BOSTON — Last week, the Red Sox struggled mightily, losing two consecutive series as their starting rotation stumbled. At one point, the Sox allowed eight or more runs in five consecutive games.
Since then, they've done a nice reversal, winning their last five games in a row.
The difference? The starting pitching.
Monday marked the third time in that five-game stretch in which the starting pitcher did not allow a single run. In Baltimore, that group included Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez.
On Monday, Brayan Bello, of all people, joined the club.

#games #since #sonny

TCU coach Sonny **** s took a shot at Josh Hoover's three-year production with the Horned Frogs during the offseason, saying that "stats are stats" when discussing his former quarterback's numbers.
If Hoover was looking for a way to respond, he delivered it on the field Saturday.
Stats are stats.
In his Indiana debut, the TCU transfer avoided turnovers and led the sixth-ranked Hoosiers to a Week 1 win over North Texas, showing why he's expected to be a serious contender in this season's Heisman Trophy race.
UP NEXT: Indiana needed the right successor. Josh Hoover wanted the biggest challenge

#horned #frogs #saturday #hoosiers

Here at Over The Monster, we like to ask a topical question of the day; but on this dreary morning, we might as well be asking the question of the month. Very simply: If the Wild Card series started today, who would you want starting those three games?
Of course, the Wild Card series doesn't start today, and Red Sox haven't officially punched their ticket into the dance yet. But with FanGraphs giving them a 97.1 percent chance to make the playoffs and only 0.3 percent chance to win the division as of this morning, it seems pretty darn likely they're going to be playing baseball on September 29th (and playing it somewhere other than Fenway Park).
The Red Sox know this as well and have already reshuffled their rotation to pitch Sonny Gray on Saturday (September 5th) and Payton Tolle on Sunday (September 6th). With off days for the month already scheduled for the 10th, 14th, 17th, and 28th (assuming they make the playoffs), this means Gray and Tolle could pitch with an extra day of rest every start from here to the end of the year in a normal five man rotation and be perfectly lined up to pitch Game 1 and Game 2 of the Wild Card series. (September 11th and 12th against the Royals, September 17th and 18th against the Rangers and Rays, September 23rd and 24th against the Guardians, and September 29th and 30th against the Wild Card opponent.)
So the Red Sox have already told us who they believe will start the first two games of the playoffs indirectly, but third option is far more complex. Historically, Ranger Suarez would be the best man for the job. Not only did they just give him a $130 million contract in January, but he also has a 1.48 career ERA in the playoffs. However, the Sox might not be too pleased with the way he threw the ball in Sunday's start against the Yankees with the tiebreaker on the line, and they might not want to set things up that way again for a potential winner take all game on October 1st.
So what about tonight's starter Jake Bennett? He just might be pitching for a postseason starting job over the next few weeks. If he does well and ****** ody steps up, the Sox could end up sending a rookie to the mound to start and do or die game in Yankee Stadium for the second year in a row.

#game #might #series

England have named a 15-member squad for the third and final Rothesay Test against Pakistan, with the hosts looking to complete a 3-0 series sweep at Edgbaston from September 9. England have already secured an unassailable 2-0 lead in the series after a dominant innings-and-103-run victory at Headingley and a 194-run win at Lord's.

Fast bowler Brydon Carse remains absent from the squad as he continues to be under police investigation following his arrest in Derby last month.
Brydon Carse was left out of the second Test at Lord's after being arrested outside a nightclub on August 22. Derbyshire Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into allegations of ******* ault. Although Carse returned to domestic cricket last week and featured in Durham's County Championship win over Gloucestershire, he was not selected for their ongoing fixture against Northamptonshire and has not been recalled to the England squad.

Uncapped Hampshire seamer Sonny Baker, who replaced Carse ahead of the Lord's Test, retains his place in the squad. Matthew Fisher is the only player to be left out from the group that travelled to Lord's.
With England set to play six white-ball matches against Sri Lanka immediately after the Pakistan series, the management could opt to rotate some of its frontline quicks. Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson and Josh Tongue are among those who could be managed, potentially opening the door for Baker, Sam Cook or Shoaib Bashir to feature at Edgbaston.

