ST. PETERSBURGH – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Starting pitcher Nick Martinez passed the baton to Drew Rasmussen. Now, it’s up to Freddy Peralta to finish the job and take the Tampa Bay Rays to the World Series.

The Rays return home to St. Petersburg, Fla., on Monday to host Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, holding a 3-2 lead over the Cleveland Guardians after two straight victories on the road.

Trade-deadline acquisition Peralta (1-0, 0.79 ERA), a right-hander, has an opportunity to win the best-of-seven set and send Tampa Bay into a matchup with the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in the Fall Classic.

“It’s funny because our first goal when we got to Cleveland was just to get back to The Trop,” Rays closer Bryan Baker said, referring to their ballpark. “Then, to be able to go back in this position is exactly what we wanted to do.

“It’s what we worked for. It was a huge couple of games here to get to this spot, and I’m super proud of the guys to come this far.”

The Guardians boarded their flight to Florida with more questions than answers, shell-shocked after their momentum disappeared with a rainout Friday. Cleveland managed just two runs in 12 1/3 combined innings against Martinez and Rasmussen.

Peralta, who came over from the New York Mets, will make his second start and third appearance in the ALCS. He won Game 2 and pitched in relief in Game 4, tossing 6 2/3 total scoreless innings with six strikeouts and a .167 opponent batting average.

“Kudos to Freddy, he’s been awesome to have around as a human being,” Rasmussen said. “It’s not necessarily the most comfortable thing to get traded and being told we’re going to make some mechanical adjustments. But I think he’s gotten back to being an athlete and not quite so robotic.”

In ALCS history, the team that takes a 3-2 lead has advanced to the World Series 69.6% of the time (16 of 23).

The post Peralta Can Finish the Job appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

ST. PETE – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Richie Palacios produced a two-out, walk-off single in the ninth inning as the Tampa Bay Rays edged the Boston Red Sox 2-1 on Saturday afternoon in Florida to even their final home series of the regular season.

Against Garrett Whitlock (7-2), Palacios looped a 1-2 sinker into shallow right to score Junior Caminero as the Rays (94-60) hit their third walk-off winner during the nine-game homestand.

Jonathan Aranda homered while Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson posted two hits apiece as Tampa Bay improved to 7-1 on the homestand.

Bidding for a fifth consecutive win over five starts, Freddy Peralta received no decision after yielding just one run on four hits over 5 2/3 innings that took 97 pitches. He struck out six and walked two.

Caleb Durbin stroked two doubles and scored for the Red Sox (84-71), who lost for the first time in three games.

The post Rays Walk On, Walk Off appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

ST. PETERSBURG – (Wire Service Report) – Roman Anthony homered and had three RBIs, Jahmai Jones went deep and the Boston Red Sox cooled off the first-place Tampa Bay Rays with a 4-2 victory on Friday night in Florida.

The Red Sox (84-70) opened their final road series of the regular season by scoring all of their runs in the first three innings to win for the second consecutive night. Anthony went 2-for-5, while Caleb Durbin was 2-for-3 as the team produced nine hits. Sox starting pitcher Ranger Suarez (8-4) fought control issues but went 5 2/3 innings in earning the win. He allowed one run on three hits while striking out five and walking five.

Junior Caminero doubled, walked twice and drove in a run for Tampa Bay (93-60), but the American League’s top club had only five hits, was a brutal 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position and had its six-game winning streak snapped.

Starter Ian Seymour (9-7) was hit hard in the first two innings and finished by allowing four runs on seven hits in five frames. He whiffed five and walked two.

On the third pitch of the game, leadoff hitter Anthony crushed a Statcast-estimated 438-foot blast to center field. It was the left fielder’s fifth homer.

The post Anthony Does His Job appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings of one-run ball and Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run, leading the Red Sox to a 6-1 win and a four-game series sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday afternoon.

The Red Sox, who are now on a 13-game win streak, broke open the game with a three-run third inning before Contreras ripped his second homer in three games to round out the scoring in the fifth.

Ceddanne Rafaela went 2-for-4 and scored a run for the Red Sox.

Gray (12-1) scattered one run on five hits — including a solo, inside-the-park home run by Victor Mesa Jr. — en route to his ninth straight quality start. The veteran right-hander has now allowed one run or fewer in five consecutive outings.

Gray threw just 49 of his 91 pitches for strikes, but the Rays went 0-for-15 with runners in scoring position on the day. Chandler Simpson (2-for-4) was the lone Tampa Bay batter with multiple hits.

The post A Baker’s Dozen appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – The Boston Red Sox are in unfamiliar territory, and they’ll hope to remain there Sunday when they wrap up a four-game series against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston’s 7-6 victory over Tampa Bay on Saturday extended the team’s winning streak to 12 games and moved Boston’s record to 49-48. It’s the first time the Red Sox have been over the .500 mark this season since they beat Cincinnati on opening day.

