BOSTON — Red Sox starting pitcher Connelly Early left his start against the Nationals on Tuesday with left elbow discomfort.

He didn’t return for the fifth inning with Boston leading the Nationals 1-0. Left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe replaced him.

Early pitched four scoreless innings, allowing three hits and two walks while striking out five. He induced groundball double plays in both the third and fourth innings.

*** READ WHAT EARLY SAID ABOUT HIS ELBOW INJURY ***

The 24-year-old rookie threw just 61 pitches, including 38 strikes. He recorded seven swings and misses.

Early has gone 7-5 with a 3.44 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and .235 opponents’ batting average in 17 starts this season. He has 93 strikeouts and 34 walks in 91 ⅔ innings.

With Early leaving the game after just four innings, it ends Boston’s run of 12 consecutive quality starts. It marked the longest streak of quality starts since a franchise-record 14 consecutive from April 8-25, 1988.

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BOSTON — At a time when they can least afford it, the Red Sox are about to lose the most fearsome hitter in their lineup.

After Tuesday’s bench-clearing brawl in the bottom of the fourth inning, Willson Contreras is staring down at an MLB-mandated suspension.

It’s unlikely to be for just a game or two.

Never mind that Contreras became the first player in franchise history to be ejected in consecutive games, though that won’t help his case.

Focus, instead, on the fact that Tuesday marked the fifth time this season — half-season, really — in which benches have cleared and Contreras has been in the middle of it.

On a couple of occasions, he was angry at being hit by pitches. But Contreras stands close to the plate and annually is among the league leaders when it comes to being hit by a pitch. Last year, he was struck 25 times. He’s on pace to top that this season with 14 just past the halfway point.

But Major League Baseball is likely to take his history into account. And this year alone, they’re going to see him as the common denominator in too many on-field dust-ups. Though he wasn’t disciplined for any of the first four, the recurrence of bench-clearing incidents, all of them relating to Contreras in one way or another, will get taken into consideration.

The timing couldn’t be worse for the Red Sox, who, until Tuesday night, had won five straight and seven of 10. Better than three months into the season, they were finally showing signs of life in the last two weeks.

Now, they’ll be forced to begin a nine-game, three-city road trip later this week without the services of their best hitter. In a lineup that has otherwise struggled since Opening Day, Contreras has shown himself capable of being a difference-maker.

He has nobody of consequence hitting behind him — Jarren Duran recently was installed as the No. 5 hitter, but he’s cooled since a torrid May and is batting below .200 for the season — and yet, name the category and Contreras leads the Sox: in homers, in RBIs, in extra-base hits, in total bases and slugging percentage.

Without him, the Red Sox would be battling the Angels and Royals for the worst record in the league. With him, they’ve shown enough spark to hint at a second-half charge toward playoff contention in a league that asks its wild-card teams to only be within spitting distance of .500.

Contreras is more than just the team’s most productive hitter. He’s also quickly established himself as the team’s de facto leader. It was Contreras, who weeks into the season, sensed that something was off with the energy in the clubhouse and called out his teammates.

And it was Contreras who galvanized them on the field last Friday in the second game of the weekend series with the Yankees, later professing that the rivalry could use a little shot of adrenaline.

“I think it’s good for baseball,” shrugged Contreras of the confrontation he contributed to on the field. “It makes baseball fun...I think we need a little more saltiness in the rivalry. I’ll say that.”

To an extent, sure. ABC/ESPN, which had the TV rights the following day, surely appreciated what Contreras said and did. So did NBC, which had Sunday night’s game. There’s nothing like the prospect of some bad blood between the Red Sox and Yankees to goose TV ratings.

But only to a point. When it becomes a regular thing, when batting helmets are being flung into a crowd of players, that’s when things get out of hand.

When the MLB disciplinarians rule, it’s possible that Cade Cavalli’s dog-whistle insult (“Sit down, boy”) which ignited things, will be taken into consideration. Contreras had the right to be offended by that remark; what he didn’t have the right to was inciting a full-on brawl, with some real punches thrown on both sides.

Contreras must learn to walk the fine line between inspirational and combustible. If he wants to be a team leader, he has to keep himself on the field and in the lineup, where he can be at his most productive.

It does the Red Sox no good if he’s being baited into explosive displays of temper that detract from the job at hand. The more he reacts to being hit or being brushed back, the more opponents benefit. He can’t be very valuable in street clothes

If they don’t already know that, the Red Sox will soon learn.