Cook has played just one Test, against Zimbabwe last summer, while Bashir is yet to feature in the ongoing series after England opted for an all-pace attack. Baker, meanwhile, has one Test appearance to his name, having played against New Zealand at The Oval in June.
Joe Root (captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Sonny Baker, Shoaib Bashir, Harry Brook, Sam Cook, Jordan ******* , Ben Duckett, Emilio Gay, Dan Lawrence, Ollie Pope, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Smith, Josh Tongue.

#england #series #cook

Brydon Carse has again been left out of the England squad for the third Test against Pakistan with the Cricket Regulator continuing to investigate an incident at a Derby nightclub.
Carse was stood down ahead of the second Test having been arrested and then de-arrested on the Saturday before it began after featuring for Durham in a County Championship win.
Derbyshire Police later confirmed that it was looking into an allegation of **** ault on the night in question. It is not know what, if any, involvement Carse had in any alleged incident.
The seam bowler featured for his county last week but is not playing against Northamptonshire this due to "pre-arranged workload management with the ECB".
Sonny Baker was called up to the England squad as a replacement and retains his place as seam bowling cover alongside Sam Cook, though Matthew Fisher has been released from the group.

#england #test #squad #Pakistan

Following a 9-8, 10-inning win for Boston in the opener last night, the Mariners (64-74) and the Red Sox (75-63) continue their three-game series tonight at Fenway.
Seattle appeared poised to steal the opener after battling back and generating offense throughout the night. The Mariners totaled 11 hits receiving contributions up and down the lineup. The Sox got one more hit and ultimately, one more run. They forced extra innings with two runs in the eighth on a Trevor Story double and one in the ninth on a sac fly from Ceddanne Rafaela before Story again picked up a big hit in the tenth, a single to center, driving in Eli White to win it for the Red Sox. Aroldis Chapman picked up the win. Randy Arozarena and Cal Raleigh went yard for the Mariners, but it was not enough.
Seattle closed the month of August with five straight losses and now sit six games behind the Astros in the AL West and 5.5 games behind the Guardians for the final Wild Card spot. The Red Sox snapped a brief two-game losing streak with the win to pull within three games of the Yankees and the top Wild Card spot in the American League.
Seattle looks to snap the skid with right-hander Bryan Woo (9-9, 4.36 ERA) on the ******* p. Woo's most recent outing came August 26 against Philadelphia, and it was one of his rougher starts of the year. The Phillies tagged him for six earned runs on five hits over four innings, including a pair of home runs. He struck out five but was unable to work deep into the game as Seattle lost 6-0. The righthander fared far better in his previous two starts. He allowed two runs in six innings at Houston on August 16 and threw five scoreless innings at Yankee Stadium on August 11. The Red Sox have yet to announce their starter for tonight. It was Sonny Gray's (16-4, 2.79 ERA) turn to take the ball but Boston earlier announced they planned to give him an extra day of rest.
Lets dive further into today's game and find a sweat or two.

#games #boston #story

PEORIA, AZ: Lazaro Montes of the Seattle Mariners runs the bases during a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox at Peoria Stadium on Feb. 24, 2026. (Photo by Mike Christy/Getty Images)
The Seattle Mariners are about to place their flagging chance at a playoff spot on the bat of 21-year-old Lazaro Montes. The slugger is being called up after hitting 38 home runs in the minors in 2026, including 10 in August.
The Mariners need him to continue the power display in September in a Seattle uniform. The 6-foot-5 Cuban is expected to join the team for the start of a three-game series in Boston on Tuesday.
Whether the left-hander plays immediately at Fenway Park, which traditionally favors right-handed hitters, is for manager Dan Wilson to decide. Boston is scheduled to start left-hander Peyton Tolle in the opener, ace right-hander Sonny Gray on Wednesday and lefty Pablo Sandoval on Thursday.
Montes has struggled against left-handed pitchers in 2026, batting just .201 with six homers. He has raked right-handers for 32 homers and a .274 average.

