s fine touch into the box. Robert Sanchez, meanwhile, saved six shots in his best showing of the tournament.

“Obviously, everyone doubted us before the game,” Palmer said. “We knew that, but to go out there and put a fight out like we did, obviously against a great team, yeah, it was good.”

Chelsea, who won the 2021 Club World Cup that featured only eight teams, battled past Portugal’s Benfica and Brazilian sides Palmeiras and Fluminense in the knockouts to face Paris Saint-Germain — six weeks removed from their first UEFA Champions League trophy.

The European champions had allowed just one goal in their first six matches of the Cup. But on Sunday, PSG’s Gianluigi Donnarumma saved just two of five shots on goal.

The frustrated Parisians went down to 10 men in the 85th minute when Joao Neves pulled Chelsea defender Marc Cucurella by the hair, was caught on video review and shown red.

Altercations spilled past the final whistle, and PSG coach Luis Enrique appeared to grab at Pedro’s neck while he and Donnarumma confronted Chelsea players.

“This was completely avoidable at the end,” Enrique said in translated remarks. “My goal was always to separate footballers, there was a lot of tension and pressure, there was a whole bunch of pushing that we should all try to avoid. My intention is to avoid it getting worse.”

The final capped the end of a month-long tournament with 32 teams representing six continents, a test run for the United States before it co-hosts next year’s World Cup with Canada and Mexico.

President Donald Trump attended the final as a guest of FIFA president Gianni Infantino. Trump presented Chelsea the trophy and, quite noticeably, over-stayed his welcome on stage after the trophy was presented and made the club’s celebration quite awkward.

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In his first year as manager, Enzo Maresca guided the Blues to a 2025-26 Champions League berth and won two trophies, the Club World Cup following their victory in the UEFA Conference League.

“I’m especially happy for the players, because just one year ago when I came to the club, I said since the first press conference … We said many times that talent is not enough,” Maresca said. “We need sacrifice, we need readiness, we need a game plan with all the players (facing) the same way. The success is because of them.”

Cucurella made a crucial stop to keep the game scoreless in the 16th minute. Fabian Ruiz made a great pass across the box to Desire Doue, who could have shot it but instead tried a centering pass to a teammate that Cucurella intercepted.

Ace Crochet

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BOSTON – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Sox starting pitcher Garrett Crochet tossed a complete-game shutout and the Boston Red Sox extended their winning streak to nine games with a 1-0 victory over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday.

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Crochet (10-4) held Tampa Bay to three hits, struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter.

It’s the first time Crochet has pitched a complete game in his MLB career. Prior to Saturday he hadn’t pitched more than 8 1/3 innings in a game.

Tampa Bay’s only hits were singles by Yandy Diaz, Curtis Mead and Taylor Walls.

Crochet, who signed a six-year, $170 million contract extension earlier this year, has recorded at least seven strikeouts in each of his last nine outings. He threw 100 pitches, 72 of which were strikes.

His complete game came at a welcome time since Boston starting pitcher Hunter Dobbins left Friday night’s game in the second inning because of an ACL tear.

Tampa Bay received a strong start from Shane Baz, who held Boston to a run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. Baz (8-5) struck out three and walked two. It was his fourth straight quality start.

The Rays have lost five of their last six games.

Boston scored the game’s only run in the bottom of the fourth inning. Roman Anthony hit a one-out double and scored on a Carlos Narvaez single.

Tampa Bay had a chance to tie the game when it had runners on first and third with one out in the sixth, but Boston first baseman Abraham Toro threw out Walls at the plate when Ha-Seong Kim attempted a safety squeeze. The Rays challenged, but the call was upheld.

The Red Sox prevailed even though they were held to five hits and were 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.

The teams will wrap up the four-game series Sunday in the final game before the All-Star break.

–Field Level Media

There’s Magic in the Air at Fenway

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By TERRY LYONS, Editor of Digital Sports Desk

BOSTON – For the very first time in the 2025 Major League Baseball season, there was a big game atmosphere as 35,452 fans entered Fenway Park on Friday night. Nearly all of them stayed in their seats when the hometown Red Sox came to bat in the bottom of the 9th inning, trailing the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-3.

