Cubs vs Red Sox Doubleheader, 9/25/26: Game 1 @ 1:05pm (Holmes vs Gamboa); Game 2 @ 5:35pm (Peterson vs Bello)

[Brandon Glick]

Crappy weather, two Wild Card teams squaring off, a Friday doubleheader... what more could you ask for just before October?

Oh yeah, and Breggy's back in Boston (playing through facial fractures)...

[Brandon Glick]

	SUN	MON	TUE	WED	THU	TOT
Tyron Guerrero	12	0	0	22	0	34
Raymond Burgos	0	0	0	0	28	28
Patrick Sandoval	0	0	0	0	12	12
Jovani Morán	0	0	16	0	0	16
Greg Weissert	0	0	0	0	0	0
Garrett Whitlock	0	0	0	20	0	20
Erik Miller	0	0	22	0	8	30
Aroldis Chapman	0	0	0	12	0	12
Alec Gamboa	0	0	29	0	0	29

[mvp 78]

 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

1 hour ago, Brandon Glick said:

Crappy weather, two Wild Card teams squaring off, a Friday doubleheader... what more could you ask for just before October?

Oh yeah, and Breggy's back in Boston (playing through facial fractures)...

What more could I ask for? How about more than 0 runs in the first game?

[mvp 78]

Gamboa was a starter at the beginning of the year and has pitching into the 6th inning. 🤞

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

6 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

What more could I ask for? How about more than 0 runs in the first game?

I was gonna ask for a crooked number, but that would be crazy.

[Beaneater]

This Red Sox offense is going to give me an aneurysm. Leadoff double! Yay! Called third strike, burning an ABS challenge, followed by two groundouts on pitches out of the zone. 

They're saving the runs for the Bronx, right?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Big play at home. A 2 run lead would have been insurmountable. 

[Beaneater]

You were saying?

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Just now, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Big play at home. A 2 run lead would have been insurmountable. 

I just completed this post before the Sox are down 3 runs. Might as well have Gamboa go nine.

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

Without Contreras in the WC lineup a bad lineup just got worse, if that's at all possible.

[Beaneater]

5 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

Without Contreras in the WC lineup a bad lineup just got worse, if that's at all possible.

Is that a known fact, a done deal at this point? I've heard that he still has pain, but we're a few days away yet. Has there been definite news?

[Maxbialystock]

50 minutes ago, SPLENDIDSPLINTER said:

What more could I ask for? How about more than 0 runs in the first game?

The lineup is busted, period.  I expect the Sox to lose all 3 games to the Cubs and both games to the Yankees.   you want fun as a Red Sox fan, think back about the good times this season and hope Breslow fixes the hitting for next season.  

Do I think a healthy Contreras would help?  Sure I do.  But no way, no how can one player fix a prostrate lineup.  

[NHNative]

Durbin ---> GG

[Beaneater]

5 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

The lineup is busted, period.  I expect the Sox to lose all 3 games to the Cubs and both games to the Yankees.   you want fun as a Red Sox fan, think back about the good times this season and hope Breslow fixes the hitting for next season.  

Do I think a healthy Contreras would help?  Sure I do.  But no way, no how can one player fix a prostrate lineup.  

That doesn't seem unreasonable. Yet look how we all felt after the Rockies series. We know there is something in this team. Can they find it again? I haven't given up all hope yet. Do I expect them to beat the Yankees? No. But I'm not burying the 2026 Sox just yet.

[vegasbob]

Red Sox score on an error. that qualifies as a rally.

[Beaneater]

O-for-7 with RISP through 3 innings. It's like a rare and precious work of art, crystalline in its purity and beauty, unmarred by flaws or imperfections.

[mvp 78]

22 minutes ago, Beaneater said:

Is that a known fact, a done deal at this point? I've heard that he still has pain, but we're a few days away yet. Has there been definite news?

He's just day to day for now. Nothing showed up when they did the scans. 

[Maxbialystock]

5 minutes ago, Beaneater said:

That doesn't seem unreasonable. Yet look how we all felt after the Rockies series. We know there is something in this team. Can they find it again? I haven't given up all hope yet. Do I expect them to beat the Yankees? No. But I'm not burying the 2026 Sox just yet.

I sure hope you are right, but the Sox just scored their first run since Wednesday but guess what?  Anthony made it home on an error.  Unearned run and yet again no rbi.  

[mvp 78]

Why not just start Bennett to begin with? 

[Maxbialystock]

4 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

He's just day to day for now. Nothing showed up when they did the scans. 

Nope.  He still has pain and can't swing a bat.  He's not even sure he can play in the Yankees series.

 

[Beaneater]

If I had one wish for the current Red Sox offense, it's that they would somehow figure out how to swing at strikes and leave the balls alone. I know, I know, that's like the baseball-insight equivalent of rocket surgery. I've just lost count of how many at-bats I've seen where the batter looked at two pitches in the zone and swung at three pitches outside the zone. I'm sure it's 5377 times harder than it looks. But as a fan and spectator, it's frustrating.

[mvp 78]

How about Duran tries to steal? 

[mvp 78]

2 minutes ago, Maxbialystock said:

Nope.  He still has pain and can't swing a bat.  He's not even sure he can play in the Yankees series.

He said that last night. Tuesday is a long ways away when dealing with a bruise. 

[SPLENDIDSPLINTER]

I was just about to post that Duran needs to steal home from first base.

[UtahSox]

Monasterio…… HOW is he still playing vs Romy Gonzalez?

[mvp 78]

 

[NHNative]

We like Bennett.

[Beaneater]

Just now, UtahSox said:

Monasterio…… HOW is he still playing vs Romy Gonzalez?

That is a mystery. He has two options remaining, I think, and I don't think that sending him down for 3 games would even burn an option.

[illinoisredsox]

12 minutes ago, mvp 78 said:

Why not just start Bennett to begin with? 

Because in the WC Series, he’s going to be in the pen, so give the kid a game to experience the role.