#montes #Seattle #Mariners #hander

Well, this is something to wake up to. According to The Athletic's David Ornstein, overnight Tottenham Hotspur and Everton reached an agreement to essentially swap attackers — bringing Ilman Ndiaye to Spurs, with Richarlison returning to Everton heading the other direction. This is NOT a true swap deal; these will be treated as separate transfers.
In yesterday's post-match press conference, Spurs head coach Roberto De Zerbi essentially told us that Richarlison asked to leave Spurs for a new challenge. I just didn't realize it would all go down so quickly. According to Paul Joyce of The Times, Ndiaye will cost Spurs about £60m, with Richarlison heading the other direction for a fee of £35m, making the outlay a lot lower than most transfers that Spurs have brought in this summer.
Ndiaye, 26, is a French fooballer who has declared for and plays international football for Senegal. He's been used primarily on the left wing for Everton, but can also play centrally or on the right. He's NOT a striker but could be implemented as a #10 if needed. Ndiaye likes to be on the ball and frequently prefers to take on and dribble past his defenders, which frequently turns into touches in the penalty area and shots. He likes to cut inside from the flank and is also comfortable receiving the ball deeper as a ball progression outlet. His acquisition means that Spurs will essentially only have three first team strikers on the books — Omar Marmoush, Dominic Solanke, and Dane Scarlett — but Ndiaye will fortify Spurs' attacking midfield options. His preferred position at Everton will put him in competition with Mathys Tel and Savinho, but his positional flexibility means he could be an ***** et elsewhere as well. He's also a willing presser and capable of putting in defensive work to make tackles. Despite maybe hinting otherwise yesterday, I'm kind of a fan of this deal.
As for Richarlison… well, I'm sad. He's probably my favorite Spurs player (non-Sonny edition) of this era. He's a vibes guy who always seemed to lift the mood, and it's clear he loved Spurs. But it's just as clear that he's not happy here anymore, and as his career starts to wind down a return to the club that lifted him to stardom feels like the closing of the circle. Everton fans love him as much as we do, and I can't begrudge them, or him, this move. It feels like the right choice.
What do you think of this deal? Can Spurs get it across the line before the window closes on September 2?

#everton #ndiaye

On a soggy field Saturday in Ireland, just before halftime of the season's first major college football game, a snapped ball sailed high over the TCU punter's head.
It wound up being kicked out the back of the end zone for a safety, and ESPN predictably showed multiple replays of this gaffe, from a variety of angles.
At that moment, coach Sonny ******* s and his Horned Frogs showed remarkable restraint.
Despite their established urges, they did not demand that ESPN pack up its cameras and leave the stadium.
This, in light of how TCU had handled unflattering media coverage heading into the game, represented real growth. It also reminded us of one of the most enjoyable parts of college football, which returned in sloppy earnest Saturday with the Horned Frogs' 15-10 loss to North Carolina at Dublin's Aviva Stadium.

#saturday #frogs #Football #ireland

The Washington Commanders attacked the middle linebacker position in the first round of the 2026 NFL Draft, selecting Ohio State's Sonny Styles with the seventh overall pick. The Commanders' first round pick stated that he has modeled his game after a former UCLA Bruin linebacker.
That former Bruin is none other than Carson Schwesinger, who just took home the NFL's Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2025. Schwesinger made an immediate impact on a good Cleveland Browns' defense, which is exactly what Styles is looking to do this season with the Commanders.
Schwesinger was one of several linebackers that Styles shouted out during an interview with Kevin Clark earlier this month.
"With our DC coming from Minnesota, we've seen Blake (Cashman). You know, he's a great player. I think the way he moves around in zone, it's very fluid. He reads the quarterback really well. Underrated in the run game, I think he has a really good feel for, like, where the ball is going. Then you watch guys like Quay Walker, super physical, big guy. Devin Lloyd, super physical. Carson (Schwesinger) from the Browns, he's a high motor, like, super physical, always around the ball."
Styles led the Buckeyes with seven total tackles in Ohio State's 48-10 win over UCLA last season. The Buckeyes shut out the UCLA offense in the first half before backup quarterback Luke Duncan mustered 10 points after halftime.