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Much of the buzz in the American League’s oldest ballpark stemmed from the Red Sox entering the game with a seven game winning streak. Since June 4th, Boston’s recorded the third-best record in the Majors.

Friday night, their lineup seemed whole as 3B Alex Bregman was reactivated after a 43-game absence caused by a severe right quad strain, dating back to May 24th. Since that time, there’s been massive changes to the Sox – the trade of their best hitter, Raphael Devers, and the promotion of three promising rookies – 2B Marcelo Mayer, OF Roman Anthony and INF Kristian Campbell, the latter relegated back to Triple A Worcester when RF Wilyer Abreu was reactivated from the 10-day injured list on June 20th.

Changes. Uncertainty. Errors. Poor base-running. A six game winning streak from June 10-to-16 followed by a six game losing streak from June 21-to-27. It all resulted in a rut called fourth place in the American League East with June 6th being the low point of being 10.5 games out of first place.

Tonight was different. There was magic in the air at Fenway and the Red Sox finished the night a half-game ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays, and in possession of third place in the AL East and keeping pace with the second place New York Yankees who spanked the Chicago Cubs, 11-0, just as the Sox came to bat in the home ninth.

One of the rookies, Mayer, led-off but grounded out. That left Sox Manager Alex Cora an easy decision to pinch hit his other top prospect, Anthony, for first baseman Abraham Toro. The slugger stayed patient at the plate, as Tampa Bay closer Pete Fairbanks brought his 99 mph heat. Four of Fairbanks’ pitches missed the strike zone and Anthony walked to first base.

One out, man on first, trailing 4-3 – and up came the Sox number nine hitter, Ceddanne Rafaela.

The defensive wiz centerfielder came into the game with a seven game hitting streak and he had extended it to eight with an RBI single in the second inning. His hot streak included a .444 batting average, eight runs scored, six doubles, 10 RBI and three home runs.

Fairbanks fired three four-seam fastballs to take a 1-2 count to his advantage. On the fourth pitch, an 86 mph slider, Rafaela took it long – some 406 feet to put an exclamation point on the advertisements atop the famed Green Monster. Sox win, 5-4.

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It was Rafaela’s second career game-winning home run, the last coming as the tides were running high on June 4 out in Anaheim, California when Boston won an 11-9 slugfest. Tonight was different.

Rafaela (2-for-4, one run, one HR and three RBI) has been scoring runs and driving runners in, as well., to the tune of the last seven games to make him only the third Boston Red Sox player at the age of 24 or younger to accomplish that feat. To put it in perspective, Ted Williams (8 game streak in 1942) was another, along with little known Duffy Lewis, back in 1912.

Records and milestones aside, Rafaela – like the rest of his Boston Red Sox teammates – are walking a walk, tossing bats aside and skipping past third base with a resolve to meet-up with an entire roster of confident players.

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It’s now led Boston to an eight game winning streak and the climb past Tampa to third place. The confidence prompted utility man Romy Gonzalez to print up some t-shirts for his teammates with an art deco, pink and Carolina blue script, reading “Tremendously Locked In.”

With Rafaela’s game winning home run in the books, it might be time to print some more t-shirts to be sure the locksmiths are all ready for the final two games of this important July series.

 

Eight Straight? Or Not?

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are feeling good.

After sweeping back-to-back cellar dwellers in the Washington Nationals and Colorado Rockies, the Red Sox extended their winning streak to a season-best seven games by rallying past the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. They will look for a second straight win as they continue the four-game AL East series tonight.

“That’s the type of team we are; we never lose hope, and we always battle,” Red Sox center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela said. “It was a battle (on Thursday) — and we won the battle.”

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Rafaela had two of just four Boston hits in the series opener, including the deciding two-run single during a three-run seventh inning.

The Red Sox had not named a starting pitcher for Friday’s game, but the assignment of reliever Isaiah Campbell to Worcester cleared a spot for Hunter Dobbins (4-1, 4.10 ERA), who is now expected to come off the injured list (right elbow strain) and make the start.

