Now, that’s exactly what has happened.

Bailey was hired Tuesday as pitching coach of the Boston Red Sox, joining Alex Cora’s staff a month after Breslow became the team’s chief baseball officer. Bailey, who spent the previous four seasons as the Giants pitching coach, played with Breslow in Oakland for three seasons before they both joined the Red Sox from 2012-13.

“It’s a pretty unique relationship,” Bailey said Tuesday night. “To be able to joke around like that with a former teammate and a true friend, and now be able to see that path laid out and be able to compete together in another capacity, is special.”

A New Jersey native, Bailey said he would have been interested in coming back to Boston even if Breslow hadn’t been hired, in part to get back to the East Coast. He also didn’t like the way his Red Sox career finished in 2013: A shoulder injury ended his season in July, and he missed the World Series run, as well as all of the following season.

“I know I was brought there to do a job. And unfortunately, as a player, I wasn’t able to to do that job to the best of my ability due to injuries,” he said. “And it’s it’s not too frequent you get a second opportunity to kind of right the ship in a different capacity.”

Bailey, 39, replaced Dave Bush, Boston’s pitching coach for the past four seasons.

The 2009 AL Rookie of the Year and a two-time All-Star, Bailey was 16-14 with a 3.12 ERA and 95 saves in eight seasons with Oakland, Boston, the New York Yankees, Philadelphia and the Los Angeles Angels. He appeared in 19 games with a 7.04 ERA for Bobby Valentine and the 2012 Red Sox, who lost 93 games, and was 3-1 with a 3.77 ERA and eight saves for Boston the following year, when John Farrell took over and led the team to the World Series title.

“I know what it’s like to do blow a save in Boston. I know what it’s like to be a player to have success as well,” Bailey said. “We won a World Series, and we finished in last place. I experienced both of those, and I kind of ran the gamut in Boston as well in a really short period of time. … I think we can draw from those experiences, for sure.”

Bailey spent 2018 as an Angels coaching assistant and video replay coordinator and 2019 as the Angels bullpen coach. He switched to the Giants to work under manager Gabe Kapler, who was fired after the season and replaced by Bob Melvin.

Bailey is also the director of development for the Breslow’s Strike 3 Foundation, which raises money for childhood cancer research.

“There’s a lot of people that you meet along the way in this game. And I think there’s a handful of people that you can call true friends, and Craig is one of them,” Bailey said. “Along the way, you get a lot of teammates and coaches and you cross paths here and there, but we’ve stayed in contact. Craig is a big reason why I was pitching coach in San Francisco. And, obviously, a main driver of of why I’m with the Red Sox now.”

He replaced Dave Bush, Boston’s pitching coach for the past four seasons.

A two-time All-Star, the 39-year-old Bailey was 16-14 with a 3.12 ERA and 95 saves in eight seasons with Oakland (2009-11), Boston (2012-13), the New York Yankees (2015), Philadelphia (2016) and the Los Angeles Angels (2016-17).

He spent 2018 as an Angels coaching assistant and video replay coordinator and 2019 as the Angels bullpen coach. He switched to the Giants to work under manager Gabe Kapler, who was fired after the season and replaced by Bob Melvin.

Bailey is director of development for the Strike 3 Foundation, founded in 2008 by Craig Breslow, hired last month as Boston’s chief baseball officer Craig Breslow. The organization raises money for childhood cancer research. Bailey and Breslow were teammates on the 2013 World Series champion Red Sox.

Rodríguez, who turns 32 on Nov. 14, had a 6.55 ERA over 11 relief appearances and 11 innings in his one season with Boston. He agreed last November to a $2 million, one-year contract that included a $1.5 million salary this year. He earned a $500,000 roster bonus for being on the active roster for 30 days.

Rodríguez began the season on the injured list with a strained right oblique. After making five appearances from May 17-30, Rodríguez went back on the IL with left shoulder inflammation. He made six more appearances from July 9-25, then went on the IL with right hip inflammaton. Rodríguez did not pitch for the Red Sox for the rest of the season.