#bruin

North Carolina will open its 2026 season with a familiar opponent in an unfamiliar setting.
The Tar Heels will face TCU on Saturday in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland, one year after the Horned Frogs handed UNC a lopsided loss in Chapel Hill. This time, both programs enter the matchup with significant changes after an offseason that reshaped portions of their respective rosters.
TCU will have several players capable of making an immediate impact as the Horned Frogs begin another season under Sonny **** s. From an experienced newcomer taking on a prominent offensive role to returning playmakers on both sides of the ball, North Carolina will have plenty to account for Saturday.
Here are three TCU players to watch against the Tar Heels.
Jaden Craig comes over from Harvard, where he finished his Harvard career as the program's all-time leader with 6,074 passing yards and 52 touchdown passes.

#carolina

Peter Cullen has died at the age of 85. Cullen was a prolific voice actor who played Transformers' Optimus Prime in both the animated and live-action franchises, Winnie the Pooh's Eeyore, the evil K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider, and more. He was also known for voicing the menacing clicking sounds that came out of the monster's mouth in Predator, starring Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Cullen's death was announced on Thursday, August 27, but Cullen died on August 26 in his home in Los Angeles, his agent, Kevin Motley, told The Hollywood Reporter. An official cause of death has not been disclosed.
The Canadian actor "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide," Cullen's family said in a statement. The family asks "that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity, and loyalty, and always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle.'"
Cullen recently played the voice of Thadeus in Invincible on Prime Video. Cullen also played the voice of King Kong in the 1976 remake. His live-action work in the early years of his career included being the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.
Related

#voice #august #hour

Canadian voice actor Peter Cullen has died, aged 85. He is best known as the voice of Optimus Prime in the Transformers films, TV shows and video games as well as Eeyore in dozens of Winnie the Pooh projects;
His agent Kevin Motley, announced his death to The Hollywood Reporter, confirming he passed on Wednesday 27 August at the age of 85.
He "passed away peacefully, surrounded by his loving family — and held in the hearts of his many friends and countless fans worldwide," his family said in a statement. They ask "that you honor his remarkable legacy by serving your communities and leading others with compassion, integrity and loyalty and always remember 'be strong enough to be gentle'."
Born in Montreal, Cullen voiced King Kong in the 1976 remake and the evil K.A.R.R. in Knight Rider series. He was also the originator of the clicking sounds made by the monster in 1987's Predator.
He also worked as the announcer for The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour and The Sonny & Cher Comedy Hour.

#family

MIAMI (AP) — Javier Sanoja had three hits and drove in a run, Ryan Gusto limited Boston to four hits in 5 2/3 innings and the Miami Marlins beat the Red Sox 4-0 on Wednesday night.
Gusto (1-3) walked three, struck out two and hit two batters for his first victory since July 30, 2025. Otto López singled twice and stole two bases, while Heriberto Hernández had two hits and an RBI to help the Marlins avoid a sweep in the three-game series.
Boston starter Sonny Gray, in his bid to become the first in the major leagues to 17 wins this season, gave up two runs and seven hits over five innings. Gray (16-4) walked one and struck out five.
The Red Sox had won five straight. They committed four errors.
Red Sox star catcher Audley Rutschman missed his second straight game because of right elbow irritation.

#hits #five #gray #innings

After a strong start to the series, England head to Lord's for the second Test against Pakistan hoping to seal the series.
In the opening Test in Headingley, the hosts dismantled Pakistan inside three days. The innings and 103-run victory handed Joe Root the perfect start to his second stint as Test captain.
Pakistan, by contrast, must win or draw simply to keep the contest alive before the finale at Edgbaston. Bowled out for 171 and 135 in Leeds, they were dismissed twice inside 86 overs.
The visitors do at least welcome back their captain. Babar Azam missed the opener with a finger injury sustained in the West Indies and aggravated during the warm-up fixture at Beckenham, but has since completed a full batting session and declared himself 90 per cent fit.
England have made one change to their squad, with Brydon Carse omitted following the incident outside a Derby nightclub and uncapped seamer Sonny Baker called up in his place.

