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Red Sox vs. Royals lineups: A Chorus of cheers

2025-08-04T14:53:47-04:00

Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Goodbye, old frenemy.

I’ve been writing for this site for 12 bloody years and every post has been through Vox Media’s Chorus platform, which will sunset at 5 p.m. today, at which point we get on Wordpress like everyone else. Chorus was good enough, I guess, so be sure to say bye to the old goat before tonight’s 7:10 against the Royals. Nothing should work too differently for y’all except that we’ll be a lot happier, because the Sox are winning, but Wordpress doesn’t get credit for that. We do.

It’s Brayan Bello vs. Bailey Falter tonight, as the Royals come in at .500 and the Sox come in scorching hot. Rob Refsnyder is in against the lefty, with Jarren Duran pushed down the order, but who cares? Wins are wins. Let’s win it for (Chor)us.

Here are the lineups:

Series Preview: Kansas City Royals at Boston Red Sox

2025-08-04T12:44:29-04:00

Photo by Kyle Rivas/Getty Images

Fitzy already made the pun.

As everyone said, the momentum from the trade deadline would carry the Red Sox over the Houston Astros.

The Red Sox took 2-3 from the Kansas City Royals when they visited KC and are looking to do the same now against a Royals team that has struggled since May.

Lefthander Bailey Falter will be making his Royals debut having been acquired at the deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates. He’s struck out just 70 in 113 innings with 39 walks. This is, simply, an odd profile for a starter in 2025. While not really a measure of much these days, Falter was 7-5 for the Pirates. The team only has 48 wins. It doesn’t mean anything but it’s one of those things anyway that makes you surprised.

Ryan Bergert is also making his Royal debut after being acquired from the San Diego Padres. The 25-year-old rookie righthander strikes people out (34 in 35.2 innings) but also give up his fair share of walks (18). Facing Garret Crochet is a tough draw for any pitcher.

Old friend Michael Wacha is in town for this series and will square off against Dustin May making his Red Sox debut. Wacha is coming off an excellent start - 1 run in 8 innings against the hot Blue Jays. The Royals at 9.0 games back of the Detroit Tigers but just 3.5 from a Wild Card and fancy themselves in the playoff hunt.

Probable Pitching Matchups

Monday, August 4: Bailey Falter (3.73 ERA / 4.88 FIP) vs. Brayan Bello (3.19 ERA / 4.35 FIP)

Tuesday, August 5: Ryan Bergert (2.78 ERA / 4.25 FIP) vs. Garrett Crochet (2.23 ERA / 254 FIP)

Wednesday, August 6: Michael Wacha (3.38 ERA / 3.74 FIP) vs. Dustin May (4.85 ERA / 4.71 FIP)

When/Where to Watch

Monday August 4: 7:10 PM ET on NESN

Tuesday August 5: 7:10 PM ET on NESN

Wednesday August 6: 7:10 PM ET on NESN

Minor Lines 8/3: Password and Mikey Romero lead offensive onslaught in Worcester

2025-08-04T11:00:52-04:00

Photo by Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images

Two dingers for the young infielder in his third Triple-A game, and a home run streak continues for Garcia.

Worcester: W, 11-1 (BOX SCORE)

If this was the Majors, after the last week, Jhostnyxon Garcia would skip the “pee in this vial” stage of being randomly selected and go straight to talking to a judge. It’s literal MLB The Show numbers to close out this series against the IronPigs (Phillies AAA). On a day where Kristian Campbell could not extend his fourteen-game hit streak on account of needing a day to rest, the Password got his third consecutive game with a home run and fourth of the week. His OPS for the month of August (four games, due to Friday’s double-header) stands at a meager (sarcasm font sarcasm font sarcasm font) 1.919. Craig, I don’t care. If Masataka Yoshida says he’s sore from anything, do the right thing. Give him some time off and bring this kid up. Mashing is an understatement.

If that wasn’t promising enough, Mikey Romero is adjusting to Triple-A pitching rather quickly, isn’t he? He had twin three-run shots amongst a three-hit day to revel in a six RBI day. Even before those home runs, though, the game was squarely in Richard Fitts’ control, and the added run support gave him the flexiblity to go six innings and only be tagged for two hits before a perfect three innings for three relievers.