Boston pitching held opponents to 17 runs during the first 11 games of the team’s winning streak, but it was power at the plate that produced Saturday’s win. Wilyer Abreu homered twice, including a two-run shot off Garrett Cleavinger that gave Boston a 7-6 lead in the seventh inning. Tampa Bay led 6-3 entering the bottom of the seventh.

“Never a doubt,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said with a laugh after the game. “Electric. It was awesome. Once again, we didn’t get a ton of hits early, but the ones we got mattered. The at-bats late, Wilyer obviously, just (an) electric win.”

The winning streak has moved Boston from the bottom of the American League East standings into third place. The Red Sox trail the division-leading Rays by seven games.

“They feel good about themselves and another game that shows, at the moment, they don’t feel like they’re out of it,” Tracy said. “If you keep it close, they feel like they’re gonna make a run at it, so it was awesome, awesome to watch that.”

Abreu, who hit a solo home run to give the Red Sox a 3-2 lead, has 15 home runs this season, including four in his last two games.

“When (Abreu is) not hot, he still takes quality at-bats,” Tracy said. “When he hits a homer or two, you feel like they come in bunches, and they certainly are right now and they’ve been in big spots.”

The Rays enter Sunday’s matchup looking to end a four-game losing streak.

“(The Red Sox are) having a bunch of good at-bats right now,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “We fell behind Abreu right there (in the seventh), who’s as hot as anybody maybe in the game. I think we threw him three fastballs in a row and on the third one he capitalized.”

The Rays outhit the Red Sox 10-6 in the loss, but five of Boston’s six hits went for extra bases. In addition to Abreu’s two home runs, Jahmai Jones hit a two-run homer for the Red Sox. It was his second game with Boston since he was acquired from Detroit.

Tampa Bay received solo home runs from Victor Mesa Jr., and Jonny DeLuca.

“We did some good things offensively,” Cash said. “That was encouraging. Hopefully, we can build off that.”

Sunday’s pitching matchup will feature Tampa Bay left-hander Shane McClanahan (8-5, 2.83 ERA) and Boston righty Sonny Gray (11-1, 2.54).

McClanahan has a 5-1 record and a 2.23 ERA in seven career starts against the Red Sox. Gray is 6-6 with a 4.14 ERA in 17 career appearances (15 starts) against Tampa Bay.

–Field Level Media

The post Sizzlin’ Sox Find a Way appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Boston’s Wilyer Abreu hit home runs in back-to-back at-bats as the Red Sox won their 11th straight game and swept a day-night doubleheader, defeating the visiting first place Tampa Bay Rays 5-3 on Friday night.

Abreu cranked a two-run homer — the first of back-to-back shots with Willson Contreras — in the first inning before leading off the third with a go-ahead solo blast.

The victory came in a bullpen game for Boston, with six relievers combining to 6 2/3 scoreless innings with four hits behind Eduardo Rivera, who allowed three runs over the first 2 1/3 innings.

Greg Weissert (2-2) earned the win, while Aroldis Chapman pitched a clean ninth for his 20th save. Boston relievers faced the minimum over the final three innings.

Junior Caminero, who hit a solo home run in the third, and Jonny DeLuca both had multi-hit games for Tampa Bay.

The Rays scored a pair of two-out runs to jump out to a first-inning lead, forcing Rivera to throw 36 total pitches after the first two batters were retired on five. A Caminero single and two walks in succession loaded the bases for DeLuca to knock a two-run single past diving Boston shortstop Tsung-Che Cheng.

However, the visitors’ lead did not last long. After Ceddanne Rafaela hit a one-out double down the left field line, Abreu cleared the right-center-field bullpen for a game-tying two-run homer, and Contreras flipped the scoreboard with a solo shot over the Green Monster in the next at-bat.

The long ball trend continued for both teams in the third. Caminero knotted the score again with a one-out solo shot just inside the left field foul pole, but Abreu deposited the second pitch of the bottom half of the frame to deep right-center to put Boston back in front 4-3.

Tampa Bay starter Mason Englert (0-3) retired the next three batters after Caleb Durbin was caught stealing and then got two outs in the fourth, but the Red Sox expanded their lead as Cheng walked and scored from first on Anthony Seigler’s two-out double off the base of the wall in the right field corner.

Boston’s bullpen did the rest. After Weissert recorded the final two outs of the third, Jovani Moran had the longest outing of the bunch, throwing back-to-back 1-2-3 innings.

The Rays’ stable of relievers was also strong. Craig Kimbrel, Cole Sulser and Cam Booser did not allow a hit over three innings behind Englert, who was tagged for eight hits and five runs across the first five frames.