#inside #captain #headingley #root

Former England captain Michael Vaughan has called for a severe punishment following Brydon Carse's latest involvement in a nightclub incident, saying the ECB must take action strong enough to deter the entire England cricket setup from similar behaviour.

Carse became the latest England player to attract scrutiny after a video emerged showing the fast bowler handcuffed by police outside a nightclub. He was briefly arrested while out with Durham team-mates Ben Stokes and Matthew Potts, leading the England and Wales Cricket Board to investigate the incident.

Carse had been part of England's squad for two of the three Tests against Pakistan but was released to play for Durham after being left out of the XI for the first Test at Leeds. He contributed 26 runs and returned figures of 2-82 as Durham beat Derbyshire inside three days.

The 30-year-old then went out with his Durham team-mates to celebrate the victory, during which the incident occurred.

The ECB subsequently confirmed that Carse "will no longer be available for selection" for the second Test against Pakistan at Lord's on Thursday. Hampshire right-arm seamer Sonny Baker has been called up as his replacement.

Vaughan believes the latest episode requires a response that sends a clear message across English cricket.

"Someone is going to have to get a punishment that sends a shiver down the whole England cricket team and right down through the programme, so that everyone knows that if you misbehave or bring any kind of bad reputation on to this team, you know what's going to come," former England captain Vaughan said on BBC Radio. "It's the only punishment that will really hurt players."

Carse's case comes amid a series of off-field incidents involving England players over the past year. Last October, white-ball captain Harry Brook was punched by a bouncer outside a nightclub in Wellington, New Zealand, while Jacob Bethell and Josh Tongue were also present.

During the Ashes tour of Australia, Ben Duckett was filmed apparently drunk during England's holiday in Noosa.

Then, in June, former Test captain Ben Stokes and fast bowler Gus Atkinson broke a team curfew and were present when a member of England's security staff was punched by Saracens rugby player in a London nightclub.

Vaughan acknowledged that Carse could feel hard done by if he is punished heavily in light of the wider pattern of incidents.

"I hope Carse is getting good support around him. He is a character who can be a little bit loose and if you give him a bit of rope he'll take a huge amount of it. He needs people around him who are giving him better advice.

"I would feel for Carse if he is the one who takes the rap for what has happened over the past nine months, but somewhere, somehow, something has to be done to set a precedent that they won't stand for that behaviour any more," said Vaughan.

#vaughan #nightclub

Red Sox place five players among ESPN's top MLB award contenders originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox might not have the favorite for any of Major League Baseball's biggest individual awards. They do have something no other team can easily match: candidates everywhere.
Five Red Sox players appeared prominently across three categories in ESPN's latest MLB Awards Watch. Willson Contreras and Ceddanne Rafaela ranked among the top five candidates for American League MVP, while Payton Tolle and Jake Bennett landed in the top 10 for AL Rookie of the Year.
Veteran right-hander Sonny Gray also appeared eighth in the AL Cy Young race. The rankings were produced through AXE, an ESPN rating system that combines several value metrics, including Baseball Reference WAR, FanGraphs WAR, win probability added and championship probability added.
AXE does not reflect the official vote. It provides a consensus measurement of each player's overall value. By that measurement, Boston's roster is loaded with some of the most impactful players in the American League.

#players #value

Pace bowler Brydon Carse has been removed from England's squad for the second Test against Pakistan amid an ongoing investigation into an incident that led to him being handcuffed by police.
Images that appeared on social media on Sunday showed Carse, 31, in handcuffs outside a bar in Derby on Saturday night.
It is understood he was not arrested, though the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) has referred the incident to the Cricket Regulator.
The Regulator will investigate and, as a result, Carse has been removed from the squad and replaced by Sonny Baker.
It is the latest in a string of off-field incidents involving the England team - Carse has become the third player this summer to miss a Test because of a disciplinary issue.