Portland: L, 4-11 (BOX SCORE)

Some games you’re the one scoring eleven runs, some games you’re the one getting eleven runs scored on you. The Sea Dogs were the latter in the finale against the Curve (Pirates AA) and left ten men on, even if Max Ferguson has continued his run on extra-base hits and Miguel Bleis is also adjusting to a new level of pitching comfortably. The team also suffered from a shaky start off the arm of Jack Anderson, and things didn’t get much better with Zach Bryant.

Greenville: W, 4-2 (BOX SCORE)

Thanks to a small amount of pop in the bats and a solid six innings from Shea Sprague that included a nasty pickoff, Erik Rivera was able to log his first save of the season due to that nine-out technicality. The Drive hit around the Dash’s (White Sox High-A) starting pitcher early thanks to Yophery Rodriguez’s bases-clearing triple and eight of their nine batters got a hit. Hey, if you feel the need to pull up Quinn Priester’s statline this season, you can get a little less (or more, depending on how excited you get about prospects, I guess...) enthralled looking at Yophery’s affinity for extra-base hits. Now, if only he got on base a bit more... the good news is, he’s got plenty of time to improve.

Salem: W, 6-4 (BOX SCORE)

The finale in Lynchburg (Guardians A) saw Devers return piece Jose Bello pitch a clean seven outs in relief after Jesus Travieso’s most solid outing since being promoted. I’ll now pause a second to gather my frantic thoughts after seeing he was born in 2007 when I was wearing skinny jeans and checkered jackets to my eighth grade dances, and make you all aware of another prospect.

His name is Jack Winnay, and he had a day. The product of Wake Forest by way of Belmont Hill School in good ol’ Belmont Mass and signed with the team’s rookie squad back in May. He attended a game of the 2018 World Series as a Red Sox fan, and now gets to play for a team whose name is the Red Sox. He finished a triple shy of the cycle and drove two runs in. This, of course, is following a two-hit day Saturday. May his rise be meteoric if his bat keeps up with this extremely small sample size... for now, welcome to the organization, Jack.

Have a happy Monday!

OTM Open Thread 8/4: Will we ever beat Royals?

2025-08-04T10:16:16-04:00

Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

Let’s hope it runs in our blood.

Hello and happy Monday, folks. The Red Sox are on a five—count ‘em, five—game winning streak and are just a handful of games out of first place in the American League East. That’s fun, ain’t it?

Our boys will host the Kansas City Royals tonight for the first of a three-game series at Fenway Park. First pitch will be at 7:10 PM EST.

Hey, here’s a fun fact: did you know that Lorde was inspired to name her iconic 2013 song “Royals” — which would eventually prove to be her breakout hit and a track that became highly influential in the pop space in the years to come — after she saw a picture of Hall of Famer George Brett signing autographs? It’s true!

Feel free to talk about Lorde—and how her best album is still Melodrama—in the comments below. Or talk about something else, I dunno.

Be good to each other and go Sox.

Monday Morning Brushback: I need to rant

2025-08-04T09:19:01-04:00

Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Red Sox week in review dives into...whatever the hell that was on Thursday.

Recent events (or hell, lack thereof) call for a lil’ something different for this week’s Brushback. Typically, I’d break down three things that caught my attention over the past seven days since we last spoke; a player heating up, concerning trends in another’s performance, something unique revolving around the Boston Red Sox, whatever comes to mind is fair game.

The fallout from Thursday’s trade deadline presents me with an opportunity to change it up a bit. Don’t want to get too monotonous, you know?

I know I shouldn’t be going into this article with a sour taste in my mouth. We’re currently on a five-game winning streak. We’re coming off the heels of an overall excellent run in July. We began August with a weekend sweep against a certified AL rival in the Houston Astros. We’re 11 games above .500 and we’re currently slotted in the top Wild Card spot in the Junior Circuit—with the division crown actually within our grasp as the dog days of summer begin. Our pitching staff has, generally speaking, stepped up in recent weeks, while multiple guys on offense are contributing in their own ways in a post-Devers world. Fenway Park has been bumpin’ as of late, as the Royal Rooters have visions of autumn ball in their mind.