“We’re deeper than other years,” Boston manager Alex Cora said before Thursday’s game. “You feel like in that spot, if something happens, somebody will be here and do the job.”

Dobbins and fellow youngster Richard Fitts — who earned his first career win Monday before returning to Worcester — have both been strong when called upon.

Dobbins’ last start was on June 20, when he allowed four earned runs in a four-inning no-decision at the San Francisco Giants. Friday will mark his first career start against Tampa Bay.

Also due to return is third baseman Alex Bregman, who is expected to forgo a rehab assignment in the minors to play Friday or Saturday. He had a right quad strain.

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“He’ll play two of the games (prior to the All-Star break), let’s put it that way,” Cora said.

The Rays will look to turn things around following their fifth loss out of seven on their 10-game trip. It was their 16th loss in a one-run game this season and came despite a quality start from Taj Bradley.

Manager Kevin Cash entered the series with hope after the Rays acquired reliever Bryan Baker from the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday.

Baker is expected to offer major help in a bullpen that had a 7.20 ERA over the past two weeks. Unable to build on Junior Caminero and Ha-Seong Kim homers, Baker took the loss following Boston’s big inning.

“Something that we probably needed. He’s going to add to it,” Cash said. “He’s pitched really well for the Orioles this year, and he’s gotten outs against us. It’ll be nice to be able to hand him the ball and get some outs for us now.”

Cash will now give the ball to right-hander Drew Rasmussen (7-5, 2.82), who is set to tag-team with Joe Boyle for a third straight appearance. He is still seeing limited action following his third major elbow surgery.

Rasmussen last pitched two innings of one-run ball Sunday in a win over the Minnesota Twins. He threw 24 of his 32 pitches for strikes.

“I think it does two things,” Rasmussen said. “It lets us get the Joe Boyle experience, which is electric. And then also allows me to just stay on routine as well as limit some of the innings for this year.”

The 29-year-old is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA in four career starts against the Red Sox, but Friday will mark his first since 2022.

–Field Level Media

PGA Tour: Gotterup Ties Course Record

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NORTH BERWICK (Scotland) – Chris Gotterup tied the course record with a 9-under-par 61 to take a two-shot lead at the midway point of the Genesis Scottish Open on Friday in Scotland.

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The round included a 6-under 29 on the front nine of The Renaissance Club to move Gotterup to 11-under 129 for the tournament.

England’s Harry Hall was alone in second place at 9 under following a 6-under 64 in the second round.

Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg (65) was in a group of three tied for third place at 8 under, along with England’s Matt Fitzpatrick (63) and Marco Penge (67).

Gotterup, 25, is looking for his second career PGA victory. He won at Myrtle Beach last year.

Gotterup carded nine birdies in the bogey-free round, six coming during his dynamic front nine.

“I definitely played good today,” Gotterup said. “Not a lot of wind in the morning which was obviously beneficial. But yeah, it’s funny, when it flips you get some holes that you like and some holes that you don’t like and vice versa.

“I think there’s definitely certain holes that feel nice. Nice three pars to finish. You just take what you can get, what the course gives you with the wind.”

Gotterup is trying to play his way into next week’s Open Championship at Royal Portrush. He currently has a flight to California scheduled for Monday.

Gotterup missed the cut in eight of his first 12 events this season but has rallied by making eight of the past nine cuts. He had four straight top-20 finishes in one stretch.

Hall, 27, had seven birdies and one bogey during his strong round. He followed that lone bogey with a stretch of four birdies in a row at Nos. 3-6.

“This wind position allows you to hold the green on a couple par-5s, and yeah, it made 5s drivable,” Hall said. “Definitely an easier wind.”

Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy improved three shots in the second round to a 65 and is in a group of seven tied for sixth place at 7 under overall. McIlroy was the biggest mover in the group, jumping 27 spots.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” McIlroy said. “I did a lot of good things today. Still a couple of loose shots here and there but overall I thought it was a good day and obviously excited for the weekend right in the thick of things, in contention going into the last two days, and you know that’s where — if there is anything you need to work on in your game, that’s where it’s going to show when you’re under that sort of pressure trying to win a golf tournament.”