#england #Cricket #squad #pace

Sonny Gray Joins Tim Wakefield in 50-Year Red Sox History originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
It's truly remarkable that the Boston Red Sox have gotten the contributions they have from multiple players over the past few months.
While the Red Sox struggled to start the season, things would have been much uglier if players hadn't stepped up.
One guy who deserves all the credit in the world for keeping the Red Sox afloat throughout much of this campaign is Sonny Gray. The veteran right-hander, 36 years old, is 16-3 and has a 2.79 ERA.
There haven't been many starters in Major League Baseball better than Gray, as he's given Boston a real opportunity in nearly every game he's pitched.

#year

San Francisco (52-76) opened a three-game series against Boston (69-59) on Friday. The Red Sox won the series opener, 6-4, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.
Former Vol Drew Gilbert started in center field for the Giants and went 2-for-3. He hit a two-run home run 389 feet off former Vanderbilt pitcher Sonny Gray in the fourth inning.
Gilbert totaled two RBIs, one run and one strikeout against the Red Sox.
Gray (16-3) earned his 16th win of the season and pitched six innings. He recorded six strikeouts and 97 pitches, including 60 strikes, against 27 batters.
San Francisco designated hitter Rafael Devers and Boston first baseman Willson Contreras also hit one home run each in the contest.

#Friday #fenway #park

Fenway booed Rafael Devers in his first at-bat. He struck out. That was probably the nicest part of the night for San Francisco.
The Red Sox beat the Giants 6-4 on a cool Friday night at Fenway Park, and the game's defining moment was the bottom of the third. Sonny Gray had just spent part of the top of the frame grinding through a bases-loaded jam—the stuff ace starters have to handle in August—and escaped with only Bryce Eldridge's RBI to show for it. Then Logan Webb walked out for the bottom half and things fell apart in about 22 pitches. Hit batters, walks, hits, runs, all of it cascading at once.
Willson Contreras is a baaaaaaad man.
Two outs. Two men on. Contreras drove one 450 feet at 116 mph over the Green Monster, over Lansdowne Street, probably onto the Pike. The longest Fenway home run of the 2026 season. Then Webb faced his own bases-loaded jam, with a walk and a hit by pitch driving in two more. Five runs for Boston in the third. Webb was pulled at 2.2 innings; Roarke Sanmartin inherited the mess and got out of it. Didn't matter. Sox led 5-1. Mr. Brightside this early into a game was kinda wild.
The Giants didn't roll over, though. Right away in the fourth, Tyler Gilbert hit a two-run shot off Gray, and then Devers—the villain the whole crowd had been waiting to boo all night—stepped up and went back-to-back. Solo homer, dead center, his 26th. Just like that it was 5-4. Fenway got a little uneasy. Raffy got his moment. That was pretty much it for the Giants, though.

#webb #night

Red Sox Spoil Rafael Devers' Fenway Return With Statement Win originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Rafael Devers delivered the dramatic moment everyone expected Friday night. The Boston Red Sox still walked away with the result that mattered. Boston spoiled Devers' first game back at Fenway Park since the blockbuster trade, defeating the San Francisco Giants 6-4 in the opener of a three-game series.
Devers launched a 412-foot home run in the fourth inning, but Willson Contreras answered the former Red Sox star with an even bigger blast. Contreras' three-run homer highlighted a five-run third inning, while Wilyer Abreu provided an important insurance run later in the night. The victory improved Boston to 69-59 and helped the club rebound from Wednesday's extra-inning loss to the Arizona Diamondbacks.
San Francisco struck first when Bryce Eldridge delivered an RBI single against Sonny Gray in the third inning. That lead did not last long.
Nick Sogard singled and Abreu drew a walk before Contreras crushed a three-run homer off Giants ace Logan Webb. The ball traveled 450 feet and completely left Fenway Park, giving Boston a 3-1 advantage. The Red Sox continued applying pressure with two outs. Adley Rutschman and Caleb Durbin singled before Jarren Duran loaded the bases with another hit.