Things are good! I really can’t complain about what we’ve seen on the field. As things stand, I do believe this roster is good enough to make the playoffs, even if it’s far from a guarantee.

That belief only makes me feel more disappointed in the lack of action at the trade deadline, though.

I wanted to give it a few days to marinate. I wanted to make sure I wasn’t diving into this in a blind rage; I don’t want to rant for the sake of ranting. I think people who have read me enough (thanks Mom) know I try not to be too reactionary. I don’t want to get hung up on it because things are going well, so I’m just going to get it out of my system here: a stream-of-consciousness article on the state of how I’m feeling. Shit, I feel like a wet blanket even mentioning this following a weekend sweep that brings up to just three games out of first place in the division. But the following rant is not just the ramblings of a mad man (or maybe it is, who knows); I’ve let this sit before writing it out for posterity.

With the disclaimer out of the way, let’s begin. It’s Monday Morning Brush back time, y’all.

Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The lack of movement for the Red Sox on the trade market this summer was pathetic. No other way to describe it. The powers that be within Boston’s organization do not have enough ambition. I do think Craig Breslow has done a good job overall as the club’s Chief Baseball Officer—I don’t want that take to be lost upon you, so apologies in advance if I say something similar later in the rant—but yeesh, man.

The fact that the team has been playing this well since the calendar flipped to July makes the lack of action even more frustrating to me. After everything that’s happened over the past few months—a franchise cornerstone being dealt to a team across the country, a plethora of one-run losses, freezing-cold stretches and white-hot stretches, injuries a-plenty, a damn stomach bug that almost killed poor Wilyer Abreu, etc.—here’s this group of guys who have thus far proven they belong and are worthy of additional investment from the top brass. Even then, though, I think anyone who watches this team every night, who reads this website (a genuine thank you for continuing to do so), or who lives and breathes Red Sox baseball could’ve told you that the starting pitching group could’ve used some extra juice—both to raise their ceiling as a unit and to provide some additional volume.

Where is the ambition? Where is the desire to push the envelope with this group of guys? Breslow and company can talk about all of the deals that they just couldn’t get across the finish line until they’re blue in the face, but it won’t stop me from being annoyed about it. How come the Yankees were able to get 200 deals done within the past week and we weren’t? How come Seattle was able to pull of trades and we weren’t? Houston? The Mets? Philly? San Diego? Texas? Detroit? I understand some of those teams are over in the NL and are not the clubs we’re directly competing for a ticket to the dance with, but the point remains: all of those teams were able to get deals done that were much more substantial than the business we got done.

This isn’t even to criticize the moves we did make. I think Steven Matz can be a steady lefty in the bullpen down the stretch. Dustin May, while I have questions regarding why the team that is dying for starting pitching depth in the midst of their title defense campaign would move off of him and while I’m not sure why we moved off of one of the pieces in the Devers trade to secure a rental, could be an intriguing option in the back half of the rotation. Also, this isn’t to say that Breslow should’ve completely paid above market value to get a trade done—at some point, of course, you have to walk away from a deal. And finally, this isn’t to say that the Red Sox had to get someone like a Joe Ryan specifically. We didn’t have to make a Juan Soto-to-SD-esque splash this week; just something to give a jolt in an area where even a casual fan could point to and say, “yeah they could probably use some help in this facet of the operation.”

With a good amount of options available leading up to the deadline, this is all we were able to do to supplement this iteration of the team for the final playoff push? A lefty reliever and a starter on a walk year who was cast off by a team that is desperate for starters at the moment? Clearly we’re fine with coughing up prospect capital—Blaze Jordan and James Tibbs, we hardly knew ye. This is all just related to the pitching, by the way; I haven’t even mentioned that we could’ve done with an extra bat to boost the lineup.

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

So what’s the hold-up? Why was everyone else we’re trying to stand toe-to-toe able to get more stuff on their shopping list checked off? Dustin May in addition to another starter would’ve done wonders for the Red Sox; with him as the headlining starting pitcher being added, I’m not as thrilled.

Are we that scared to lose out on future value? At what point does it become viable enough to push some chips into the table for the short term? The American League is completely there for the taking, but we don’t have the ambition to stand up and try to take it on our own accord. Stand up! Fight! Rise!