A six-year major league veteran, Rodríguez is 5-9 with a 4.70 ERA and one save in 168 games for Philadelphia (2016-17), Texas (2020-21), the New York Yankees (2021), the New York Mets (2022) and the Red Sox.

Boston announced its decision Saturday night.

But the experience that best prepared him for his new job may have come when he was working in the Cubs front office and he traded away his kid’s favorite player.

“I’ve worn multiple hats, and I think I’ve got a unique perspective,” Breslow said Thursday in a Fenway Park news conference where he was introduced as the team’s chief baseball officer. “I also think I have the willingness and the conviction to make the tough decisions necessary to succeed in this role.”

A journeyman who bounced around 10 different organizations during 16 years in professional baseball, Breslow takes over the Red Sox front office from fellow Yalie Chaim Bloom, who was fired with three weeks left in the season as the team stumbled to its third last-place finish in four years.

Breslow had been working as an assistant general manager in Chicago. He was hired there and mentored by Theo Epstein, who also went to Yale before building the rosters that won World Series in Boston in 2004 and 2007. (Breslow would not identify which player was his child’s favorite, but while he was in Chicago the Cubs traded Anthony Rizzo, Javier Báez and Kris Bryant.)

But Breslow brings to the job playing experience that neither Epstein nor Bloom had.

“I watched a lot of baseball games at Fenway Park. Some from the stands. Some from the bleachers. But most from the bullpen,” Breslow said. “I know what it’s like to put on a Red Sox jersey, to jog through the bullpen gate across freshly cut outfield grass. And I know what it’s like to stand on the mound in front of tens of thousands of the most passionate fans in the game, to feel the cool, fall breeze hit the Red Sox jersey. And I know what it’s like to hoist a World Series trophy overhead, the culmination of a group of people coming together to accomplish something that they couldn’t have alone.”

“I know what it means to win in Boston,” he said. “I understand that some of you will see me as another Ivy League nerd with a baseball front office job. It’s true, I am that. But I’m also a 13-year big leaguer. And a 2013 Boston Red Sox World Series champion. And I know what it means to win here. And I’m willing to make the hard decisions necessary to deliver.”

“My contribution to winning in this role will be different than it was back then. But one thing remains constant: My desire to win today is as strong as it was as a player,” he said, “and I can’t wait to get started.”

Breslow, 43, was born in New Haven and was the Yale baseball captain before graduating with degrees in molecular biophysics and biochemistry. He put off medical school to pursue a career in the major leagues and stretched his career to 576 appearances over 13 seasons, going 23-30 with a 3.45 ERA.

Breslow pitched in 13 games for the 2006 Red Sox and was a September callup the following year, making the postseason roster when Boston won the World Series. He earned his first of two championship rings even though did not pitch in the majors that year. He was 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA for the Red Sox in 2013, including a 2.45 ERA in six postseason appearances as they won it all again.

Team president Sam Kennedy said it wasn’t just Breslow’s playing experience, it was how he adapted his pitching style to what would help him hang around.

“Craig is a problem-solver of the highest order,” Kennedy said. “He literally turned himself into a big-leaguer and turned himself into a front office executive using innovative and non-traditional methods. … Most importantly to us, he played right here in Boston at Fenway Park. And Craig knows firsthand what it takes and what it means to win here. And ultimately, he knows what our fans expect and what they deserve.”

Manager Alex Cora said he doesn’t remember interacting much with his new boss as teammates in 2006 and 2007. Like Breslow, Cora bounced around during his career, joining six organizations as a player before coaching in Houston and Boston.

To Cora, being a journeyman player can be an asset as an executive because it exposed Breslow to different styles he might not have experienced if he had spent his entire career with one club.

“You can learn from their mistakes. I learned from my mistakes throughout the years and how that made me better,” Cora said. “And hopefully our partnership can, you know, translate into a lot of wins and hopefully we can bring back that trophy that is in Texas right now.”