#inning #nesn #park

BOSTON (AP) — Willson Contreras hit a three-run home run and the Boston Red Sox held off the San Francisco Giants 6-4 on Friday night in the return of Rafael Devers to Fenway Park.
The Giants pulled within 5-4 in the fourth inning after Drew Gilbert hit a two-run homer off Boston starter Sonny Gray, and Devers followed with a solo homer, his 26th this season.
But Wilyer Abreu's RBI triple in the sixth gave Boston enough cushion. Gray (16-3) pitched six innings, allowing four runs off seven hits and while striking out six. Aroldis Chapman struck out three and walked one in the ninth to pick up his 28th save.
Bryce Eldridge added an RBI single for San Francisco.
Contreras jumped on an 85-mph changeup from Giants starter Logan Webb (8-8) and crushed a 450-foot rope over the Green Monster and out of stadium for his 26th homer to put the Red Sox in front 3-1.

#contreras #devers #gray #willson

Rafael Devers returned to Fenway Park on Friday for the first time since the Boston Red Sox traded him to the San Francisco Giants in June 2025.
Since Devers' relationship with the Red Sox, particularly with chief baseball officer Craig Breslow, didn't end particularly well, it could be reasonably ******* umed that fans might not greet the three-time All-Star warmly.
But he received a mixed reaction from the Fenway crowd with boos largely overpowering cheers during pregame introductions and when he took his first at-bat. Batting second in the Giants' lineup, Devers struck out looking on four pitches from Boston starter Sonny Gray.
Resentments understandably linger after Devers was traded largely because of the tension he created by refusing to move from third base to designated hitter when Boston signed Alex Bregman as a free agent. But with Bregman being a far superior defensive player, Devers eventually ceded and played at DH.
However, the possibility of switching positions came up again when first baseman Triston Casas ruptured his patellar tendon and the Red Sox needed someone to replace him at the position. Devers seemed a natural fit as a defensively challenged slugger. But he balked at being asked again to play another position during the season.

#bregman #time

What did Washington Commanders rookie linebacker Sonny Styles think of his first career game against the Miami Dolphins last week? Styles played only one series against Miami, and it didn't go well. No, Styles wasn't bad, but the results were, as the Dolphins ran 14 plays and drove 93 yards for a touchdown.
The Commanders won 20-7. Miami's last 11 drives ended without another score. Washington also forced four turnovers. Yet, Styles can't get that one drive out of his mind.
"Me and [LB] Leo [Chenal] were a little frustrated," Styles said with a smile. "One drive, one touchdown, like 15 plays, so, not ideal, but go again next week."
If you're a Washington coach, that should make you happy. That's how you wanted Styles to respond, even if the game meant nothing in the standings and Styles was playing with mostly backups.
Now that he's had a few days to think on it, how would Styles **** s his performance?

#Commanders #Miami #game

Cher's iconic outfits, spanning decades, have solidified her status as a celebrated style icon.
Signature looks include the 1974 "naked dress" at the Met Gala and crop tops before they were trendy.
In 2024, Cher stunned at the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show and celebrated her Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction.
There's no denying that Cher has remained a style icon in a league of her own across decades. Rising to fame in the 1960s, fans got their first taste of Cher's extravagant costumes on The Sonny and Cher Show. While it's clear that she's always been a performer, her outfits have been just as captivating and compelling as her vocals.
Beyond the stage, Cher has built a reputation for pushing fashion boundaries, especially on red carpets. From her show-stopping dazzling outfits to her risky sheer, skin-baring styles, Cher is a walking masterclass in how to make a fashion statement guaranteed to get people's attention. And while the musical diva has paved the way for music stars to be seen as fashion icons, she credits her most memorable outfits to her longtime designer, Bob Mackie.

