The Boston Red Sox are absolutely on fire, rolling into their series against the Sacramento Athletics fresh off a mind-blowing 15-game winning streak. This team isn’t just winning, they’re dominating, holding onto the second of three AL Wild Card spots and pushing their FanGraphs playoff odds up to nearly 70 percent. It’s an unbelievable run that saw them go 8-2 on their recent homestand, clinching six series victories in a row, including a 2-1 series win over the Blue Jays.
Red Sox Are “Riding High” With No Signs Of Slowing Down
Seriously, the Red Sox are “riding high,” and it’s easy to see why with that kind of momentum. The Sacramento Athletics, a team Boston needed to pass just a few weeks back, are now a full 9.0 games behind in the Wild Card chase. It just shows you how quickly things can change and how much ground the Sox have made up. While the A’s have actually scored more runs than the Red Sox this season, they are still a below-average offense overall. That means the Sox’s pitching, coupled with their red-hot lineup, could really exploit those matchups. Get ready for some Late Night Baseball, because all four games against the A’s are set for 9:40 starts, though the good news is next Sunday’s game against the Dodgers swings back to a more reasonable 7:20 first pitch.
Pitching Matchups Highlight Boston’s Advantage
Kicking off the series, the Red Sox are sending Payton Tolle to the mound. Last time out, Mass Pike gave up 4 runs in 5.2 innings, but the offense had his back in a 6-5 victory. And let’s not overlook those 9 Ks and just 1 walk, that’s still serious stuff. The A’s counter with Jack Perkins, a righty with a rough 5.77 career ERA and an even tougher 6.75 season mark. Perkins started the year in the bullpen, moved to the rotation in June, and the A’s have lost all but one of his starts. His “win” against the Brewers was only 4.0 innings and 3 runs, “not exactly sharp,” so this feels like a prime opportunity for Boston’s bats to explode.
Jake Bennett is next up, looking to stretch his team’s and his own personal winning streak to seven. He was just an out away from a quality start last time, holding the O’s to three runs. He’ll face 23-year-old southpaw Gage Jump, who is 11 starts into his MLB career. The A’s have dropped his last six starts, with his ERA/FIP ballooning to 8.31/6.57 over that span, allowing 0, 5, 6, 1, 4, and 6 runs. Patrick Sandoval is also on tap, having held the Blue Jays scoreless for 4.2 innings recently, striking out 13 in 14 innings since his activation. Jacob Lopez, despite a “solid” 5.0 innings and 0 runs against the Twins last start, has really struggled, allowing runs in all but two of his 16 appearances this year. The final game features Sonny Gray on the bump. This series looks like a chance for Boston to keep piling up those crucial wins.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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