Multiple sources reported the hiring on Tuesday and said Breslow had accepted the job. 

The Red Sox fired previous Head of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom on Sept. 14 after the team’s third last-place finish in four seasons. Brewslow’s reported hiring now follows an extensive search over the past 5.5 weeks.

The 43-year-old Breslow pitched for seven teams over a 12-year career, including two stints in Boston, where he won a World Series in 2013.

Breslow has additional New England ties as a New Haven, Conn. native and Yale graduate.

Breslow comes to the Red Sox front office after serving as the assistant to the general manager of the Chicago Cubs. 

This is a developing story; stay with 7NEWS on-air and online for the latest updates.

A former pitcher who spent nine years in the majors with the Blue Jays, Brewers and Rangers, Bush had worked for the Red Sox since 2016, the last four as pitching coach. The Red Sox staff had a 4.52 ERA this season, 21st in the majors.

Febles played second base for Kansas City for parts of six seasons. He joined the Red Sox organization in 2007, taking over as third base coach in 2018, when Boston won the World Series.

But as an infield instructor, he wasn’t able to keep the team from committing 102 errors — second-most in all of baseball.

The Red Sox fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom with about three weeks left in the season that ended with a 78-84 record — fifth in the AL East. They have said manager Alex Cora will be back.

A former pitcher who spent nine years in the majors with the Blue Jays, Brewers and Rangers, Bush had worked for the Red Sox since 2016, the last four as pitching coach. The Red Sox staff had a 4.52 ERA this season, 21st in the majors.

Febles played second base for Kansas City for parts of six seasons. He joined the Red Sox organization in 2007, taking over as third base coach in 2018, when Boston won the World Series.

But as an infield instructor, he wasn’t able to keep the team from committing 102 errors — second-most in all of baseball.

The Red Sox fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom with about three weeks left in the season that ended with a 78-84 record — fifth in the AL East. They have said manager Alex Cora will be back.

It might even be more than one person.

“We just don’t know where it’s going to go,” Red Sox President Sam Kennedy said on Monday, a day after the regular season ended with a third last-place finish in four years. “I think you’d be irresponsible not to consider all options.”

Kennedy said the Red Sox could begin interviewing candidates to replace fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom this week, but the job or jobs could look different than the one that he had. Bloom was fired with less than three weeks left in the season after failing to meet his mandate to shed payroll — and stars like Mookie Betts — while still winning in the major leagues and building a successful farm system at the same time.

“We should be playing right now. That’s the goal each and every year,” Kennedy said. “We think it’s possible to build and win. We also recognize that this division isn’t getting any easier. It’s incredibly competitive, and we’ve got a lot of work in front of us.”

The only thing that seems certain for the once-proud franchise is that Alex Cora will be back as manager – for 2024 and likely beyond. Although the Red Sox skipper had mentioned wanting to have a front office role at some point, he said on Monday he was content in his current job.

“I’m not prepared to do that,” he said. “I feel like the impact that I can make here in this organization in the upcoming years will be in the dugout.

“It’s not an easy job. If you know baseball and you know how to talk baseball, it doesn’t mean you’re prepared to run an organization. And I’m very comfortable doing what I’m doing.”

A day after longtime Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield died at the age of 57, Kennedy began the postseason news conference by remembering the knuckleballer, broadcaster and charity stalwart.

“We love Wake, for everything he stood for,” Kennedy said, adding a message for fans: “Losing an icon like Tim Wakefield is an incredibly difficult thing. And we feel we feel your pain and we’re really, really sorry for your loss.”

On Monday, the main Fenway Park video board in center field bore Wakefield’s picture, with his wife, Stacy, and the World Series trophy; the scoreboard on the Green Monster had Wakefield’s No. 49 where the Red Sox starting pitcher’s number would go.

Kennedy said the Red Sox have not decided on how Wakefield will be remembered next season, when the team will be celebrating 20 years since the drought-snapping 2004 World Series championship. The goal is to include fans and other people whose lives were touched by him.

