Red Sox salvage series finale against Phillies in 11-inning, seven-homer contest
So in a post-All-Star break test against a pair of NL division-leading clubs, they managed a 2-4 mark, bad but not quite miserable.
The Dodgers await at Fenway Park beginning Friday. The Sox have six games and a week to go until the July 31 trade deadline.
'We have a good baseball team that obviously needs to get improved,' manager Alex Cora said before the game. 'But it starts here, with the guys that we have.'
Get Starting Point
A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday.
Enter Email
Sign Up
Jorge Alcala gave up a run in the bottom of the 11th. But Brennan Bernardino, highly likely the last reliever available in the Red Sox bullpen, picked up the final out for the first save of his career.
Advertisement
This was the first time in eight chances this season that the Red Sox won an extra-innings game on the road.
The first in a series of late dramatics actually came from Cora, who called on closer Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning — the earliest Chapman has appeared in a game this season — for a four-out hold attempt.
He retired Kyle Schwarber to end the seventh, stranding the would-be tying run at second base, and got two quick outs in the eighth
Advertisement
But J.T. Realmuto took Chapman's slowest fastball of the day — a 96.7-mile-per-hour sinker, over the heart of the plate — and planted it over the center-field wall for a tying home run. It was just the third long ball allowed by Chapman this season, the first since May 7.
For Chapman, it was the first time in more than a year that he recorded more than three outs.
The teams traded runs in the 10th, with Trevor Story contributing an RBI single and Schwarber following suit.
The Red Sox' hitters came out quiet against Jesús Luzardo, who early on was about as good as Cristopher Sánchez on Tuesday and better than Zack Wheeler on Monday. He didn't allow a base runner until the fourth, when Rob Refsnyder walked.
Then the implosion came. At the start of the fifth inning, the Red Sox had zero hits and were getting blown out. By the end, they held a lead.
It started with Masataka Yoshida's leadoff double. The Sox were on the brink of wasting a two-on, no-out situation when Luzardo completely and suddenly lost the strike zone. A key assist for the Red Sox: Catcher J.T. Realmuto lost Refsnyder's two-out, bases-loaded pop-up, running to the backstop netting as the ball landed behind him, closer to the plate.
Luzardo responded by walking Refsnyder to force in a run, walking Jarren Duran to force in another run, and leaving a changeup over the plate to Romy Gonzalez. Gonzalez hammered it to left-center field for his first career grand slam.
Gonzalez had been mired in an 0-for-20 skid (with eight strikeouts) prior to the big swing.
Advertisement
That bailed out Lucas Giolito, who suffered through four innings and allowed five runs, all on home runs. The Phillies' four long balls against him were the most allowed by a Sox pitcher this year and matched the most given up by Giolito in a single game in his career.
He put the Sox in an immediate hole, allowing 848 feet of homers on consecutive pitches to Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper. Harper's, which landed in the second deck in right field, was the 350th of his career.
The second inning was smoother for Giolito, but when Refsnyder, in left field, caught a fly ball for the third out, he didn't know the inning was over. He chucked the ball toward the plate, to nobody, as the other players headed for the dugout.
Nick Castellanos added a solo shot in the third, and Bryson Stott — on the day his wife Dru gave birth to their son — did so in the fourth.
It was the second start in a row in which Giolito regressed from his June-into-July dominance. Leading into the All-Star break, he allowed three earned runs in five games. In his past two outings, he has given up nine.
Managing with a sudden lead, Cora pulled Giolito in favor of five innings from the bullpen. Justin Wilson handled the first six outs, his longest outing since 2015.
Marcelo Mayer exited prior to the bottom of the fifth because of right wrist discomfort, the Red Sox announced. Abraham Toro replaced him at third base.
