The Red Sox’s 15-game surge came to a halt in the kind of opening inning that leaves no room to breathe. Baltimore jumped on Boston for four runs on three hits, with a walk and a wild pitch helping the damage along, and the early deficit proved too much to erase.
After that rough first frame, the move was quick and unsurprising: Boston optioned Eduardo Rivera to Triple-A. Rivera had started the game, but he was gone after 0.2 innings, and Brayan Bello came in to record the final out without trouble.
The outing added another tough line to Rivera’s big league ledger. In the majors this season, he has given up seven runs on eight hits while striking out 10 and walking six across 10 innings.
The contrast with his work in the minors has been stark. Between the Sea Dogs and WooSox, Rivera has posted a 2.44 ERA, a 1.15 WHIP, 62 strikeouts and 24 walks over 48 innings.
Boston’s decision wasn’t only about that start against Baltimore. The Red Sox are also expecting Ranger Suarez back from the injured list in the coming days.
The club had planned to activate Suarez to start against the Orioles on July 21 before that game was washed out, and he then did not start either game of the doubleheader on July 22 because of an illness. Boston could still activate him to start against the Toronto Blue Jays on July 24, or it could simply wait until his next scheduled turn in the rotation.
Rivera’s removal came after a night that drew an ugly reaction from some fans at Fenway Park and online, with boos and hurtful comments following the start. He’s only 23 and in his MLB debut year, and he was thrust into a rotation already battered by injuries. He also wasn’t supposed to be the one taking the ball against the Orioles in the first place, since the Red Sox expected Suarez to be available.
The frustration around the streak ending is real, but Boston was never going to keep winning forever. Rivera just ended up wearing the weight of the moment.
Even with the demotion, he may not be gone for long. With Jake Bennett and Payton Tolle now established as key rotation pieces, Boston’s minor league pitching depth is thinner, which could put Rivera back in the mix if injuries hit later in the season.
In Other News...
Former Red Sox Catcher Suddenly Lands In A Spot Boston Fans Will Notice
Matt Thaiss is back on the move after his brief stop with Boston ended last week, when the Red Sox released him from a non-roster deal. The veteran catcher, who has spent parts of seven major league seasons and has done most of his work with the Angels, quickly found another organization looking for experienced depth behind the plate.
For Red Sox fans, the name will ring a bell because Thaiss had been in the system not long ago, and his latest landing spot is the sort of transaction that often gets noticed only in passing until injuries or inconsistency force a club to lean on it. Houston is adding him to its Triple-A mix for catching depth, which keeps him on the radar as a familiar face from Bostons recent spring and minor league shuffle. [Read more 🡒]
Kristian Campbell Is Suddenly Forcing A Tough Red Sox Decision
Kristian Campbells season has been uneven enough that Triple-A Worcester started to feel like a reset point, but the recent stretch has changed the conversation. After Boston committed to him with an eight-year, $60 million deal at the start of the 2025 season, Campbell has begun showing the kind of offensive progress the Red Sox were hoping would show up more consistently, hitting .273 with an .805 OPS in the second half and climbing above .300 in July with a 1.006 OPS.
The better contact has come with more impact, too, as Campbell has recently turned in multiple home runs and even a 2-for-3 game with a homer during this surge. For a player the Red Sox still view as part of their long-term picture, that kind of production creates a familiar roster dilemma: keep letting him build momentum in Worcester, or keep the door open for another look in Boston while the bat is finally starting to look like it belongs. [Read more 🡒]
Red Sox Fans Turned Fenway Into Absolute Chaos Against Toronto
Fenway Park got a little louder and a lot more unhinged during Bostons game against the Toronto Blue Jays, as Red Sox fans joined the tarps off movement and turned the stands into a moving sea of bare chests and waving shirts. The scene stretched across the ballpark, giving the kind of edge-to-edge energy that usually belongs to October, not a regular night when the crowd is simply looking for a way to push its team forward.
The stunt has become a recognizable bit of baseball fan culture after starting in college football and catching on in MLB through St. Louis Cardinals supporters, who eventually got a dedicated high-energy section at Busch Stadium. Bostons version fit the moment at Fenway perfectly, with fans leaning into the chaos and making sure the atmosphere felt less like a routine divisional game and more like a full-on rally. [Read more 🡒]