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BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 8-1 loss to the Washington Nationals Tuesday night at Fenway Park:

1) Washington starter Cade Cavalli allowed a leadoff double to Anthony Seigler. After that, he was literally unhittable. The only other baserunner against him was on an error three batters after Seigler’s double. He retired the final 19 batters he faced as the Red Sox offense nosedived and the Sox suffered an 8-1 defeat with Washington beating up the bullpen with seven unanswered runs.

2) Chaos reigned in the bottom of the fourth inning, and it once again centered around Willson Contreras. The Red Sox first baseman took a called third strike and as he was walking back to the dugout, appeared to react to something said to him by Cavalli. Contreras then began walking to the mound, jawing with Cavalli and the benches and bullpens emptied. At one point, Contreras fired his batting helmet at Cavalli but had it strike Washington first baseman Andres Chaparro. Contreras, Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy and reserve Nate Eaton were ejected along with Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas. Expect a suspension of some sort in the coming days for Contreras.

3)The Red Sox’ streak of quality starts - six or more innings pitched, three earned runs or fewer allowed - was ended at 12 when starter Connelly Early was pulled after four innings (no runs allowed) despite having thrown just 61 pitches. The club later announced that Early was lifted with left elbow discomfort. The Red Sox’ streak of quality starts was their longest since 1988.

4) Seigler got his third shot at the leadoff spot in the lineup and it didn’t take long for him to make an impact. In the bottom of the first, Seigler laced a double to left, took third on a groundout and came around to score the game’s first run when Washington third baseman Curtis Mead couldn’t cleanly field a chopper from Contreras. Seigler has brought some energy to the Red Sox and it hasn’t hurt that he’s produced, too, contributing solid defense at second base and some offense to boot.

5) During their recent offensive uptick, the Red Sox had been doing a far better job of putting the ball in play. But that came to an abrupt halt Tuesday night. Cavalli got a ton of swing-and-miss against them. In the second, he struck out the side, then added two more swinging strikeouts in the third before piling up two more in the fourth inning for a total of eight through the first four innings. Cavalli finished with a career high of 13 strikeouts in his seven innings.

6) Reliever Justin Slaten continues to struggle. He inherited a first-and-second jam with one out in the seventh and quickly allowed a run-scoring single, followed two hitters later by a wall-scraping two-run double. It marked the fifth time since May 26 that Slaten had yielded multiple runs in an outing.

7) Reliever Tommy Kahnle, who forced his way onto the major league roster with an opt-out clause earlier this month, may be in the process of pitching himself off the team. After initially posting five scoreless innings, he was shelled for four runs in the eighth Tuesday night and has now allowed eight runs in his last four outings.

8) The series concludes with an afternoon game Wednesday and a scheduled 1:35 p.m. start. The Sox will send lefty Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78) vs. lefty Andrew Alvarez (1-1, 3.44). After the game, the Red Sox will fly to Anaheim for the start of a three-city, nine-game road trip.

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BOSTON — Like many of his Venezuelan countrymen, Willson Contreras is living a waking nightmare and has been since last Wednesday when two earthquakes struck his homeland, killing thousands with tens of thousands more still unaccounted for.

During the day, he makes phone calls and texts family and friends. Sometimes, before games, he ventures outside Fenway Park and personally collects contributions for the relief efforts.

When game time comes around, the Red Sox first baseman seeks an escape, hopeful that the next two and a half hours can serve as a distraction. It is, after all, just a game.

But Contreras can’t separate the harsh reality from the competition. Sometimes they can’t help but intersect.

Contreras was the absolute focal point of the game between the Red Sox and Washington Nationals Monday, a game in which he participated for just two innings.

In the first, Contreras launched a three-run homer in what would turn out to be a 6-3 Sox victory, their fifth straight. After making contact, Contreras flung his bat skyward and looking at his home dugout, pounded his chest repeatedly, energizing his teammates.

“I wasn’t feeling good the whole day. I was really kind of down, sad,” said Contreras. “I hit the homer and the first thing that came out of my mouth (on the way to first base) was ‘Venezuela,’ ‘’

Minutes later, TV cameras caught Contreras sobbing in the dugout, alone with his thoughts about his home country and the tragedy that struck there.

Some people can grieve in private. In uniform, on the field, Contreras isn’t allowed that luxury.

“It’s not easy to hide,” conceded Contreras. “It’s not easy just to show up and play with everything that’s going on.”