Tim Healey can be reached at
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
24 minutes ago
- USA Today
Today in Boston Celtics history: Rasheed Wallace signs; Togo Palazzi born
Today in Boston Celtics history, big alum Rasheed Wallace signed with Boston on a multi-year deal injuries would not let him honor. Wallace, a Philadelphia native, played his NCAA ball at UNC. From there, he was picked up by the (then) Washington Bullets (now, Wizards) with the fourth pick of the 1995 NBA Draft. Wallace made All-Rookie with the Bullets, and then play for the Portland Trail Blazers, Atlanta Hawks, and Detroit Pistons (winning a title there in 2004) before signing with the Celtics, making All-Star teams in four of those seasons. 'Sheed (as he was often called as a nickname) played a single season for the Celtics, his numbers impacted by a number of minor injuries throughout the campaign. This led to Wallace retiring at the end of the season (he would try a brief comeback with the New York Knicks a few seasons later, which went similarly). Wallace would average 9 points, 4.1 rebounds, and an assist per game as a Celtic. Finally, it is also the date that wing Togo Palazzi was born in Union City, New Jersey in 1932. An alum of Holy Cross picked up by the Celtics in the 1954 NBA Draft, Palazzi played parts of three seasons with Boston before his rights were sold to the (then) Syracuse Nationals (today's Philadelphia 76ers) in 1956. He averaged 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game while with the Celtics.
Boston Globe
an hour ago
- Boston Globe
Here's how Roman Anthony, even at just 21 years old, has changed the Red Sox since arriving in the big leagues
The Red Sox had staggered through the early part of the schedule when they decided to call up Anthony on June 9. They owned a 32-35 record, placing them fourth in the AL East. They are 32-17 since, best in the American League. Advertisement That's not solely because of Anthony, of course. There have been numerous, massive changes that have reshaped the roster since then. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Still, there's no question Anthony changed the dynamic of the club. Through 47 games entering Friday night's series opener in San Diego, he's hit .276/.392/.417, exhibiting remarkable plate discipline and patience that teammates suggest has had a ripple effect throughout the lineup. He is just the fifth player in the 21st century who, at 21 or younger, posted an OBP of .390 or better through his first 47 career games, joining Fernando Tatís Jr., Juan Soto, Jason Heyward, and Albert Pujols. Related : Anthony also has impressed with his base running and outfield play, grading as an above-average defender in the corners. Overall, he's produced 1.5 WAR in the calculations of FanGraphs. Yet even that marker of production is inadequate to capture who Anthony is and what he's done. Advertisement 'I think [what Anthony has done] is special. I think it's remarkable,' said Breslow. 'And I'm not sure that there's a metric that we should look at uniquely and believe that it perfectly captures the impact that he's had. We can look at his contribution, whether that's WAR or any of those. We could look at our team record. 'But I think that we've talked a lot over the last couple of months about this athletic, dynamic team that we're looking to build, and Roman suits that perfectly.' This isn't the first time the Sox have seen a team elevate its play once Anthony joined it. Raves started pouring in about Anthony as an 18-year-old making his pro debut in the Florida Complex League in 2022, shortly after he'd been drafted in the second round and signed to a $2.5 million bonus. Roman Anthony makes a sliding catch to secure an out against the Rays in his first Major League series. Barry Chin/Globe Staff Even in the FCL, the words 'mature' and 'maturity' were used so often that it was easy to forget Anthony was the youngest player on the team. His reputation only grew across levels, as players and coaches got to appreciate his talent and what mattered to him. Last year, when he was promoted to Triple A Worcester along with Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer, the team had a 53-60 record. Down the stretch, as Anthony solidified his case as the top prospect in baseball, the WooSox were 26-11. 'When we had him last year in Worcester, what he did to our team as far as wins and losses from the moment that he came up, we're seeing a copy-paste exactly of what happened when he came up to Worcester,' said Red Sox first base coach José Flores, who was the WooSox' bench coach last year. 'So I'm not surprised at all.'' Advertisement Flores, who was a minor league coordinator with the Cubs from 2013-17, suggested Anthony's impact upon arrival in the big leagues reminded him of Kyle Schwarber's with the Cubs in 2015, when a young team working to establish itself suddenly hit another gear. Anthony is a rookie but is respected as a sage by older teammates. 'You see the quality of at-bats this guy's taking on a daily basis, that's contagious,' said Flores. 