Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Red Sox 'Can Dream' Of Improbable Playoff Run originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

For much of this season, the playoffs have felt like a pipe dream for the Boston Red Sox, who sank to the worst record in the American League last week.

After a five-game winning streak, however, the Red Sox are suddenly very much alive. Despite being nine games below .500, they enter play on Tuesday 4.5 games out of a wild card spot and with a roughly 20 percent chance of making the postseason, according to FanGraphs.

Given how weak the American League is this year, MLB insider Ken Rosenthal thinks Boston is still a playoff contender despite the team's rough first half.

The Red Sox have a long way to go, but you can't write them off in a watered-down American League. pic.twitter.com/BXWHpS65s8

— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) June 30, 2026

"When a team like the Red Sox suddenly plays a little bit better, their roster is in a little bit better place...they're four and a half games out of the wild card in a bad league, yeah, they can dream," Rosenthal said on Tuesday's episode of "Foul Territory." "The team holding the third wild card spot in the American League right now is a .500 team... Anything is theoretically possible here."

Entering play on Tuesday, only five AL teams are above .500. Six teams are within five games of the third wild card spot, so most of the league is still in contention, including the Red Sox.

Boston has underperformed thus far relative to its talent level and expectations. Based on run differential, the Red Sox should be one game over .500 instead of nine games under.

They also have a soft schedule until the All-Star Break, which could help them stay hot and make up some ground over the next two weeks. If they do that and get some help at the trade deadline, it's not hard to envision them going on a run in the second half and potentially snagging a wild card berth.

More MLB: Historic Pitching Streak Fueling Red Sox's Remarkable Turnaround

What Are Red Sox's Postseason Chances After Five Game Win Streak? originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox got off to a very slow start to the season, but are still hanging around in a very weak American League.

On the eve of July 1, only five teams in the AL have a winning record. The Red Sox sit 4 1/2 games out of a wild card spot, with five teams ahead of them. There is still plenty of season left, and the Red Sox have some hope after showing life and winning five straight games, including a four-game sweep of the New York Yankees.

The Red Sox still have plenty of ground to make up, but their postseason chances have gone from 9.7% on June 18 to 20.6% entering play on Tuesday, according to FanGraphs.

While their chances are still slim, they have a few reasons to believe they can make a push. For one, the starting rotation has been lights out. Ranger Suarez, Payton Tolle and Sonny Gray have all been phenomenal, and Garrett Crochet should return at some point.

Additionally, the offense could get Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and Romy González back at some point. González is more of a utility player, and Story was struggling before his injury, but Anthony could genuinely turn the entire season around. He was not playing great before his injury, but he is the face of the franchise now and has the potential to go on a tear.

He was amazing last year and was a superstar in the World Baseball Classic. If he can come back and provide some more power, the Red Sox could be set up with elite pitching and a scary offense.

Not to mention, if they can pull within three games of a wild card spot in the next couple of weeks, they could be serious buyers at the trade deadline.

More MLB: Caleb Durbin's Numbers Starting To Make Red Sox Look Good For Letting Alex Bregman Walk

Red Sox Wilyer Abreu Speaks On Playing Through Venezuelan Crisis originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

One of the greatest things about sports is the ability to take our minds away from whatever is happening in the world and get behind a common goal for three hours. 

But for the players on the field, it is a lot easier said than done. 

The Boston Red Sox roster is chock full of Venezuelan talent. The country of Venezuela was rocked by an earthquake over the weekend, and 50,000 people are still missing. 

On more than one occasion, right fielder Wilyer Abreu has used his platform to raise awareness about the crisis. 

After Boston's fifth straight win, he told NESN's Jahmai Webster that it has not been easy for him and his teammates.

"It's very hard to play right now with everything that is going on in Venezuela," Abreu said. "We are doing everything we can to stay focused on the game. It's very emotional. 

"We feel like we're there trying to support everything we can. We are trying to do whatever it takes to stay focused on the game, but it's hard to play like that."

Abreu had a run and an RBI in the Red Sox's 6-3 victory over the Washington Nationals. 

Wilyer Abreu gives @WebsterOnTV a very honest answer about playing baseball right now 💔

"It's very hard to play right now with everything that's going on in Venezuela, but we're doing everything we can to stay focused on the game."