Contreras was asked why the homer — majestic as it was, belted over everything in left — triggered that sort of emotional outburst upon his return to the dugout.

“Because I feel like I could be there helping people,” said Contreras, “and I can’t do that. The homer just represents something that I prayed to God to happen because that’s the only thing I can do for Venezuela right now, physically.

“So many people have died and it’s not easy to be dealing with.”

From the first week of the season, Contreras has been the Red Sox’ best hitter, which might sound to some as faint praise. But Contreras is legitimately enjoying the best season of his career. He leads his team in homers, RBI, slugging percentage and virtually every significant offensive category.

He’s also, even in better times, their most emotional. When he is brushed back, he’s quick to anger and challenge the opposition. During the recent series with the Yankees, he barked at Cam Schlittler and helped incite a war of words that featured dugouts and bullpens emptying.

Without apology, he later admitted that he was trying to spark his teammates and turn up the intensity of a rivalry gone flat.

Particularly in the absence of the injured Trevor Story, he has assumed the role of team leader — after all of three months tenure.

And now, he finds his emotions being split between his obligation to his country and his duty to his teammates. It is not an easy path to navigate. His loyalties are inexorably divided.

“Of course I like to help the team win and that’s good,” he said. “But I think every homer from now on is going to be for the Red Sox and Venezuela.”

Occasionally, the emotions boil over. When Contreras came to the plate in the second inning, he was rung up on a check-swing. First base umpire Nic Lentz denied the appeal, and when Contreras tapped his helmet repeatedly on his way to the dugout, Lentz saw it as a sign of disrespect and ejected Contreras from the game.

In the confusion, Contreras was unaware that he had been thrown out, only learning it from teammates in the dugout well after the fact.

By then, the Red Sox were comfortably ahead 5-1 and on their way to another victory. But for the final seven innings, Contreras, in the home clubhouse, found himself without the distraction of the game.

This spring, during the World Baseball Classic, Team Venezuela helped serve as a salve for a country dealing with political turmoil.

“Everybody was happy, even though the situation was bad,” he said.

Now, the stakes are far greater, literally an everyday matter of life and death. Contreras finds himself with one foot in his job, another back home.

“It’s my country,” he said. “I can’t turn around and look in a different direction just because I live here. That doesn’t make any sense to me. That’s why I’ve been outspoken from Day One because that’s the place that I was born and that’s the place I would like to go back to in the future.”

Contreras allowed that the games in which he plays can act as something of an escape for him, however briefly.

“But the thoughts about Venezuela are not going away,” he said. “At the same time, I have a responsibility to perform, to be there for my teammates and do the best I can help to the Red Sox win.”

The games continue. So, too, does real life. Willson Contreras tries to pay his respects to both.

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BOSTON — Red Sox rookie Payton Tolle appreciates teammate Ceddanne Rafaela recently calling him All-Star worthy.

“That’s really nice and I’m thankful for that,” Tolle said.

Beyond Rafaela’s support, there’s been buzz about Tolle’s All-Star candidacy on Boston sports radio and social media.

Tolle himself said he has thought about it.

“I have but it’s also I think that we have some incredible guys on this team that deserve it,” Tolle said. “So it’s cool. And just being in that conversation is amazing, but that’s kind of far out of mind for me.”

Tolle’s All-Star candidacy is remarkable considering he began this season at Triple-A Worcester. Boston promoted him April 23, when it needed a starter after placing Sonny Gray on the IL.

If all five starters in Boston’s Opening Day rotation had stayed healthy and performed well, Tolle might still be at Worcester.

“It is crazy. It’s a whirlwind,” Tolle said. “A little bit less of a whirlwind than it was last year.”

Last year was a whirlwind, for sure, with Tolle earning three different promotions from High-A Greenville to the majors in his first professional season.

“I think it’s just nice to be in the conversation,” he said. “I guess it doesn’t mean anything until it actually happens.”

So could it actually happen?

The 23-year-old lefty has a 2.78 ERA and 1.02 WHIP while holding opponents to a .203 batting average in 12 starts. His peripherals are also impressive. He ranks in the 90th percentile in expected ERA (2.91), the 86th percentile in chase percentage (34.3%) and 84th percentile in expected batting average (.209).

He’s had an absolutely electric fastball, throwing it 48.2% of the time and holding opponents to a .150 batting average and .233 slugging percentage against it. His fastball run value (nine) is in the 92nd percentile while his pitching run value (10) is in the 87th percentile.

