Sanchez Spins a Gem, and I am Sick of Catcher's Interference
Cristopher Sanchez: The All-Star Snub Who Made Us Pay
Cristopher Sanchez didn’t make the All-Star team, which is hilarious in hindsight. Because on Tuesday night, he pitched like he was personally offended by every Red Sox hitter’s existence. A complete game, four hits allowed, 12 strikeouts, and a pitch count that barely broke a sweat at 106. He retired the first nine batters like he was swatting flies, then gave up a solo homer to Rob Refsnyder in the fourth—just to keep things interesting.
Sanchez’s changeup was a disappearing act. His fastball had zip. And his command? Surgical. The Red Sox looked like they were trying to hit shadows. It was his third career complete game, and if this doesn’t earn him retroactive All-Star status, then the voting system needs a full reboot.
Fitts Gets Fitted for Regret
Richard Fitts took the mound for Boston and promptly got fitted for a loss. He lasted just 3.1 innings, gave up four runs on six hits, and looked like he was pitching in a fog. The first inning was a circus: Bryce Harper stole home on a high fastball, Carlos Narváez got called for catcher’s interference (again), and Nick Castellanos drove in a run with a bloop single.
Then came the second inning, where Max Kepler and Kyle Schwarber went back-to-back with homers that left Citizens Bank Park like they were late for dinner. Schwarber’s blast was his 33rd of the season, and it landed somewhere near Trenton. Fitts’ ERA ballooned to 4.28, and his confidence likely evaporated somewhere around Schwarber’s follow-through.
Narváez: The Interference Magnet
Carlos Narváez is now officially the most cursed catcher in baseball. Monday night? Catcher’s interference to end the game. Tuesday night? Catcher’s interference to let Bryce Harper score. That’s two games, two bizarre infractions, and one very confused fanbase wondering if Narváez is secretly auditioning for a role in a rulebook documentary.
Rule 6.01 was invoked again—this time because Narváez stepped in front of the plate during Harper’s steal attempt. The umpire didn’t hesitate. Interference. Balk. Who cares. Run scores. And somewhere, a rules analyst popped champagne.
Offense: Refsnyder’s Solo Shot and a Whole Lot of Nothing
Rob Refsnyder’s fourth-inning homer was the lone bright spot. It was a clean swing, a no-doubt shot to left, and for a moment, it looked like Boston might claw back. But after that? Silence. Four hits total. No rallies. No drama. Just a slow, painful unraveling.
Wilyer Abreu, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Trevor Story combined for a whole lot of “meh.” The Sox went 0-for-everything with runners in scoring position, which is becoming their signature move post-All-Star break. The lineup looked flat, uninspired, and allergic to momentum.
Phillies: Swagger, Hustle, and a Four-Run Cushion
The Phillies didn’t just win—they styled on Boston. Harper’s steal of home was pure chaos. Kepler’s homer was vintage. Schwarber’s blast was a flex. Philadelphia scored all four runs in the first two innings, then let Sanchez handle the rest.
They’re now 58–43, sitting atop the NL East, and looking like a team that knows how to capitalize on chaos. Rob Thomson’s squad didn’t need late-inning heroics this time. They just needed Boston to be Boston.
The Red Sox Slide Continues
Boston has now lost four of five since the All-Star break, dropping to 54–49. That 10-game win streak earlier this month feels like a fever dream. The bullpen’s overworked, the rotation’s inconsistent, and the offense is allergic to clutch hitting.
The Sox are slipping in the AL East standings, and the wild-card cushion is thinning. If this keeps up, they won’t be buyers at the deadline—they’ll be sellers with a yard sale sign taped to Fenway’s gates.
What’s Next: Dodgers, Twins, and Existential Dread
The Dodgers are up next, followed by the Twins and Astros. That’s not a schedule—it’s a punishment. If Boston doesn’t find its groove soon, they’ll be watching October baseball from the couch, wondering how it all slipped away.
The front office has decisions to make. Do they buy at the deadline? Sell? Pretend everything’s fine while the fanbase collectively screams into the void? Whatever they choose, they’d better act fast. Because last night wasn’t just a loss—it was a warning.
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Narvaez needs to set up maybe a foot back. The starting? It's what it's looked like since the end of May. Crochet is great. Giolito is good. Bello is good enough. That's a solid #1,2 and 3 starter. After that it's dicey. Buehler looked pretty good his last time out; if that's how he pitches the rest of the year he's your #4. Dobbins seems to be done for the year; so there's a pressing need for #5, better a #4 who can let Buehler slide back to #5. The bullpen's fine; Cora hasn't overworked them this year the way he did last year. Now the lineup has to find its bats.