–Field Level Media

The post Yo Eleven appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

FENWAY – (Wire Service Report) – Jake Bennett threw six scoreless innings before a six-run sixth inning allowed the Boston Red Sox to blow open a 10-0 win over the visiting Tampa Bay Rays in the first game of a day-night doubleheader on Friday afternoon.

Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez each homered as part of three-hit days for the Red Sox, who banged out 15 hits en route to their 10th consecutive victory dating back to July 3.

Yoshida (3-for-5) added a double and finished a triple shy of a cycle, while Narvaez and Caleb Durbin were both 3-for-4.

Bennett (5-3) allowed just one hit and one walk while striking out three. He has won four straight outings.

Alec Gamboa went the rest of the way, allowing just two hits over the final three innings for a save.

The Red Sox quickly bounced back from going down 1-2-3 to start the game against Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax (5-7), as back-to-back hits by Durbin and Yoshida led to second-inning runs. Jarren Duran drove in the opening run on a sacrifice fly before Narvaez dropped an RBI single into center for a 2-0 lead.

Meanwhile, Bennett threw 3 1/3 no-hit innings before Junior Caminero’s one-out single in the fourth. Jonathan Aranda was Tampa Bay’s lone baserunner before that knock, drawing a one-out walk as the second batter of the game.

In the fourth, Yoshida tucked a leadoff solo homer around Pesky’s Pole in right field to extend the Boston advantage to 3-0.

The first six Red Sox batters reached base and five scored in the sixth. Durbin was hit by a pitch, Yoshida singled to center and Romy Gonzalez walked to load the bases, and then Duran continued the merry-go-round by chopping a two-run single through the right side.

After Chris Roycroft relieved Jax, Narvaez and Tsung-Che Cheng laid down back-to-back bunt singles that produced runs. Catcher Nick Fortes’ throwing error on Narvaez’s chopper plated another.

Roycroft did induce a double play ball, but two more runs came home with two outs, as Ceddanne Rafaela battled through a nine-pitch at-bat for an RBI double off the Green Monster and Durbin knocked another RBI single to right after Wilyer Abreu was intentionally walked.

In the eighth, Gamboa — who was recalled as Boston’s 26th man for the twin bill — worked around a Taylor Walls one-out double as only the second Tampa Bay hit before Narvaez socked a solo homer over everything in left field to move the Boston lead to double digits.

The Red Sox took their last at-bats with position player Ben Williamson pitching for the Rays.

–Field Level Media

The post Ten in a Row, Here They Go appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

FENWAY – (Wire Service Preview) – The Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays certainly hope their players had a restful MLB All-Star break.

It will be a busy return to play for the American League East rivals on Friday as they begin a four-game, three-day series with a day-night doubleheader in Boston. The Red Sox return to play with a nine-game winning streak that has brought them only a half-game outside the playoff picture.

Since a July 1 loss to the Washington Nationals, the Red Sox rolled to three straight road sweeps against the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox and New York Mets before the break. Incredibly, interim manager Chad Tracy’s club allowed more than two runs in only one of those nine games, including a pair of shutouts.

“When you’re winning, everything is good,” All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman said.

The Red Sox got timely hitting in Sunday’s final game in New York, winning when trailing after eight innings for the first time this season. Boston scored twice in the ninth to tie the game at 2-2 and Anthony Seigler delivered the game-winning RBI in the 10th inning.

Brayan Bello, who was recalled from Triple-A Worcester to join the bullpen, threw 4 1/3 crucial innings while piggybacking starter Payton Tolle to set the stage for the late-game combination of Chapman and Garrett Whitlock.

It was a good stretch, but important games are ahead. It all starts with the division-leading Rays, who have won four straight and five of the first six head-to-head meetings between the teams this season.

Heading into the break, Tracy’s message was simple.

“Let’s make sure we’re ready to go coming out of the break,” he said. “Do what needs to be done over the break to physically and mentally not let it slip too far from your mind. Make sure we’re ready.”

Tampa Bay went 13-5 in an 18-game span before the All-Star break, splitting a four-game set against the New York Yankees before taking two of three from the Seattle Mariners. Despite the latter series ending with an 8-2 loss, the Rays still boast the best record in the AL by three games.

Manager Kevin Cash had a scare during Tuesday’s All-Star Game. All-Star third baseman Junior Caminero was hit on the finger by a 97-mph pitch in the third inning, but appears to have avoided a major injury as the unofficial second half of the season begins.

“In the moment, I was just scared, right?” Caminero said through an interpreter. “Kind of in that situation, right there in the moment, you’re thinking the worst, and I honestly thought something might have been broken. But look, thank you to God that everything’s fine, and now it’s just a little bit sore, but we’re all good.”

