By TERRY LYONS, Editor-in-Chief
BOSTON – Amtrak’s Lake Shore Limited service from Cleveland’s Lakefront Station to Boston’s South Station is coming down the line. And, today’s 5-3 Red Sox loss to the Travelin’ A’s put the club’s neck on the tracks as Cleveland won its seventh straight game and is now only 1.5 games away from the American League’s third Wild Card slot, a berth Boston seemed sure of holding just weeks ago.
Boston starter Brayan Bello coughed up four straight hits to start the afternoon game at Fenway Park, two being home runs (Laurence Butler) and (Nick Kurtz) to put the Sox down three before their own train left the station.
Boston has now dropped three of their last four series, dating back to September 5. The Red Sox are 5-8 in their last 13 games, 5-10 in their last 15 games at Fenway. While Boston’s 83-70 record through 153 games in their best since 2021 (92-70), the grasp on the final AL Wild Card spot and a berth in postseason is now facing an uphill battle.
Boston now heads to the road for three-game sets at AL East rival Tampa and three games at AL East-leading Toronto before coming back to Fenway for the final home series of the 2025 season, three games against AL Central leading Detroit (September 26-28).
Bello only pitched four innings, tying his shortest outing of the season (May 23 vs Baltimore). He had allowed only three earned runs or fewer in 25 of his 28 games this season, but fell apart in possibly his most important start of the campaign. In the four IP, he allowed five hits, four runs, three earned runs, with two walks and three strike-outs. Bello is (11-8) on the season.
A’s starter J.T. Ginn had the tonic working over six innings pitched, allowing five hits, two earned runs with one walk and three strike-outs. David Hamilton’s second inning homer was the blemish and it made the score A’s 3-Boston 2, after two innings, but the club, formerly of Oakland (and Kansas City, way back when) scratched out two more runs (5-2, in middle of the seventh inning) while Boston’s offense was derailing.
Only Trevor Story’s eighth inning home run added a tally and closed out the scoring, (5-3).
After a terrible start to the season when they lost 20-of-21 from May 14 to June 4, the A’s are now an AL-best (30-19) since July 24.
A’s DH Brent Rooker hit his 30th home run of the season and is only the seventh player in franchise history to record three consecutive 30-HR seasons. Story’s homer was his 25th of the season and he joined Jacoby Ellsbury as the only two Red Sox players with 25+ HRs, 30+ Stolen bases and 90+ runs batted in.
A’s reliever Hogan Harris notched his fourth save of the year.
Boston will throw ace Garrett Crochet in the first game of the series vs. Tampa tomorrow night at 7:35 (NESN).