Kennedy said the team hasn’t decided whether Curt Schilling, who was also a member of the ’04 team, would be welcomed back for any anniversary ceremonies. It was Schilling who outed Wakefield’s condition — without permission — three days before he died, infuriating many of their teammates.

“I’ve been focused on Wake and the family,” Kennedy said.

In other news:

—Kennedy wouldn’t comment on whether the team would pursue Shohei Ohtani, the two-way Los Angeles Angels star who is due to become a free agent. But Kennedy promised the Red Sox would be active in the offseason in any market that can reverse the recent results.

“We will consider anything and everything to improve for the short term and for the long term,” Kennedy said. “We’ve had two very disappointing seasons, but there’s just nothing like winning in Boston. And we need to get that back.”

—Kennedy insisted that running the Red Sox remains a coveted job, even though the new baseball boss won’t have the power to pick his own manager.

“If you want to run a baseball organization, this is where you want to be,” he said. “You want to be in Boston. Why? Because it matters here more than anywhere else. So if you’re not up for that challenge: Thanks, but no thanks.”

—The Red Sox have increased season ticket prices by “low single digits” despite a second straight last-place finish. The total season attendance was 2.67 million — up about 500 fans per game from last year but worse than any other non-pandemic season since 2002.

Baseball-wide, the increase in the first year of pitch clocks and other initiatives to juice up the games was about 2,400 – almost 10%.

Wakefield, who spent nearly 30 years with the Red Sox organization, died Sunday. On Monday, Red Sox officials discussed Wakefield and his impact at their end of season press conference. 

“Great person, great husband, great dad, great player — let’s not forget about that,” said Red Sox Manager Alex Cora. 

Cora said Wakefield was a great teammate, adding “he was huge in the community.” 

“We always talk about hall of fame people who are good on the field but they’re better off the field,” Cora said. “This guy, he represented us with dignity.” 

“He made sure everything in the clubhouse was on point too,” Cora separately said. “Very hard on young players, but in a good way.” 

Red Sox President and CEO Sam Kennedy said Sunday was one of the saddest days in the history of the Red Sox. 

“As I think back on our time here and the history of the Red Sox, I’m not sure there’s a player that has been more active or involved with every area of the operation,” Kennedy said of Wakefield.

Wakefield, with his legendary knuckleball, won 200 games during his career, including 186 wins with the Red Sox.

Among his off-the-field contributions, Wakefield served as the Red Sox’s first Jimmy Fund co-captain, spending countless hours during his playing days and after his retirement supporting cancer patients. 

In one 2010 radio telethon, Wakefield appeared alongside Jimmy Fund Co-Captain Clay Buchholz and a cancer patient named RJ. 

“Is there a kid at the Jimmy Fund you haven’t met yet?” broadcaster Dale Arnold asked. 

“I hope not,” Wakefield responded. “I would like to meet every one of them.”

Lisa Scherber, the director of patient and family programs at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute became close to Wakefield over the years.

“He was just real,” Scherber said. “He was just really special.”

“We really realized, ‘Wow, this guy is something else, his heart is where it needs to be,’” Scherber said. 

Scherber said Wakefield and his wife, Stacy, came in every Christmas Eve with gifts for patients at Dana-Farber. 

Much like the days when legendary Sox slugger Ted Williams made his unheralded visits to Dana-Farber, the cameras were often nowhere to be found when Wakefield popped in. 

“Never any media knew of it,” Scherber said. “He just did it. He would just call me and say ‘Can I do it?’ and I’m like ‘Of course you can.’”

During one trip to a ballpark in Chicago, Scherber said Wakefield noticed a teenage cancer patient named Robbie trying to hop down some steps. Robbie had lost a leg.

“He ran up the stairs and he put Robbie on his back,” Scherber said. “It made me smile because I just remembered that moment and he’s had us on his back this entire time.”

Sunday brought with it this year’s annual Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk. Before he died, Wakefield had planned to take part in the walk, planning to gather his strength and gather his family to walk to Fenway Park from Dana-Farber with Scherber.  