#fame #celebrated #icon

Patrick Sandoval has been playing with fire baserunners all season since returning from Tommy John surgery this year, and it finally blew up on the Red Sox over the weekend. Now we're hearing that an injury may be playing a role in his performance, even if it's a small one. Sandoval apparently has been battling a blister on his left foot (the foot he uses to push off the rubber) for most of the year. (Jon Conahan, NESN)
If Sandoval does go on the IL — or if he's just ***** ped from the rotation for underperformance — the Sox do have another experienced starter on the roster who could take his rotation spot in Brayan Bello. The problem is that Bello, for whatever reason, is thriving in his long relief role after struggling in the first inning all season long. "Does this mean Brayan can't start anymore? That's not the case," Chad Tracy said. "It's difficult to ignore how very, very effective he has been coming out of the bullpen in a bulk relief role and taking down innings. So I don't think that we've closed the book on that by any means. It just feels like that's the way to do it right now." (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)
Bello is pitching so well in his long relief role that it's hard not to think about what the narrative of his season would be if he was able to perform this way as a conventional starter. He has an ERA of 0.85 in over 50 relief innings, and if he were performing anywhere close to that while starting games, we'd be talking about him having a career year and thrusting himself into the Cy Young conversation. As it stands, Cam Schlittler of the Yankees seems to have that award locked up, though Sonny Gray is currently projected to finish fifth. (Jason Foster, MLB.com)
Sonny Gray is rightly heralded as one of the best offseason acquisitions any big league team has made this year. But, so far, the Red Sox trade deadline acquisitions aren't faring nearly as well. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
Bello isn't the only Red Sox veteran who went missing from this team for most of the middle of the season, of course. Trevor Story has been out since mid-May recovering from sports hernia surgery, after struggling through the first weeks of the season. But he now hopes to return as early as Friday. It's fair to ask whether he still should get the nod at shortstop given his poor performance before hitting the IL, but Chad Tracy says the goal is for him to be the everyday shortstop again. (Tim Healey, Boston Globe)

#year #role #long

The Boston Red Sox were one of the hottest teams in baseball over the last month and a half, but have cooled down as of late.
They are 3-7 in their last 10 and have seen some of their pitchers struggle. On Sunday, Patrick Sandoval allowed seven earned runs in four innings of work. He had been pitching well recently, so Sunday's blow up start was a shock. He received a visit from the trainer on Sunday as well, in the fourth inning.
"Patrick Sandoval said he's been pitching through a blister on his left foot basically all season (thus the trainer visit in the fourth inning)," The Boston Globe's Alex Speier reported on Sunday. "He says it's just a matter of pain tolerance."
Any sort of minor injury can impact any player's performance, but especially pitchers. A blister in his left foot would certainly be something that is difficult to manage, but he has been doing it all year. Given Jake Bennett's recent struggles, the Red Sox will need their other arms to step up. They know what they are going to get out of the top-end guys like Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray.
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#sunday #patrick #visit

Editor's note: Each day, Hogs Haven compiles a collection of articles, podcasts & tweets from around the web to keep you in touch with the Commanders, the NFC East, the NFL and sports in general, with a sprinkling of other stuff. Enjoy!
Bullock's Film Room (subscription)
Sonny Styles made his NFL debut in the Commanders preseason opener against the Dolphins on Friday night. The seventh overall pick started the game but played just one series before being held out for the rest of the game. In that series, the Commanders defense struggled to stop the Dolphins as Miami drove 93 yards down the field on a 14-play touchdown drive. Some fans have been quick to jump on Styles and be extremely critical of his performance, which is obviously silly given the context. But as such, I thought I'd take a closer look at how Styles played.
Run Game
In the run game, Styles had a few ups and downs but was largely pretty solid. There were a few plays I saw people online being critical of when actually Styles did exactly what he was meant to do.

#styles #Commanders #series #east

Red Sox's Garrett Crochet Still Not 'Guaranteed' to Return This Season originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Boston Red Sox have gotten some great contributions from multiple pitchers throughout the 2026 campaign.
With ace Garrett Crochet going down with an injury and not appearing in a game since April 25, the Red Sox have needed players to step up. Losing arguably the best pitcher in Major League Baseball was a very concerning sign, but the Red Sox have found ways to win games without the 27-year-old.
While it's been a collective effort, right-hander Sonny Gray has been just as important as anybody else.
The veteran is 15-3 with a 2.65 ERA and has struck out 117 hitters in 132.2 innings. To put things simply, he's been just as good as anybody in baseball.

#anybody #still #guaranteed #season