Rumors have swirled that the Rays plan to be aggressive at the trade deadline in a few weeks, with Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal being among the targets.

“Know that (Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neander) will do everything he can to improve our club, like he always does,” Cash said. “Definitely appreciative of the guys that are here right now and feel like we’ve got a very strong group with us right now.”

The Rays have righty Griffin Jax (5-6, 3.47 ERA) taking the ball against Red Sox southpaw Jake Bennett (4-3, 2.64) in Friday’s opening game. Neither team has announced a pitcher for the nightcap.

Jax has won four of his last five starts, with the lone loss coming in a July 6 outing against the Yankees in which he struck out 10 over five innings. He pitched five innings of one-run ball to beat the Mariners in his last start on Saturday.

Jax will look to turn around his career fortunes against the Red Sox, having posted a 0-1 record and 6.75 ERA in 15 career appearances. Only two of them have been starts, including a four-inning no-decision (two earned runs on four hits) on May 7 this season at Fenway Park.

The 25-year-old Bennett has won three straight starts, working at least seven innings in back-to-back victories over the Angels and White Sox. He held the Chicago to four hits over seven scoreless frames on July 8.

Bennett has lost two starts against the Rays this season, however, going 0-2 with a 6.97 ERA in 10 1/3 innings.

–Field Level Media

The post Red Sox vs Rays: Put Up, or Shut Up appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

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

BOSTON – Usually, the Major League Baseball All-Star break is greeted by both fans and players with glee. MLB’s 162 game season is a long haul, so it’s usually a welcome time to get some rest, take a quick trip, relax and take a much deserved break, unless you’re one of the chosen few who gets to party with the All-Stars.

The 2025 MLB All-Star break is coming at a terrible time for the Boston Red Sox, but a really high time for the team as a whole (or on a roll). The team has compiled a 10-game winning streak, and won 12 of their last 13 games. They’re eight games over .500 mark, a 2025 season high. Boston has just swept three consecutive series and has now won as many games in this first half of 2025 (53-45) as they did in the first half of 2024 (53-43), a major feat considering the team was (30-35) and 10.5 games out in the American League East on June 6.

July has been a magical time for Boston, so this is the worst possible time for a break. But, the schedule is the schedule and its time to see if the newly found momentum can be sustained.

The team is relatively healthy, although 3B All-Star and new team leader Alex Bregman could use a few more days of rehab on his injured quad. Only Sox pitchers like Hunter Dobbins (out for season), Liam Hendriks, Zack Kelly, Tanner Houck, and, of course, first baseman Tristan Casas (out for the year) are on the mend.

Starting pitcher Bryan Bello brought the juice again Sunday. In earning his sixth win of the season (6-3), Bello threw 6.1 innings of one run ball, he gave up only six scattered hit and struck out five Tampa batters. After throwing a complete game victory against the Colorado Rockies on July 8 (107 pitches), Bello followed with a 105-pitch gem, only to give way to All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman who made quick work of the Rays by striking out the side in the visitor’s ninth inning and earned his 17th save.

Boston centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela was the hometown hero in Boston’s 4-1 win on Sunday. His sixth inning two-run home run sealed the 10th straight victory for the Red Sox. It was Rafaela’s fifth home run in the 10-game streak. He’s carrying a career high 10-game hitting streak while batting .421 (16-for-38) with 10 runs scored, six doubles, and 15 RBI.

Since trading their franchise third baseman, Rafael Devers, on June 15 and enduring a six-game losing streak from June 21-to-27, Boston has won 12 of their last 13 games. That includes an 11-1 mark in this magical month of July. It’s only the third time in franchise history (1968 and 1939) that they’ve started July winning 11 of 12.

Shortstop Trevor Story has been another major contributor to the surging Sox. In 38 games since June 1, Story is hitting .319 (46-for-144) with 27 runs scored, ten doubles, eight home runs, and 35 RBI. The 35 RBI ranks a T-3rd in all of MLB since June 1.

Rookie OF Roman Anthony became the youngest Red Sox player to record a nine-game hitting streak since the great Tony Conigliaro did so in 1964-and 1965. Anthony is only 21 years, 61 days old as MLB takes its break.

Tampa limps into the break, seriously needing a break. The rays have lost four in a row (by way of the Red Sox sweep), but Tampa’s dropped eight of 10 and 12 of their last 16 games, dropping the Bay to (50-47), teeting ever closer to the .500 mark they saw back on May 25th (26-26).

Tampa was swept in a series for the fourth time this season, but the first time being swept in a four-game series, dating back to July 7-10, 2024 by Baltimore.

The post Gimme a Break, a Good Break appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.

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.

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

The post Ace Crochet appeared first on Digital Sports Desk.