Are we concerned to miss out on young, cost-controllable talent? That’s a fair enough of a worry to have in a vacuum—their cheaper contracts could facilitate larger deals that we’d like to get done, I can concede that. But with that in mind: do we not trust our talent development infrastructure in the minors to be able to replace that potential on the farm? We’ve had, by all accounts, some great drafts in recent years. We have a new knack of developing highly touted prospects (not just within the circles of the Red Sox media machine, as I’m sure you’re ready to point out; national pundits who follow this stuff for a living have commended the young talent we’ve churned out over the last handful of seasons). Not all of those guys can play on the field, though, so some of that prospect pedigree has to be leveraged at one point or another to improve the team in the present.

To cross my sports references here, this reminds me a bit of what’s happened with my favorite soccer team: Arsenal FC, over in North London. After wandering in the woods, lost and aimless in the late 2010’s, the team’s had a bit of a renaissance (a trophy-less one, yes, but bear with me). Manager Mikel Arteta has described their project in the past as one that is being progressed in phases: lay a foundation, grow together, keep climbing, and do what needs to be done—one step at a time—to get where you ultimately want to be. Arsenal has consistently progressed since he took over in 2019, and they could be primed to have a massive 2025-26 season (or so I hope).

Photo by Richard Heathcote/Getty Images

Long story short: the Red Sox of the 2020’s do not seem to want to progress beyond their first or second phase. It’s all well and good to want to develop a sustainable winner through homegrown talent. Yet to quote what a buddy of mine said the other day: to be a sustainable winner, first you have to actually be a winner.

The 2025 Red Sox CAN be a winner. The division crown is within the realm of possibility. The AL pennant is completely up for grabs. If you get to the World Series, who the hell knows what the NL will look like? While none of that is even close to guaranteed, the team as currently constructed can make that all come true. If Breslow and the rest of the front office truly believes that, though, why wouldn’t they make an increased effort towards building that winner? Why not do what needs to be done to become, perhaps, THE favorite in the AL? Were we really just one Matz and one May away from being that team? I don’t think we were, but that’s just one blogger’s opinion.

Again, I really don’t want to take away from how sweet this past weekend was. We’re in the hunt to finish the regular season with the AL’s best record now. This team has some spunk, some character, and some real fight—I love that, and that should be celebrated. I’m sure the rest of the articles on OTM this morning will be reveling in the good vibes; as they should! I try to be a glass-half-full guy myself. This is a fun community to be a part of (and thank you for being a part of it), especially when the optimism is peaking. You may not agree with everything I write or say, and that’s cool—at the end of the day, I just want what’s best for the Red Sox.

This past week’s approach to transactions was not what I’d call what’s best for the Red Sox. That’s disappointing. I hope the players continue to shove this sentiment up my ass, as they did this weekend at Fenway, but I think a better world was possible for us.

To bring it back to Arsenal: this past season, leading up to the mid-season transfer deadline (without getting too into the weeds, transfers are trades, basically), the club was in obvious need of a striker. Instead of trying to address that, though, Arsenal stood pat. They ultimately came in second place in the domestic Premier League and lost in the semifinals of Europe’s biggest club soccer tournament, the Champions League. Part of them falling short was their inability to secure that clinical forward that can score in bunches—again, something that even the most casual fan could tell you they needed. They’ve since addressed that striker need in the off-season, but the lack of ambition was part of their demise. A lot of Arsenal fans (very fairly) still wonder why something wasn’t worked out in January to ensure they had the best short at glory possible come May. They didn’t even need to go out and make the biggest transfer in the world; just something to plug an evident gap.

I don’t want that to happen to my favorite team in the world. I want them to be bold enough to take shots to address what clearly needs to be addressed. I want ambition. I want this project to move to the next phase. Maybe these things will be tackled in the winter; that would please me if that ends up being the case, but I’ll still be wondering why we didn’t take the steps necessary to tackle them when we were in the middle of a pennant race.

We’re better than this. We should be better than this. We’re the Boston Red Sox—I want the guys leading us to act like it.

.....