First-round leaders Sepp Straka of Austria and American Jake Knapp also were at 7 under after each shot a 1-under 69. Another first-round leader, Victor Perez of France, was at 6 under following an even-par 70, while Nico Echavarria of Colombia plummeted from a tie at the top to a tie for 27th at 4 under following a 72.

U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun failed to make the cut after a 72 that put him at 2 over par through two rounds. Scotland’s Calum Hill was just one shot off the lead after the opening round but failed to make the cut after shooting a 7-over 77 on Friday.

Collin Morikawa (4 over) also missed the cut.

–Field Level Media

Streaking Red Sox Face Tampa Test

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox will try to stretch their winning streak to seven games Thursday night when they open a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston completed a three-game sweep of the Colorado Rockies with a 10-2 victory Wednesday. Masataka Yoshida collected three hits in the win after being activated from the 60-day injury list.

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“Glad to have Masa back,” Boston manager Alex Cora said of Yoshida, who had been out with a shoulder injury. “That’s a big bat for us. You saw the difference today, how long the lineup was. We have to figure it out, who’s going to play and all that stuff, but I think it’s the deepest lineup we’ve had in a while here.”

Boston collected 15 hits in the victory, including four home runs. The Red Sox have had at least 11 hits in each of their last seven games. Wednesday’s home runs came from Carlos Narvaez, Wilyer Abreu, Romy Gonzalez and Jarren Duran.

Boston scored 29 runs in the three-game sweep of the Rockies. The Red Sox are 9-2 since a six-game losing streak that included three losses against the Los Angeles Angels.

“We’ve been playing well,” Cora said. “The tough one was Anaheim (the Angels). Besides that, I think we’ve played competitive baseball. We’re in a good spot.”

Right-hander Walker Buehler (6-6, 6.25 ERA) is Boston’s probable starting pitcher for Thursday’s series opener. He is 2-0 with a 3.75 ERA in two career starts against Tampa Bay.

Tampa Bay is coming off Wednesday’s 7-3 triumph over Detroit. It was only the Rays’ fourth win in their past 12 games and came after back-to-back losses against the Tigers.

“A sweep going into a really tough series in Boston would not have been fun,” said starting pitcher Zack Littell, who gave up three runs over 5 2/3 innings Wednesday before four relievers held Detroit scoreless the rest of the way. “The bullpen … it hasn’t gone our way here lately, so for them to come in there, do it against one of the best lineups in the league and make pitches when we needed to make them and get us a win going into Boston is huge.”

Yoshi Back in Sox Lineup

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BOSTON – (Wire Service Report) – Masataka Yoshida is expected to be in the lineup when the Boston Red Sox try to complete a three-game sweep of the visiting Colorado Rockies on Wednesday.

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Before Boston’s 10-2 triumph over Colorado on Tuesday, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Yoshida will be reinstated from the 60-day injured list and in the lineup as the team’s designated hitter tonight.

Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder are expected to platoon in Boston’s designated hitter spot, with Yoshida starting against right-handed pitchers.

“Mostly DH, but it’s not like last year where he’s not going to play the outfield,” Cora said. “He’s healthy, he is throwing the ball well and we’ll use him for whatever we need that day.”

Yoshida, 31, has not played for Boston this season. He had offseason shoulder surgery and completed a five-game minor league rehab assignment Monday. He played the first two games with Triple-A Worcester and the next three games with Double-A Portland.

Yoshida’s return creates a logjam in an outfield that includes Jarren Duran, Ceddane Rafaela, Roman Anthony, Rob Refsnyder and Wilyer Abreu.

“I know (Cora) has a plan, and I trust him full tilt,” Duran said. “So whatever he needs me to do, I’m going to do. … He’s a good manager and he’s been doing it, and I trust him for whatever we need to do for the team.”

Boston will be looking to extend its winning streak to six games Wednesday. The Red Sox won Monday’s game against Colorado 9-3.

Colorado’s Kyle Freeland pitched five scoreless innings Tuesday before surrendering three runs in the sixth. The loss dropped his record to 1-10.