'Trevor Story, a guy who's been in the big leagues a long time, seeing this kid, how comfortable he looks in the batter's box, they had conversations, and Trevor may have picked up something that he hadn't been thinking about through the course of the struggles he was having early. Now, all of a sudden, you're seeing a lot more success than struggle.' Related : Anthony's comportment on the field and among his teammates has been jarringly impressive. He's gifted but looks to coaches and teammates for insight on ways he can improve. He does not seek attention but is comfortable with it, and has shown a remarkable ability to handle the media and frame all comments through the prism of team success. He constantly seeks the feedback of veterans, yet already has earned their respect to the point that more experienced teammates turn to him for advice on the field. Advertisement 'I'm not sure I've ever been around a guy who has the type of impact that he has at that age,' said third base coach Kyle Hudson, who recalled his astonishment when Anthony introduced himself in spring training by asking for help to improve his sliding. 'That's the reason why we are where we are right now, and why he is where he is, just because his approach to everybody, and his approach to the game is about winning. That's what it's all about for him. There's not a selfish bone in his body . . . People are drawn to him. People want to talk to him. People want to pick his brain.' After wins, the Red Sox recognize a player of the game, who briefly addresses his teammates. Pitcher Garrett Crochet said he was 'caught off guard' by how mature, poised, and well-spoken Anthony was the first time he received the recognition. 'He's one of the more mature 21-year-olds I think that has ever come through major league baseball,' said Crochet. 'You mix his work ethic with his discipline, and that's kind of what you see on the field. It's been a pro at-bat since Day One. He never seems overwhelmed or overmatched. For me, it's really just the maturity that's the biggest thing.' Teammate Alex Bregman suggested Anthony's at-bats reminded him of Yordan Alvarez when the Astros slugger arrived in the big leagues and instantly became one of the league's best hitters as a 22-year-old in 2019. Pitcher Walker Buehler compared Anthony's presence to that of former Dodgers teammates Cody Bellinger and Corey Seager, both of whom won Rookie of the Year honors and eventually emerged as the MVP (Bellinger) or runner-up (Seager). Advertisement Yet there's also the dimension of how Anthony carries himself ― how he manages to display a 'Jeter gene' in how he fields every question, whether reframing all personal successes by discussing the team or taking the time to appreciate teammates, as when he opened his discussion of a recent back injury by praising Wilyer Abreu's fill-in. 'He wants to win,' said manager Alex Cora. 'He's shown it in the interviews [and] the way he goes about his business.' Indeed, the decision by Anthony to sign underscored and amplified that commitment. 'The main goal is just show up every day and be the best version of myself and get better each and every day and try to help this team win,' Anthony said. 'And obviously, now that this [deal] is done, it's even more [of] a reason to just go out and be the best version of myself and win baseball games.' A fan holds up a custom Roman Anthony sign after the outfielder signed his eight-year contract extension. Danielle Parhizkaran/Globe Staff Alex Speier can be reached at
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Cardinals begin 3-game series with the Cubs
Chicago Cubs (66-48, second in the NL Central) vs. St. Louis Cardinals (58-58, fourth in the NL Central) St. Louis; Friday, 8:15 p.m. EDT PITCHING PROBABLES: Cubs: Matthew Boyd (11-4, 2.34 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 118 strikeouts); Cardinals: Michael McGreevy (3-2, 5.08 ERA, 1.23 WHIP, 23 strikeouts) BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Cubs -154, Cardinals +128; over/under is 8 1/2 runs BOTTOM LINE: The St. Louis Cardinals host the Chicago Cubs on Friday to begin a three-game series. St. Louis is 32-24 at home and 58-58 overall. The Cardinals have the 10th-ranked team ERA in the NL at 4.22. Chicago is 66-48 overall and 30-26 on the road. The Cubs have a 28-10 record in games when they did not give up a home run. The teams square off Friday for the eighth time this season. The Cubs are up 4-3 in the season series. TOP PERFORMERS: Alec Burleson has 19 doubles, 14 home runs and 50 RBIs while hitting .279 for the Cardinals. Masyn Winn is 11 for 37 with three doubles and a home run over the past 10 games. Kyle Tucker has 21 doubles, four triples and 18 home runs for the Cubs. Nico Hoerner is 13 for 37 with a double and a home run over the past 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Cardinals: 4-6, .223 batting average, 4.76 ERA, outscored by 15 runs Cubs: 5-5, .227 batting average, 3.89 ERA, even run differential INJURIES: Cardinals: Nolan Arenado: 10-Day IL (shoulder), John King: 15-Day IL (oblique), Zack Thompson: 60-Day IL (lat) Cubs: Mike Soroka: day-to-day (shoulder), Miguel Amaya: 60-Day IL (oblique), Jameson Taillon: 15-Day IL (calf), Eli Morgan: 60-Day IL (elbow), Javier Assad: 60-Day IL (oblique), Justin Steele: 60-Day IL (elbow) ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.