• BETTING: The over/under is currently set at 9 total runs on BetMGM for Tuesday night’s clash between the Red Sox and the Nationals. Our comprehensive BetMGM Sportsbook review makes it easy to figure out how to register and navigate their platform.

However, there’s a case against his selection. Because he was in the minors for the first few weeks, he ranks 104th among major league pitchers in innings pitched with 71 ⅓ innings. There are 105 pitchers who have made more starts than him.

But there is precedent for star rookies being selected despite limited sample sizes.

Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski made the 2025 NL All-Star team after just five major league starts.

Paul Skenes made the 2024 NL All-Star team just 11 starts into his major league career.

Like Skenes and Misiorowski before him, Tolle brings star power and personality that MLB can market to younger fans.

Tolle has one of the league’s best personalities both on and off the field.

Tolle’s playful approach on the mound carries over into his postgame interviews. For example, he leaped — comically — for a ball about 30 feet over his head during a start against the Orioles on June 4, then jokingly told reporters, "That was close. I gave it an attempt."

Tolle also had an unusual balk during that same game. After being called for the balk, instead of holding onto the ball, he threw it to the backstop. He turned a balk into one of the better quotes of the season. He told reporters, “There was no brain there. ... I didn’t have a balk all year so I thought this was the perfect time for it. Yeah, I was in disbelief at myself. It creates good TV I guess. I don’t know.”

While Tolle is deserving, a case could be made that two other Red Sox starters, Sonny Gray and Ranger Suarez, are even more deserving.

Tolle named several teammates he thinks are All-Star worthy.

“Chappie (Aroldis Chapman),” he said. “I think Sonny should be up there. I think Willson (Contreras), Rafa (Rafaela), Wilyer (Abreu) are having great years. Whit (Garrett Whitlock) is having a good year. Ranger is having a great year. Like, there’s so many guys, especially just in this pitching staff that are having great years, and you can’t just choose one.”

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BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox’ 6-3 win over the Washington Nationals on Monday at Fenway Park:

1. The Red Sox won their fifth straight game to improve to 37-46 overall and 17-25 at Fenway Park. The Nationals dropped to 43-43 overall and 26-18 on the road.

2.Willson Contreras got ejected in the second inning but not before putting Boston ahead in the first inning. He blasted his 18th home run, a three-run shot that gave Boston a 3-1 lead. He connected on a 94.5 mph fastball down the middle from Nationals starter Miles Mikolas and sent it 421 feet to left field. Contreras is on pace for 35 home runs.

3. Contreras was emotional in the dugout after hitting his first-inning home run. He said a couple days ago that he’s been thinking about his native Venezuela constantly after a devastating earthquake struck the country.

4. Contreras’ ejection came after he struck out in the second inning. First base umpire Nic Lentz threw him out.

Contreras tapped his helmet several times while walking back to the dugout after he struck out swinging. Lentz ruled that Contreras swung at an outside slider to end the at-bat while the first baseman thought he checked his swing. Lentz reacted to Contreras by tapping his own head and throwing him out of the game.

5. Ranger Suarez allowed three runs on six hits and one walk while striking out eight in six innings. He threw 58 of his 95 pitches for strikes (61%). He induced 12 swings and misses, including six with his curveball and four with his slider. He settled down after allowing a home run to James Wood to lead off the game.

6. Suarez’s quality start marked Boston’s 12th consecutive quality starts, the longest such streak by the club since 1988.

7. Caleb Durbin belted his sixth home run in 24 games during June. His 338-foot blast just cleared the Green Monster and put Boston ahead 4-1 in the first inning. He connected on a sweeper from Mikolas that hung right over the middle of the plate.

8. Wilyer Abreu’s RBI sac fly in the second inning put Boston ahead 5-1. Carlos Narváez’s RBI sac fly in the third inning made it 6-1.

9. Gold Glove center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela made a leaping catch on CJ Abrams’ 367-foot, 106.7 mph line drive in the eighth inning.

10. Nationals starter Miles Mikolas gave up four runs in the first inning and six runs in the first three innings. But he retired the final 14 straight batters he faced.

11. With Aroldis Chapman unavailable, Garrett Whitlock recorded the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

12. The Red Sox and Nationals will play the second game of their three-game series Tuesday at 7:10 p.m. Rookie left-hander Connelly Early (7-5, 3.59 ERA) will start for Boston while righty Cade Cavalli (4-4, 4.00 ERA) will start for Washington.