🤝 presented by @WBMasonCopic.twitter.com/M6b7Z4snB1

— NESN (@NESN) June 30, 2026

More MLB: Willson Contreras Apologizes To Nationals For Bat Flip, 'It Was For My Country'

Willson Contreras Apologizes To Nationals For Bat Flip, 'It Was For My Country' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras has been playing with a heavy heart this week after earthquakes rocked his home country of Venezuela. More than 50,000 people remain missing as the death toll rises every day. 

Contreras has been vocal in his activism for his home country, but has not missed a game since the crisis unfolded. 

On Monday night, he stepped into the batter's box in the first inning and launched a 421-foot home run. 

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It was a moment he said he prayed to God for. After barreling up the Miles Mikolas pitch, Contreras sent his bat sky high with a two-handed bat flip. 

He made sure to tell reporters that he was not trying to show up Mikolas or the Washington Nationals. 

"It was nothing against the Nationals. I apologize to them if they felt the bat flip was wrong," Contreras said. "And to Mikolas. He is a great friend of mine, I don't think he took it personally. But I apologize to them anyway.

"I was thinking of my country. Thinking of so many kids that have died. So many people that have died. And it's not easy to be dealing with."

Mikolas and Contreras were teammates for three years in St. Louis.

Willson Contreras with a powerful postgame scrum 🇻🇪💪

🤝 presented by @WBMasonCopic.twitter.com/7tAvnP4KsW

— NESN (@NESN) June 30, 2026

More MLB: Willson Contreras Says He 'Prayed To God' For HR, Explains Weeping In Dugout

Umpire Who Absurdly Ejected Willson Contreras Has Track Record originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Boston Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was ejected in the second inning of Monday night's game against the Washington Nationals. 

Contreras, who homered in the first inning, struck out on a check swing. When the home plate umpire went to the first base umpire to appeal the K, Contreras disagreed with his decision. 

On the way back to Boston's dugout, Contreras simply tapped his head so as to signify he would like to challenge the call. 

This act alone got him tossed from the game with seven innings to play. 

Tim Healey of the Boston Globe did some digging on umpire Nic Lentz, and as it turns out, Lentz has a history of quick hooks. 

Umpire Nic Lentz, who ejected Willson Contreras for tapping his helmet tonight, also ejected the Rays' Taylor Walls for tapping his helmet earlier this season. https://t.co/BN5T5TtBN5

— Tim Healey (@timbhealey) June 30, 2026

In this instance, on June 1, 2025, Walls was ejected for "tapping his helmet" during his at-bat before the implementation of the ABS Challenge. 

Contreras took it a lot better than Walls did. The Tampa Bay Rays batter had to be held back by multiple members of the coaching staff after being caught on the hot mic saying his fair share of expletives. 

All fans agree that there needs to be some sort of punishment for an umpire who takes over the game like Lentz did tonight. No one is there to watch him. 

More MLB: Willson Contreras Bawls In Red Sox Dugout After Clobbering First Inning HR

Red Sox Promote 19-Yr-Old Catcher Prospect Hitting .427 In Rookie Ball originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox signed Venezuelan native Franklin Primera to a minor league contract two years ago when he was just 17 years old. 

Primera played 45 games of rookie ball in 2025. He batted .333, averaging one hit every game, but never showed the slugging.

That is not the case this season for Primera, who turned 19 this month. 

The Venezuelan catcher has played 32 games in the Florida Complex League, a rookie-level Minor League Baseball circuit. He's batting .427 on the season with an OPS of 1.267 and eight home runs. 

Primera's efforts have earned him a trip out of rookie ball after being promoted to the Red Sox's Low-A affiliate, the Salem RidgeYaks, as reported by Chris Hatfield of SoxProspects.com.

"Primera, the SoxProspects.com Player of the Week in the last two editions of this post, continues to dominate the Florida complex league," a SoxProspects.com article posted before his promotion read. "In 28 games, he is hitting .461/.581/.798 with eight home runs, leading the circuit in all three of the slash categories. During his current 16-game hitting streak (excluding Saturday's suspended game), he is an astonishing 26 for 55 with 22 runs scored and 25 RBI, with seven home runs, four doubles, and twice as many walks (eight) as strikeouts (four), adding up to a .509/.592/.964 surge."

The RidgeYaks season lasts well into September, so Primera should have every opportunity to continue his farm system climb.

More MLB: Red Sox Pitching Coach Andrew Bailey 'In Awe' Of Red Sox Rotation 

Marc Bertrand Claims Red Sox Sweep Over Yankees Means 'Absolutely Nothing' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox may have saved their season by completing a four-game sweep over the New York Yankees. Marc Bertrand doesn't seem convinced that the series will spark a midseason turnaround.

