CHAPMAN MAKES HISTORY... AND THE RED SOX FINALLY PLAY LIKE ADULTS AGAIN
Boston opens the West Coast trip with a win, Aroldis Chapman breaks a record, and suddenly baseball doesn't seem so miserable.
The Red Sox desperately needed a clean game.
No benches clearing.
No bullpen implosions.
No offense disappearing for six innings at a time.
Instead...
Boston walked into Anaheim Friday night and quietly handled business, knocking off the Angels 5-2 to begin the series on the right foot. Even better, Aroldis Chapman made baseball history in the process.
Aroldis Chapman Is Still Throwing Absolute Gas
Let’s start with the headline.
Chapman recorded his 1,364th career strikeout, passing Hoyt Wilhelm for the most strikeouts ever by a relief pitcher.
Think about that.
At 38 years old, he’s still blowing 99 mph past hitters while most relievers are searching LinkedIn for a front-office internship.
Sure, he made things interesting by allowing a couple of baserunners in the ninth.
Because being a Red Sox closer apparently requires shaving at least three years off the fan base’s collective life expectancy.
Then...
Double play.
Ballgame.
History.
Jake Bennett Keeps Impressing
Lost behind Chapman’s record was another outstanding outing from Jake Bennett.
The left-hander worked 7 2/3 innings, allowed just two runs, didn’t walk a batter, and kept the Angels chasing pitches all night.
No drama.
No nibbling.
Just attacking hitters.
What a refreshing concept.
Romy Gonzalez Did the Heavy Lifting
While everyone waits for the offense to become consistent...
Romy Gonzalez decided to handle it himself.
Three hits.
A triple.
Two RBIs.
Exactly the kind of production Boston has desperately needed from the bottom half of the lineup.
Caleb Durbin chipped in with another home run, while Jarren Duran added two RBIs as the Red Sox built an early lead and never looked back.
Amazing What Happens When You Throw Strikes
Funny how baseball works.
Against Washington...
Walk everybody.
Fall behind hitters.
Turn every inning into a hostage negotiation.
Against the Angels...
Attack the zone.
Play clean defense.
Get timely hits.
Win comfortably.
It’s almost like the fundamentals actually matter.
Someone should tell Craig Breslow’s analytics department.
Don’t Let One Win Fool You...
Yes, this was encouraging.
Yes, Chapman made history.
Yes, Bennett looked outstanding.
But this doesn’t erase everything that happened before the road trip.
The Red Sox still have to decide what they are before the trade deadline.
A contender?
A seller?
Or baseball’s favorite annual hobby...
Pretending they’re both.
Final Thoughts
This was exactly what Boston needed.
A crisp win.
A dominant starting pitching performance.
A little history.
And one less reason for Red Sox fans to throw their remote through the television.
Now...
Go win the series.
Because one good night doesn’t impress anybody.
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