• BETTING: Red Sox -1.5 run line odds are listed at +150 on FanDuel for Tuesday night’s game against Washington. Our FanDuel Sportsbook review provides an in-depth look at how to navigate through their platform. Also, take a look at our MLB betting guide if you’re interested in learning more about how to bet on baseball.

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BOSTON — Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras was ejected by first base umpire Nic Lentz during the second inning Monday.

Contreras tapped his helmet several times while walking back to the dugout after he struck out swinging. Lentz ruled that Contreras swung at an outside slider to end the at-bat while the first baseman thought he checked his swing.

Lentz reacted to Contreras by tapping his own head and throwing him out of the game.

Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy left the dugout to speak with Lentz after the ejection, then Contreras returned to the field with bench coach José Flores to join the discussion.

Contreras went 1 for 2. He blasted his 18th home run, a three-run shot that put Boston ahead 3-1 in the first inning. He connected on a 94.5 mph fastball right down the middle from Nationals starter Miles Mikolas and sent it 421 feet to left field. Contreras is on pace for 35 home runs.

Andruw Monasterio replaced Contreras at first base.

Contreras was emotional in the dugout after hitting his first-inning home run. He said a couple days ago that he’s been thinking about his native Venezuela constantly after a devastating earthquake struck the country.

• BETTING: For Tuesday’s interleague clash featuring the Red Sox and the Nationals, the over/under is listed at 9 total runs on DraftKings. Our comprehensive DraftKings Sportsbook review provides a full guide on how to use their platform.

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BOSTON — Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras didn’t think first base umpire Nic Lentz needed to eject him Monday.

Lentz, meanwhile, stuck by his decision after the Red Sox’ 6-3 win over the Nationals at Fenway Park.

Contreras tapped his helmet several times while walking back to the dugout after he struck out swinging during the second inning. Lentz ruled on an appeal at first base that Contreras swung at an outside slider to end the at-bat and that the slugger did not check his swing.

“I called him out on appeal for the check swing, and as he was walking back to the dugout, he started gesturing, tapping his helmet, like he wanted to challenge something that is not a challengeable call,” Lentz said to a pool reporter. “And so disrespect, and again gesturing towards what he thought was an incorrect call, got him removed from the game.”

Lentz — who tapped his own head while throwing out Contreras — said it is an automatic ejection if a player makes that gesture in a mocking way.

“It’s a lot like drawing a line in the dirt,” Lentz said.

Lentz added the gesture is “on the list for items for removal from the game.”

“You can have a little bit of discretion,” Lentz said. “But in a situation like this, where it’s pretty immediate and showing disagreement or trying to gesture in that sort of manner, it would be immediate.”

Lentz confirmed that it was only the gesture — and nothing Contreras said to him — that led to the ejection.

“Nic and I have a really good relationship,” Contreras said. “We had a really good talk right before the game. He also mentioned Venezuela, which is good for him to know about it. ... I think it kind of surprised me because I never made eye contact with him.”

Contreras said the only time he looked at Lentz was to see his decision on the check swing. Contreras said he didn’t look at Lentz while returning to the dugout and the tapping “wasn’t directed at” Lentz.

“He (Lentz) felt like he showed him up and threw him out of the game,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said.

Tracy left the dugout to speak with Lentz after the ejection. Contreras then returned to the field with bench coach José Flores to join the discussion.

“To be honest with you, when it happened, I didn’t know what was going on,” Tracy said. “I kind of looked up and saw him throw somebody out. I thought somebody maybe had said something from the dugout. So if you guys saw me go out there, I was kind of trying to figure out what was happening.”

Contreras didn’t know Lentz ejected him until he returned inside the dugout and teammate Marcelo Mayer told him.

“And then I went out there to ask him why he threw me out,” Contreras said. “He told me, ‘Because you tapped your helmet.’ Yeah, but I didn’t make eye contact with you. I didn’t argue. I didn’t yell. I didn’t do nothing wrong. And he told me, ‘Yeah, but I have to throw you out.’”

Contreras added, “You didn’t have to, but you made that choice.”

Tracy said Contreras acted calmly when he left the dugout to speak with Lentz, telling the umpire he meant nothing by the gesture.

“He didn’t get heated at him or anything like that,” Tracy said.

• BETTING: Red Sox moneyline is listed at -135 on FanDuel for Tuesday’s matchup versus Washington. Our FanDuel Sportsbook review provides a reliable guide on how to navigate through their app.

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