OK, I think I got that all out of my system. It took over 2,000 words, but I’m ready to turn the page. We’ve got a division to win, a pennant to secure, and a parade to plan. I can’t change the past; all I can do is support Matz and May along with the rest of the boys, and hope that Breslow’s master plan works out

Speaking of which:

Song of the Week: “The Masterplan” by Oasis

Just a few weeks away until their shows in New Jersey baybeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! I won’t be able to write an article that night; sorry Mr. Secatore.

Same time and same place next week, folks! Go Sox.

Red Sox 6, Astros 1: Sox send ‘stros into orbit in weekend sweep

2025-08-03T14:45:52-04:00

Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

Color me surprised at a really pleasant weekend of baseball!

Who knew the Red Sox could catch one of the best pitchers in baseball in an absolute meltdown?

This game was defined by pitching, and Lucas Giolito made only one real mistake. After giving up a solo blast to Carlos Correa, he settled down and tossed a masterclass. The bullpen probably owes him a steak and a bottle of wine after giving them an extreme amount of relief from yesterday’s usage.

On the other end, I thought Framber Valdez was going to completely shut down the Sox and it would be up to the bullpen if they could do anything. In five career starts entering this one, Valdez had a 1.96 ERA. Yeah, as it turns out, one frame with four hits, a walk, a balk, two wild pitches, a bunt error, and two separate mound visits is as rough a one as Valdez could get, to the delight of Bostonians. Apparently infield hits infuriate Valdez and he sure seemed rattled with the amount of small ball that worked out in that inning. You could see the gears turning for the Red Sox, trying for bunts, Rafaela’s swinging bunt, Wilyer’s that got past Valdez that frankly should have been playable, it was 4D chess.

I also have to give credit to the defense, namely Alex Bregman who made some spectacular deep throws from the hot corner.

I would have been happy with a 1-2 weekend against a first place team. To sweep them feels really discombobulating in a good way. Just absolutely subverting my expectations. Let’s see how long they can keep the ride going for.

Three Studs

Lucas Giolito (8.0 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 4 Ks)

Gio and Bello have really become a great 2-3 punch around Crochet and today was no different.

Ceddanne Rafaela (3-for-3, BB, 1 RBI)

He doesn’t need power all the time, and his contact hitting and speed proved to be a difference maker.

Trevor Story (2-for-4, 1 RBI, 1 K)

As Story goes, the Sox go, we say for the nth time in 2025. He’s had the most RBI in the Majors since June 1st.

Three Duds

Connor Wong (0-for-2, 1 RBI)

I know he had the sac fly, but his offense is really non existent.

Romy Gonzalez (0-for-3, 1 R, 1 BB, 2 K)

He had a slick defensive play, just not his day at the dish even with a walk.

Wilyer Abreu (0-for-2, 1 R, 1 RBI)

I think Wilyer got SO lucky with Valdez’ error. He’s in a little bit of a cold streak.

Play of the Game

I don’t think there was any one play that defined the game, but this one inning was clearly the difference maker.

Game 113: Red Sox vs Astros - Lucas Giolito vs Framber Valdez

2025-08-03T10:35:00-04:00

Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images

What a morning this could be…

This feels REALLY early for baseball, doesn’t it? We do this once a year on Patriot’s Day but to do it in August? It just feels strange. What also feels strange is how the Red Sox have taken the series already. I was nervous Friday with Cooper Criswell but he did excellent enough to keep the Red Sox in it. I wasn’t happy with Walker Buehler yesterday but the bullpen came in clutch and the offense launched three homers. With that, the Red Sox are SECOND PLACE in the AL East. Let that sink in. Can they extend that lead this morning? Let’s see how many of us can watch and find out!

⚾️ First Pitch: 11:35am

TV: ROKU (sorry)

Radio: WEEI

Morning ball on deck. pic.twitter.com/DNx7H15sAz
— Red Sox (@RedSox) August 3, 2025

Fenway Finale.

⚾️: 10:35 AM CDT | 11:35 AM EDT
: @TheRokuChannel
️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/D89RW9axLA
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 3, 2025

OTM Open Thread 8/3: The beat, she continues

2025-08-03T08:11:10-04:00

Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

It’s another good day in Red Sox Nation.

This is how you want your Augusts to start. Up to second place and staring up at third. Let’s get this bread!