“That was the plan on Saturday night,” Scherber said. “And that’s what cancer is about. It doesn’t have a good timetable.”

“This one hurts,” Scherber continued. “This is kind of a punch in the gut.”

Wakefield won two World Series titles with the Red Sox. He also won the MLB’s prestigious Roberto Clemente Award for community service during his career. 

After Wakefield’s death, the American Flag at Fenway Park was flying at half staff on Monday. A message honoring Wakefield was also displayed on Fenway’s outfield scoreboard.

Speaking earlier in the day, Kennedy said the Red Sox organization will follow the lead of Wakefield’s family on further opportunities to recognize, honor and say goodbye to Wakefield.

“We’re going to miss him,” Cora said. “The family, obviously we’re here for them — Stacy and the kids. The same way he was there for us, throughout, we will be there for them.”

The Orioles have home-field advantage throughout the American League playoffs and will host a Division Series opener starting Oct. 7.

“I am really proud of how we played for six months,” Baltimore manager Brandon Hyde said. “We didn’t play our best baseball game today, unfortunately, in the last game in front of the home fans. How well we played this year, home and away, is definitely something to be proud of.”

Houck (6-10) did not allow a hit until Anthony Santander singled up the middle with two outs in the sixth. Houck had six strikeouts and three walks on 87 pitches.

Boston finished 78-84, the same record as last year.

The Red Sox were mourning former pitcher Tim Wakefield, who died at the age of 57.

“The game is secondary. Tough day for us,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We lost a brother, a teammate, a family member. Like I was telling the guys, this guy is one of the best teammates I ever had. This guy was there for us all the time. He was accountable. He was what a Boston Red Sox should look like.”

Hyde wanted to keep his team healthy and rested for the playoffs and used eight pitchers in the game.

“I was nervous the last two days,” Hyde said about possible injuries.

Kyle Bradish, who could start Game 1 of the Division Series, threw two scoreless innings with five strikeouts.

“I am very excited,” Bradish said of the postseason. “It’s been on my mind since we clinched.”

The Red Sox took advantage of a couple of miscues for a 2-0 lead in the third off Danny Coulombe (5-3). Third baseman Jordan Westburg could not handle a throw by James McCann on a double steal that allowed Enmanuel Valdez to score. Shortstop Gunnar Henderson then bobbled a sharp grounder by Rafael Devers that gave Boston its second run.

Devers was credited with his 100th RBI of the season.

Henderson’s second error on a soft grounder by Reese McGuire allowed two more runs to score off Cionel Pérez in the seventh. Trevor Story and Wilyer Abreu followed with RBI singles that boosted the lead to 6-0.

Only one of Boston’s six runs was earned.

Adley Rutschman had an RBI single in the eighth that helped the Orioles avoid their 10th shutout of the season.

Baltimore finished 101-61, tied with the 1971 team for the fourth-most wins in a single season in club history.

“We played hard all year long,” Santander said. “It’s time to take a few days off, come back to work and come back stronger next weekend.”

Baltimore went 7-6 against Boston this year.

MOVES

Orioles: LHP Cole Irvin was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and Bruce Zimmermann was optioned to the Tides, who won the Triple-A National Championship on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Hyde has not announced a starter for Game 1 of the AL Division Series.

Baltimore (101-60), which hosts an AL Division Series starting Oct. 7, is finishing its winningest season since going 102-57 in 1979.

“I want our guys to understand how great of an accomplishment that is,” manager Brandon Hyde said. “We won every series against the AL East. That’s an incredible accomplishment as well with all the talent, how good the teams are in our division.”

After Boston’s Kutter Crawford allowed one hit in six innings, Josh Winckowski (4-4) gave up a single to Adley Rutschman leading off the seventh. Pinch-runner Jorge Mateo stole second standing up, and Mountcastle doubled to right with two outs for a 1-0 lead.

