Crochet Holds the Line, Duran Delivers the Punch — Sox Smother Rays 11-7
When the bullpen takes a nap, your offense better overachieve—or at least show up with fireworks.
Game Recap: Like Watching a Drunk Jenga Tower
Rays Jump First: Yandy Díaz ripped a double off the very first pitch, because apparently the Red Sox love spotting opponents free runs. By the second inning, Carson Williams added a solo homer, and Boston looked half-asleep.
Boston Strikes Back: Nathaniel Lowe and Nate Eaton did the small-ball thing in the second, and Alex Bregman tied it with a solo shot in the third. At least someone remembered the ball is supposed to go forward, not sideways.
The Duran Show: Seventh inning, game tied, tension thick—and Jarren Duran nukes a two-run homer. Crowd wakes up. Rays fans suddenly start Googling “cheap whiskey near me.” That swing changed everything.
The Eighth-Inning Implosion: Tampa’s bullpen turned the inning into a carnival. Walks, errors, base hits, and the Sox suddenly piled on seven runs. It was like a slot machine paying out for the first time in months.
The Almost Disaster: Because nothing can be easy, Chris Murphy gave up a ninth-inning grand slam to Everson Pereira. Rays fans thought they had hope. Nope. Just Boston being Boston—winning while making sure your blood pressure spikes.
Player Highlights (and “Highlights”)
Garrett Crochet: Six innings, nine strikeouts, three earned runs. Looked sharp, handled business. At least one guy remembered this is a playoff race.
Jarren Duran: The two-run blast that flipped the game and a couple more hits just for fun. He was the ignition switch, and thank God, because otherwise we’d be writing another obituary tonight.
Ceddanne Rafaela: Went 4-for-5 with a double, two runs, and an RBI. Basically the only guy treating the Rays’ pitchers like tee-ball.
Alex Bregman: Added a solo homer and two walks. He’s like the guy who shows up to the cookout with a six-pack of beer—nothing flashy, but everyone’s glad he came.
Nate Eaton: Two hits, two runs, an RBI, and a stolen base. The sneaky-good night that probably won’t get headlines but mattered more than anyone realizes.
Chris Murphy: Almost made sure Sox fans went to bed crying. Thanks for nothing.
Quotes & Commentary
Manager Alex Cora praised the “big inning” and said Crochet “gave us a chance.” Translation: “Thank God the offense bailed out our bullpen again.”
Duran said he “just tried to put a good swing on it.” Which is code for: “Yes, I carried this circus.”
Rays players admitted they “gave Boston too many free chances.” That’s polite for “we couldn’t throw strikes to save our lives.”
Opponent Misfires
Rays bullpen in the eighth inning looked like a Little League team that forgot where first base was. Walks, errors, and meatballs galore.
Their starter, Drew Rasmussen, barely lasted long enough to shower. Two runs in three innings—great audition for “guy who pitches in June when it doesn’t matter.”
Defense? Sloppy. Rays fans probably considered filing a missing-persons report on their infielders.
Momentum Check
Boston has now won seven straight against Tampa Bay. The Rays might want to start forfeiting to save everyone time.
In the Wild Card race, the Sox are right in the mix, tied with Houston and ahead of Cleveland. Which means every single game is playoff baseball—just with more indigestion.
Fenway’s been rowdy, but the Sox can’t keep relying on one or two big innings. Momentum feels real, but this team has made a habit of throwing it out the window.
Future Outlook
More games against Tampa. More stress. More bullpen roulette.
The Sox need to keep stacking wins or this will be just another September tease. The offense has to stay alive past the first inning, the starters need to go deeper, and the bullpen needs to stop impersonating arsonists.
Playoffs are possible, but only if Boston stops treating late innings like free stress tests.
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