Boston Red Sox
Is another double-digit win streak en route to Boston? Time will tell.
Second baseman Anthony Seigler had a career night at the plate. He recorded four hits for the first time. Brian Fluharty/Getty Images
The Boston Red Sox returned to their usual form in their first game after snapping their exhilarating 15-game win streak.
The Red Sox beat the visiting Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 in exciting comeback fashion on Friday night, two days after falling to the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday night for the first time in weeks.
Could another massive win streak be on the way for the unstoppable Sox? It’s surely possible with the way they continue to play this month.
Late-game magic, which had been a staple for Boston during the latter half of their win streak, took place in the bottom of the eighth inning.
With the game tied 4-4 after blowing a 4-0 lead, the Red Sox rifled off two runs as quickly as they had lost their lead in the top of the frame. Jarren Duran hit a leadoff double and scored on a pinch-hit, go-ahead RBI double by Romy Gonzalez to regain the lead, 5-4.
Anthony Seigler, who recorded four hits on the night for the first time in his career, made it 6-4 with a RBI double of his own to put Boston ahead for good.
Speaking about his impactful night after the game, Seigler praised the people around him for grounding him as he’s quickly evolved into an important cog in this newly-manufactured Red Sox winning machine.
“It felt great,” he told Apple TV’s Tricia Whitaker on the field. “All glory to God. Just having great people around me, my teammates, coaches picking me up. Baseball’s a grind and we got a long season. They reminded me of that and then I was able to take a step back and take it pitch by pitch.”
Closer Aroldis Chapman, who has been a bit shaky in recent save situations, took care of business after allowing a leadoff walk. He went 1-2-3 to record the save and put the Red Sox back in the win column.
The Red Sox gained an early 4-0 advantage with a leadoff home run by Seigler (the first of his career) in the bottom of the first, a Ceddanne Rafaela two-run homer in the third, and a sacrifice fly by Monasterio in the sixth.
Seigler, who was a triple shy of recording the cycle, said he wasn’t trying to do too much at the plate. He just wanted to drive in runs.
“Just trying to put good barrel on the ball. That’s it, really,” he said. “Take it pitch by pitch and then get my teammates in a good position for where they can execute. Just get on and score from there.”
When Boston scores early, success tends to follow. It took some extra effort for them on this occasion when Greg Weissert allowed a three-run home run by Kazuma Okamoto in the top of the seventh, cutting the Red Sox’ lead to 4-3.
Garrett Whitlock, who hadn’t allowed a run in over one month (since June 23), let Toronto knot the score at four with an Andres Gimenez sacrifice fly, which put his team at risk of losing consecutive games since July 1.
Almost as expected, of course, Boston’s bats did what they do best in the eighth inning to erase the bullpen’s mistakes.
Over their last 24 games, the Red Sox are an MLB-best 21-3. They’re 16-2 in July, which is their best record through 18 games to begin any calendar month in franchise history.
Not only that, but Boston’s win improved their wild-card position. It moved from the American League’s third and final wild-card spot into the second spot, a major accomplishment for a team whose season felt finished one month ago.
Seigler was asked if he could believe the Red Sox’ 180-degree turnaround, and he said emphatically said “yes.”
“I can believe it,” he said. “This is what we do. We knew this is what we’re capable of and we’re gonna keep on doing it.”
Whether you’ve been watching this stretch of games from home or you’ve caught a game in-person, it’s impossible not to feel the magic surrounding this club. Seigler said the team has done its best to soak in the excitement themselves by “living in the moment.”
“We’re just taking it game by game,” he said. “We’re obviously living in the moment, but obviously now it’s onto the next. Turn the page quick and then get ready for tomorrow.”
Time will tell if Boston has another special win streak in them. The team will look to win their second straight game at 4:10 p.m. Eastern Time Saturday. Ace Sonny Gray is set to face off against Dylan Cease.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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