The Boston Red Sox didn’t exactly get a quiet night after dropping three of four to the New York Yankees. Instead, they answered with the kind of comeback that keeps a team’s pulse high in September.
Boston fell behind 1-0 in the first inning, then kept chasing the Seattle Mariners all night before finally pulling out a 9-8 win in 10 innings on Monday. The Red Sox were down 7-5 in the sixth, 8-5 in the seventh, and 8-7 in the ninth, but they kept coming back anyway.
It was only one game, and it came against a Mariners club that is 64-74 and has been one of the biggest letdowns in MLB this season. Still, it fit the larger theme for Boston: this team doesn’t fold. That has been the defining trait of the Red Sox all year, and it’s the sort of edge that matters when October arrives.
Boston’s season looked bleak not that long ago. On June 24, the Red Sox sat at 32-46 and had the worst record in the American League after losing a series to the Colorado Rockies, who now have the worst record in all of MLB. At that point, the offense had been a mess, even though the pitching was elite, and injuries had piled up around key players like Roman Anthony and Garrett Crochet.
Since then, the turnaround has been dramatic. The Red Sox have gone 43-17, their offense has come alive, and the pitching has stayed strong. That surge has pushed them firmly into the playoff race as the final month of the regular season begins.
They enter September 5.5 games ahead of the Cleveland Guardians for the second AL Wild Card spot and three games behind the Yankees for the top Wild Card position.
That’s why this group suddenly looks dangerous in a weak American League. The talent is there.
The pitching is there. And the fight is there, too.
The roster itself tells that story. Caleb Durbin got off to a slow start and had fans ready to send him away.
Tyron Guerrero had been out of MLB since 2019. Anthony missed most of the season because of injury.
Mickey Gasper, after a few months in the minors, suddenly looks like Barry Bonds.
There’s plenty to like about Boston now, even if that wasn’t true a few months ago. The Red Sox will try to finish the regular season strong and chase what would be their first World Series appearance in eight years. Whether they get there or not is still up in the air, but after the way they’ve handled adversity, there’s reason for confidence.
In Other News...
Red Sox Turn To Intriguing Young Arm As Roster Crunch Hits Boston
A roster squeeze brought a fresh look to Bostons pitching plans, with the Red Sox selecting the contract of right-hander Jedixson Paez from Triple-A Worcester and lining him up to make his major league debut as a starter. The move came as part of a broader shuffle, as the club created room on the 40-man roster by designating infielder Brett Harris for assignment.
The Red Sox also reinstated utilityman Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the 60-day injured list, while left-hander Eduardo Rivera was placed on the 60-day injured list after being recalled. For Paez, the promotion puts an intriguing young arm in the spotlight at a moment when Boston is balancing health, depth and immediate innings all at once. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Take An Unexpected Mound Gamble In Playoff Push
The Red Sox leaned into a little roster juggling before opening against the Mariners, and the most eye-catching move was the decision to bring up right-hander Jedixson Paez for a first major league start. Boston also reinstated Isiah Kiner-Falefa from the 60-day injured list, designated Brett Harris for assignment and recalled Eduardo Rivera before moving him to the 60-day injured list, a flurry of moves that gave the club a fresh look as it kept navigating a crowded stretch of the schedule.
For Paez, the assignment adds another layer of intrigue because it comes after he was returned to the organization earlier in the season. Boston does not often hand a start like this to a pitcher in that spot, which is why this one stands out in the middle of a playoff push. The Red Sox are clearly searching for the right combination of health, flexibility and upside, and Paez will now get a chance to show he can fit into that mix when the games matter most. [Read more 🡒]
Mickey Gaspers Wild Surge Just Gave Red Sox A Real Decision
Mickey Gaspers late-summer run has turned a spot call-up into something much more interesting for Boston. Recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 16 after Masataka Yoshida went down, Gasper wasted little time making noise, putting together an August surge that included six home runs in 42 plate appearances and his first one in a Red Sox uniform.
He was briefly sent back to Triple-A, only to find his way back soon after because of another injury elsewhere on the roster. For a club trying to sort out its lineup and keep its depth intact, Gaspers production has made this more than a temporary fill-in situation, and it leaves Boston with a real choice about how much leash his bat has earned. [Read more 🡒]