Boston is just 4.5 games away from the American League's last wild-card spot after beating the Yankees four straight times at Fenway Park. They're one of only five AL teams with a positive run differential (+5) after outscoring their long-time rivals 21-9.

Red Sox fans are riding high from a successful weekend, but Bertrand tried to temper any excitement during Monday's "Zolak & Bertrand" on 98.5 The Sports Hub.

"The Red Sox sweep the Yankees, and it means absolutely nothing," Bertrand claimed. "It doesn't mean anything."

Bertrand appears to see the latest hot streak as too little, too late for the Red Sox. The radio host doesn't think they should start planning to buy before the trade deadline because they swept the Yankees.

"They've won seven of 10. It doesn't mean they're back in it," Bertrand continued. "It doesn't mean they're capable of competing for a playoff spot. It doesn't mean they're getting themselves back into the wild-card race ... It changes absolutely nothing."

Or it could change everything for a team scuffling to build momentum throughout the first half. 

The Red Sox had gone 6-17 against the American League East before snatching four straight wins over the Yankees, who began the series boasting the AL's best record. Boston was also 12-25 at home to start the series and 5-12 in one-run games before Sunday night's 5-4 victory in extra innings.

FanGraphs now gives the Red Sox an 18 percent chance of making the playoffs, up from 9.7 percent after the Jays completed a sweep over them on June 18.

Boston's work remains far from finished, but sweeping the Yankees could prove the catalyst to a second-half run. The Red Sox will try to sustain that goodwill during a three-game series against the Washington Nationals.

More MLB: Ken Rosenthal Explains Why Resurgent Red Sox Are Suddenly 'Really Interesting'

Red Sox Join Impressive Company With Stunning Sweep Of Yankees originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Prior to Sunday, the 2026 Boston Red Sox didn't have much in common with the 2018 Red Sox, but they do now.

Boston completed a stunning four-game sweep of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park over the weekend, overcoming a 4-2 deficit in extra innings on Sunday to win the series finale on Jarren Duran's walk-off single.

Not only was it the Red Sox's first four-game winning streak of the season, but it was also their first four-game sweep of the Yankees since August 2-5, 2018.

Boston went on to win a franchise record 108 regular-season games that year and the World Series, capping off the greatest season in team history.

The 2026 campaign has not been as successful for the Red Sox, who have no active players remaining from that 2018 squad. Even after sweeping their top rivals, they are still last in the AL East at 36-46.

There's still time for them to turn things around, however, and their thrilling sweep could be the spark they need to finally get their season back on track.

More MLB: Red Sox Make Franchise History With Four-Game Sweep Of Yankees

Chad Tracy Reveals Why Red Sox Optioned Productive Three-Year Veteran originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox's bench is getting a major boost for the rest of the season with versatile infielder Romy González's return from injury.

González has been out all season after undergoing shoulder surgery in March, but made his season debut on Sunday against the New York Yankees. Though Boston will enjoy having González back from injury, the team had to unfortunately option third-year catcher Mickey Gasper to open room on the roster.

The Red Sox called up Gasper in early May, and the 30-year-old catcher has made his impact with the team, slashing .243/.305/.308 with five doubles and a triple across 34 games.

Though Gasper has performed well this season, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy revealed that the team optioned the veteran catcher to avoid having three catchers on its roster and have more versatility.

“Obviously, he has cooled off a little bit with the bat,” Tracy said on Sunday, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “The quality is still really good. It’s more about with Romy active -- and you know Romy’s not going to be able to run out there and play five or six games in a row at second base -- so you’re gonna have to take him down some DH at-bats.

"You’re going to have Masa (Yoshida) take down some DH at-bats. The need to get away from three catchers and have more versatility on the bench was just imperative at this point. We rode that for a while.”

Last season was the most impressive year of González's career, as the versatile infielder slashed .305/.343/.483 with nine home runs and 53 runs batted in across 96 games. In addition to providing Boston with a reliable right-handed bat, the 29-year-old offers plenty of defensive versatility with his ability to play multiple infield positions.

Gasper has played well this season, but having three catchers on the roster does not make sense for Boston. As the Red Sox strive to improve down the stretch, having a versatile player like González coming off the bench is important.

