The Boston Red Sox just hit .500, a truly wild 48-48, for the first time since way back on March 28th, which was only the second game of their entire season. They pulled off this massive comeback by sweeping a doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays, dominating both games 10-0 and 5-3, on a Friday afternoon and evening at Fenway Park. This team has ripped off an incredible eleven wins in a row, and let me tell you, the whole conversation around them has completely changed.
Jake Bennett Shut Down the Rays in Game 1
Dude, Jake Bennett’s Game 1 performance? Straight up *nasty*. He went six innings and gave up just one hit. ONE. Against a Rays lineup that boasts Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz, that’s just absurd. He walked one, fanned three, hit a batter, but otherwise just quietly dismantled them. Sixty-five pitches, no drama, all the results. The offense did plenty behind him, sure, but Bennett’s afternoon set the tone for everything that followed.
The sixth inning was where the offense went absolutely wild. The Red Sox were already up 3-0, with Yoshida having taken Griffin Jax deep in the fourth. Then, the wheels *really* came off for the Rays. Jarren Duran smacked a bases-loaded single that brought home two runs and sent Jax to the showers. But they weren’t done! With runners on the corners, Carlos Narváez laid down a sacrifice bunt. Catcher Nick Fortes made a bad throw to first, turning a routine out into another run. Then Tsung-Che Cheng dropped a bunt so perfectly up the third base line that nobody even wanted to touch it! Tampa Bay jawed about it being foul, but nope, it was just perfect small ball. Two bunts, two huge problems for Tampa’s defense, and six runs before the inning was even over. Chris Roycroft came in and just made the mess worse. Duran ended up driving in three total runs on the day, and Caleb Durbin went 3-for-4 with two runs scored. It was an all-team effort, no joke. Narváez even sealed it in the seventh with a 412-foot, 106.9 exit velocity solo shot off Roycroft. Soo wee, what a blast! Luis Gamboa handled the final three innings as an extra arm for the doubleheader, meaning Tracey could burn him freely.
Game 2 Saw Bombs and a Bullpen Hold
Game 2 kept the energy rolling with a 5-3 win. Wilyer Abreu smashed two homers, which is huge because right-handed pitching has been a problem for them all year. And get this: Willson Contreras went yabo, hitting a homer in his very first game back from suspension! Talk about making an entrance. The bullpen was clutch too, holding onto a two-run lead for five solid frames. And then Aroldis Chapman closed it down, perfect in the ninth for his 20th save of the season.
Sixty-six games still on the calendar, and honestly, who knows what’s next? But after ripping off eleven straight wins, the whole vibe around this team? Totally different. They’ve flipped the script big time, and the league is definitely watching what’s happening in Boston right now.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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