The Boston Red Sox just wrapped their series finale against the Tampa Bay Rays, a quick two-hour, twenty-minute affair where it felt like everyone’s attention was glued to the New England Patriots game. Patrick Sandoval started off giving up four runs before he even got a single out. Talk about a brutal opener!
Offense Went Crickets
For most of the day, the Red Sox offense was absolutely nowhere to be found. They loaded the bases in the fifth inning, a rare glimmer of hope, but Roman Anthony struck out to end it with no runs scored. The bats only showed a pulse *after* the Patriots game ended. Trevor Story hit a solo home run, cutting the Rays’ lead to four. Caleb Durbin singled, forcing the Rays to bring in Kevin Kelly to finish the game. Beyond the disastrous first inning, the only other runs scored came from home runs. Seriously, if you didn’t watch, you didn’t miss much. The offense managed just one run all afternoon. They’ve gotta swing the bats if they want to go anywhere in the postseason.
Sandoval’s Tightrope and Atlanta’s Help
Let’s be real about Patrick Sandoval. He had a brutal first inning, allowing four runs right off the bat, essentially losing the game early. He did settle in to pitch seven innings, but Sandoval isn’t very good. He has one good pitch, and it only works if he can throw strikes with his other pitches, which he often can’t. It’s a tightrope act every time, navigating traffic in seemingly every inning. Today, he just fell off. Here’s the kicker, though: this game probably doesn’t even matter in the grand scheme. The Red Sox came into today needing just one win from their final seven games to clinch a postseason spot if Houston wins out. So, while their own team was struggling, the real action for Red Sox fans was elsewhere. Mike Yastrzemski just hit a three-run homer for the Braves, giving them a 4-1 lead over the Astros in the sixth inning!
Yeah, you heard that right: “Go Braves.” Seriously. If Atlanta can hold on against the Astros, the Red Sox are going to the postseason. The focus now is lining up the pitching staff, resting the bullpen, and getting healthy for the postseason. They’ll need to wait another hour or so to find out if they’ve clinched the division. What a wild way to potentially clinch that spot, waiting on another team entirely!
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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