More MLB: Red Sox Roman Anthony Placed On 60-Day IL

Yankees' Gerrit Cole ERA At Fenway Jumps To 7 After Red Sox Beat Down originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

New York Yankees starting pitcher Gerrit Cole's perfect game bid lasted all of two pitches on Saturday afternoon before Boston Red Sox leadoff hitter Masataka Yoshida deposited a lazy 93-mile-an-hour fastball down the middle into Boston's bullpen. 

Yoshida is no slugger. It was only the 5-foot-8 Japanese native's second home run of the season, and sixth since 2024. But hey, that's Gerrit Cole at Fenway Park for you. 

The next inning, he gave Triple-A call-up Anthony Seigler his first career home run. The inning after that, the entire Red Sox lineup ate with back-to-back singles from Yoshida and Ceddanne Rafaela coming to roost after Willson Contereas doubled to the deepest part of the ballpark. 

It was another loss for Cole at Fenway, which has hilariously become his Yankees' legacy.

In seven starts in Boston, Cole has pitched 35 1/3 innings, allowed 39 hits, and a whopping 27 earned runs. He has given up 14 home runs and boasts an ERA of 6.88.

According to ESPN Insights, his career ERA against the Red Sox as a member of the Yankees is not much better.

"Cole has a 5.87 ERA in 14 career starts against the Red Sox as a member of the Yankees," ESPN Insightswrote. "Among the 67 Yankees pitchers with at least 75 IP against their rival, only Tommy Byrne (6.10) has a higher ERA than Cole."

Gerrit Cole will take the hill against the Red Sox today. Cole has a 5.87 ERA in 14 career starts against the Red Sox as a member of the Yankees.

Among the 67 Yankees pitchers with at least 75 IP against their rival, only Tommy Byrne (6.10) has a higher ERA than Cole 😮 pic.twitter.com/hdE2nmQ1dJ

— ESPN Insights (@ESPNInsights) June 27, 2026

And that was before the Red Sox got him for four runs in another loss. That ERA now sits above six. 

The Red Sox will see Carlos Rodon on Sunday night as they look for the four-game series sweep.

More MLB: Red Sox Triple-A Call-Up On Smashing First Career HR Off Gerrit Cole

Ceddanne Rafaela Compares This Red Sox Pitcher To Garrett Crochet In This Way originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox have won three straight games against the New York Yankees, and things are starting to look up for them.

The season has not gone as anyone had expected for the Red Sox, but they still have time to go on a miraculous run. They have talented players, but everything has not clicked at once. Injuries have played a role, as the Red Sox have been without Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony all season.

Crochet was one of the best pitchers in the league last season, and even though he has been out for a while, Ceddanne Rafaela thinks one of the Red Sox's offseason additions has filled his role nicely. Rafaela noted that Sonny Gray's start days are like Crochet's in the sense that the team is confident they will win.

“He’s been really, really good and I think he’s like when (Garrett) Crochet was last year out there — we feel we’re going to win that game,” Rafaela said to MassLive's Christopher Smith. “It feels like that.”

Gray has a 2.95 ERA in 14 starts this year. He has certainly pitched like an All-Star, and being compared to Crochet is no small feat. The Red Sox are 10-4 in his starts. Through 14 starts last year, Crochet had a 2.35 ERA and the team was 8-6 in his starts. 

More MLB: Red Sox Jarren Duran Denies Fan Altercation, Testy Exchange With Reporters

Jake Bennett Accomplished This Career-First Against Feeble Yankees Lineup originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox have been recipients of outstanding pitching on all three nights of the series against the New York Yankees.

On Saturday night, it was Triple-A call-up Jake Bennett, who was pitching in just his fourth game since replacing Brayan Bello, who put together a career night. 

Bennett carried a Red Sox no-hitter into the fifth inning for the second night in a row. It wasn't until Max Schuemann squared up a first-pitch fastball and deposited it into the batter's eye in straight-away center field that the slumping Yankees were able to record their first and only run of the night with two outs in the fifth inning.

The home run was the only hit Bennett allowed in the first six full innings of his start.

Interim manager Chad Tracy made the decision to send Bennett out in the seventh. He allowed a weak infield single to the first batter before giving Cody Bellinger a pitch to hit as well. He struck out Jasson Dominguez in what would be the last at-bat of his outing. 

Bennett's final line read: 6.1 innings pitched, three hits, one earned run, three strikeouts and two walks. 

More impressively, Tim Healey of the Boston Globe reported after the game that Saturday was the first time in Bennett's pro career, Majors or minors, that the rookie had pitched into the seventh inning of a start. 