“I thought it was one of his better outings of the year,” Colorado manager Warren Schaeffer said. “All of his breaking stuff was working. He was putting the ball where he wanted to. He deserved to get through that sixth inning, I thought. There were two outs and he threw a good pitch to (Trevor Story), but he hit a jam shot out there.”

Boston right-hander Lucas Giolito (5-1, 3.66 ERA) is scheduled to start on the mound for Boston on Wednesday. Giolito is 0-1 with a 6.30 ERA in two career appearances against the Rockies, both starts. He has allowed 12 hits, including three home runs, in 10 innings against Colorado.

Giolito has pitched at least six innings in each of his last five starts. He’s 4-0 with a 0.83 ERA during that five-game stretch.

Boston also has a rested bullpen since Brayan Bello pitched a complete game Tuesday.

“He was on point,” Cora said. “Some swing and misses, was on top of hitters, got ahead, stayed ahead, buried them. He was really good.”

Righty Antonio Senzatela (3-12, 6.57 ERA) is listed as Colorado’s probable starter. It will be Senzatela’s first career appearance against the Red Sox.

Senzatela will be facing a Boston team that has scored 86 runs in its last 10 games. Tuesday’s victory was the 15th time the Red Sox have scored at least 10 runs in a game this season, the most of any team in the American League.

–Field Level Media

Red Hot Sox Beat Rox

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BOSTON – The Boston Red Sox are facing a light portion of their schedule and taking advantage of it.

Alex Cora’s club has scored 76 runs and hit 16 home runs in the past nine games and will try for a fifth win in a row when a three-game series against the visiting Colorado Rockies continues tonight.

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Boston’s recent offensive exploits include a three-hit game for rookie Roman Anthony, who kicked off the team’s three-homer night in the fifth inning. Ceddanne Rafaela and Romy Gonzalez both went deep in the eighth.

“It’s fun to win,” Anthony said.

And Anthony has been fun to watch, hitting .386 with six RBIs in his last 10 games. Six of his last nine have been multi-hit affairs.

“He’s a good player, a good hitter. That’s why he’s playing every day,” Cora said. “We’re going to push him out there, play the outfield … play the top of the lineup.”

The manager’s lineup soon will include reinforcements as the return of both Masataka Yoshida and All-Star Alex Bregman from the injured list is nearing.

Yoshida has been recovering from shoulder surgery all season and could be activated on Wednesday, while Bregman is potentially just days behind as he feels that he is “trending towards a return here really quickly.”

Boston righty Brayan Bello (4-3, 3.42 ERA) is coming off a unique relief appearance in the Wednesday restart of a suspended game against the Cincinnati Reds. Bello threw five innings of one-hit ball with three strikeouts en route to a 5-3 Red Sox win.

Excluding his last outing, which came after Richard Fitts threw the first three innings the previous night, Bello has thrown five consecutive quality starts but lost back-to-back.

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The 26-year-old will be making his first career start against Colorado.

The Rockies have now lost three of four. For the season, their 70 losses in their first 91 games are the second-most all-time.

Colorado gives the ball to left-hander Kyle Freeland (1-9, 5.49 ERA), who will be making his third start since returning from the 15-day injured list on June 27. He follows Austin Gomber, who allowed four earned runs in 4 2/3 innings Monday.

“Overall, I thought he pitched well and gave us a chance to win,” Colorado manager Warren Schaefer said. “He was one or two pitches away from getting out of that (big three-run second) inning. Obviously it didn’t work out tonight, but it could have.”

Freeland last pitched on Thursday against the Houston Astros, allowing three runs — including two in the first inning — on six hits in six innings. It was his eighth quality start of the season, despite a meager win-loss record to show for it.

“When you start a game with weak hits, frustration starts to build immediately,” Freeland said. “He struck out two and walked two. “It’s all about how quickly you can wash it, forget about it, and get back to work. I was able to do that, as best I could.”

Freeland has made just one career appearance against Boston, throwing six innings in a May 14, 2019 start. He gave up three solo home runs and received a no-decision.

Ryan McMahon and Tyler Freeman both went 2-for-4 on Monday. Freeman has a 21-game on-base streak, the longest in the majors at present.