Red Sox Week in Review: AL East Leaders Offer No Resistance to the Best Show In Baseball

[Alex Mayes]

Boston Red Sox Weekly Snapshot

Record Last Week: 4-0

Runs Scored Last Week: 28

Runs Surrendered Last Week: 10

Standings

3rd in AL East

6.0 GB First Place

3rd in AL Wild Card

Transactions

07/13/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent RHP Tommy Kahnle to a minor league contract.

07/14/26: Detroit Tigers traded OF Jahmai Jones to Boston Red Sox for Player To Be Named Later.

07/14/26: Boston Red Sox optioned OF Nate Eaton to Worcester Red Sox.

07/14/26: OF Jahmai Jones roster status changed by Boston Red Sox.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox recalled LHP Alec Gamboa from Worcester Red Sox.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jace Mataczynski.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Brett Lanman.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Lucas Davenport.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Josh Volmerding.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Owen Hull.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed LHP Kide Adetuyi.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Mason Lei.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Kaleb LaFavor.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated 1B Willson Contreras.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Luis Calderon.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jake Schaffner.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Wills Maginnis.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed free agent LHP Carson Revay to a minor league contract.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed OF Martin Shelar.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox activated OF Jahmai Jones.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Colton Coates.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Alex Kranzler.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed RHP Jase Evangelista.

07/17/26: Boston Red Sox signed SS Jacob Webster.

07/18/26: Boston Red Sox optioned LHP Alec Gamboa to Worcester Red Sox.

07/18/26: Boston Red Sox released LHP Danny Coulombe.

Scores

Game 95: BOS 10, TB 0

Game 96: BOS 5, TB 3

Game 97: BOS 7, TB 6

Game 98: BOS 6, TB 1

Series Breakdown/Highlights

Rays Series: Talk about the perfect way to come out of the All Star Break. For the past handful of years, the Red Sox have ridden a wave of momentum into the Midsummer Classic only to come limping out of the gate in the second half. The 2026 Red Sox though? The team that many, including this writer, counted out as the calendar flipped from June to July? That’s not how they roll. The Red Sox decided that July was their month and it continued into this series. In game one of the Friday double header, a make up of a rainout from May 9, the team was without All-Star Willson Contreras for the final game of his suspension, but the offense wasn’t lacking in any way. The offensive outbreak was spurred by home runs from both Masataka Yoshida and Carlos Narvaez. Narvaez contributed three RBIs overall, tied for the team lead with Jarren Duran. Along with Yoshida, Ceddanne Rafaela, Caleb Durbin, and Tsung-Che Cheng all contributed one RBI each. On the defensive side of the ball, Jake Bennett was again fantastic on the bump tossing six innings of shutout baseball, only allowing one hit and striking out three. Alex Gamboa was called up to be the extra man for the double header, and he contributed three innings of two-hit baseball while striking out one. 

Game two was kicked off by a towering two-run home run from Wilyer Abreu, followed by a moonshot from Contreras. Abreu then added a second home run in the third inning, just for good measure. Anthony Seigler added the other RBI to the box score. On the pitching side, this was a bullpen game to end all bullpen games. The Sox used seven different pitchers en route to the win. Eduardo Rivera started the game, going 2.1 innings while allowing three runs and striking out three. Those were the only runs the Rays would score though as Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran, Tyron Guerrero, Garrett Whitlock, Justin Slaten, and Aroldis Chapman all worked clean frames from the third inning on. 

Game three was arguably the game of the season so far. Patrick Sandoval wasn’t sharp, but he did his job through five innings. He struck out five while allowing four earned runs. Ryan Watson tossed two innings, giving up one earned run, while Whitlock and Chapman held the back end of the game together with an iron fist. Offensively, we’re likely looking at Abreu’s breakout series. To go along with the two home runs he hit in game two, he clobbered two more in game three, including the one that put the team in front for good. Yoshida, Rafaela, and newcomer Jahmai Jones all contributed RBIs to the win. If you want to hear one of the most electric calls of the season, and watch the reaction from the dugout and bullpen after Abreu connects, I’ve put it here. Dave O’Brien catches a lot of flack from fans, but he has been on fire with his calls during this stretch.

Game four saw the ball handed to the ace of the staff, Sonny Gray, and he started off a bit shaky but he pitched his way out of traffic in the first three innings and only allowed one earned run on the day. He notched five strikeouts and, thanks to the offense coming alive in the third and fifth innings, notched his 11th win of the season. Weissert, Moran, and Watson all worked great out of the bullpen on the day, making sure the Sox could waltz to their 13th win in a row and another sweep of an AL East foe. Offensively, Contreras launched another homer and drove in two runs while Caleb Durbin, Romy Gonzalez, and Andruw Monasterio all contributed one RBI as well. This series was exactly what the Red Sox needed to do coming out of the All-Star Break. They put the AL East-leading Rays on the ropes in the first game and didn’t let up until the final out on Sunday night. It has truly been a magical run lately.

Website Highlights

Red Sox’s Elite Rotation Faces Existential Innings Crisis in the Second Half by Nick John

Red Sox’s Furious First-Half Finish Demands Cautious Optimism from the Front Office by Ryan Painter

Is Willson Contreras Primed for a Second-Half Power Outage? What History Has to Say About Fabled “Home Run Derby Curse” by Ryan Salvaggio

Looking Ahead

07/20/26: Orioles (Shane Baz) @ Red Sox (Payton Tolle): 7:10 PM EDT 

07/21/26: Orioles (Kyle Bradish) @ Red Sox (TBD): 7:10 PM EDT

07/22/26: Orioles (Dean Kremer) @ Red Sox (Jake Bennett): 7:10 PM EDT

07/23/26: Off Day

07/24/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 7:15 PM EDT

07/25/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 4:10 PM EDT

07/26/26: Blue Jays @ Red Sox: 1:35 PM EDT

View full article