Bennett's ERA was lowered to a respectable 3.27 on the season as the Red Sox pulled off a third consecutive victory over the first-place Yankees. 

More MLB: Red Sox Jarren Duran Denies Fan Altercation, Testy Exchange With Reporters

Red Sox Jarren Duran Denies Fan Altercation, Testy Exchange With Reporters originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Unfortunately for Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, it has become a trend during his career for lame fans to hurl insults his way from the safety of the stands. 

On Saturday, Duran and interim manager Chad Tracy teamed up with a Fenway Park security guard to get an unruly fan removed during the eighth inning of Boston's third-straight win over the New York Yankees. 

Tracy confirmed that the fan had been removed for "chirping for a few innings and chirping toward Jarren again."

However, Duran had no part in discussing the incident when reporters asked him about it after the game. Greg Dudek of the Boston Herald chronicled Duran's testy response. 

Reporter: "Jarren, obviously, there was that exchange with the fan."

Duran: “Nothing happened.”

Reporter: “Tracy was saying…”

Duran: “Nothing happened.”

Reporter: “You guys were…”

Duran: “Nothing happened.”

Reporter (continuing previous question): “Frustrated over something chirping-wise?”

Duran: “Nope. Nothing happened”

Duran has famously had a few interactions with fans in the past that undoubtedly play a part in the rambunctious spectators targeting the  29-year-old when they feel like getting kicked out of a game. 

Dudek also claimed that Duran spoke to reporters for "less than 30 seconds."

Duran is still the everyday starter in left field, but his June hitting slump came to a head Saturday against the Yankees when he went 0-4 after registering a hit in each of the first two games of the series. 

Duran is now 13-88 in June, with 30 strikeouts and only three extra base hits. 

Compare this to May, when Duran caught fire and batted .261 on the month, ending with at least one hit in 12 of the final 14 games. 

More MLB: Red Sox Chad Tracy Has Fan Removed After 'Chirping Jarren (Duran) Again'

Red Sox Chad Tracy Has Fan Removed After 'Chirping Jarren (Duran) Again' originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

The Boston Red Sox became winners of three straight on Saturday afternoon during a rare 1:00 PM first pitch at Fenway Park against the New York Yankees. 

But it wasn't all smiles during the Red Sox's trouncing of their rivals. Reports emerged late in the game claiming that interim manager Chad Tracy was forced to involve security to remove a few fans sitting near the Red Sox dugout. 

Tracy explained the altercation to reporters after the game. 

"Just some people who were chirping, had been chirping for a few innings, and started chirping toward Jarren again," Tracy said. "We grabbed him, and we got him down (into the dugout) and told them, 'Can you get him (the fan) out?'"

Tracy's request resulted in a single fan being removed just before the start of the ninth inning. 

The chirps came after Duran grounded out in the bottom of the eighth inning to fall to 0-4 on the day at the plate. 

Tracy declined to expand on what the fan said.

"I don’t want to get into the details, just enough for us to say, 'Can you please get him out?'" Tracy said.

More MLB: Red Sox's Payton Tolle Has Dominated The Yankees This Year

The Boston Red Sox (34-46) can clinch their four-game series with the New York Yankees (48-33) at Fenway Park on Saturday after winning the first two matchups, including a dominant pitching performance on Friday night.

How to Watch New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

• Date: Saturday, June 27, 2026
• Time: 1:00 PM ET
• Channel: ABC
• Stream: Fubo (TRY FOR FREE)

Payton Tolle didn’t allow a baserunner until the sixth inning and allowed just one hit in seven scoreless innings to lead Boston to a 6-1 victory over the Yankees on Friday night. Willson Contreras hit a ball over the Green Monster and out of Fenway Park in the third inning as the Red Sox built an early 4-0 lead, and backup catcher Connor Wong drove in two runs. Tolle threw 88 pitches, 61 for strikes, and struck out seven.

The Yankees mustered just three hits, getting their lone run in the eighth inning when Austin Wells grounded out to chase Anthony Volpe home from third base. Will Warren struggled through 5.2 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits while walking three, and didn’t record a strikeout. 

Left-hander Jake Bennett (1-3) gets the start for the Red Sox on Saturday. In five starts and 26.2 innings, Bennett owns a 3.71 ERA and 1.125 WHIP and comes off six scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies on Monday in Denver. New York gives the ball to veteran Gerrit Cole (2-2), who comes in with a 3.62 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in six starts and 32.1 innings.

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