Heston Kjerstad’s infield single that second baseman Pablo Reyes couldn’t field enabled Mountcastle to score from second.

Bruce Zimmermann (2-0), recalled from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day, pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Kyle Gibson, who allowed seven hits in five scoreless innings.

Trevor Story’s RBI single infield single against Jack Flaherty in the eighth cut Baltimore’s lead to 2-1. Before Story’s hit, Boston (77-84) had 10 hits without scoring.

The Orioles added three runs in the eighth on Mateo’s force out that scored Jordan Westburg and Anthony Santander’s two-run single.

Crawford struck out seven without walking a batter.

Masataka Yoshida singled in a run in the ninth inning.

IT’S A RELIEF

Before the game, Boston manager Alex Cora said that he’s considering using Winckowski as a starter next season. Winckowski is among the major league leaders with 83 1/3 relief innings.

PLAYOFF STARTERS

Last year, Gibson, who was a starter all season for the Philadelphia Phillies, was in the bullpen for the postseason. This season, he leads Baltimore with 15 wins and 192 innings, but his place in the postseason rotation isn’t certain.

“They’ll figure that out,” Gibson said. “I don’t know what they’re going to do. I don’t know that any of us really do. Be ready whenever they tell you that it’s your chance to pitch and you take the ball whether it’s in the first inning, the fourth inning, the eighth inning.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: RHP Kenley Jansen, who was activated from the COVID-19 injured list on Sept. 23, won’t pitch again. He hasn’t appeared since Sept. 12.

Orioles: RHP Félix Bautista, who hasn’t pitched since Aug. 25, will undergo Tommy John surgery next month. He’s expected to return for the 2025 season.

UP NEXT

Tanner Houck (5-10, 5.31) starts for the Red Sox against the Orioles’ Kyle Bradish (12-7, 2.86). Manager Brandon Hyde says that Bradish, who could start Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Oct. 7, may not pitch long.

A day after winning the AL East title, the Orioles did little offensively but had to be encouraged by their own starter’s effort. John Means (1-2) pitched into the seventh inning and looked like a solid option for Baltimore when it sets up its postseason rotation.

Means was Baltimore’s opening day starter last year but needed Tommy John surgery and didn’t pitch again for the Orioles until this month. This was his fourth start.

The left-hander retired his first 13 batters before Rob Refsnyder doubled and Story followed with a drive over the big wall in left field at Camden Yards. The Red Sox also scored a run in the ninth.

Means allowed three hits in 6 1/3 innings with four strikeouts and no walks.

Pivetta (10-9) struck out 10 with a walk. He finished his season with a flourish, throwing seven scoreless innings in each of his last two starts.

Garrett Whitlock worked the final two innings for his first save of the season.

This four-game series has started much differently than the teams’ previous meetings. In the first nine Baltimore-Boston games this year, the Orioles and Red Sox combined to average 12.9 runs a game. This week, they’ve traded shutout victories, 2-0 and 3-0.

HONORING PALMER

The Orioles held an on-field ceremony before the game celebrating Hall of Famer Jim Palmer’s 60th anniversary with the team. Palmer pitched for Baltimore from 1965-84 after signing as an amateur free agent in 1963. He now broadcasts Orioles games on TV.

UP NEXT

Baltimore sends Kyle Gibson (15-9) to the mound Saturday against Boston’s Kutter Crawford (6-8).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Josh Lowe had three hits, including a home run, and Isaac Paredes also homered for Tampa Bay, which has clinched a wild-card berth can and still catch the Orioles for the American League East title.

With their 82nd loss, the Red Sox are guaranteed to finish below .500 for the third time in four seasons. They have clinched at least a share of last place in the division — also for the third time in four seasons.

Glasnow (10-7) allowed two hits, walked one and struck out nine while throwing just 70 pitches to snap a personal two-game losing streak. It was his first scoreless outing since August, and just his second of the season. Andrew Kittredge, Jake Diekman, Chris Devenski and Robert Stephenson each pitched a scoreless inning.

Red Sox starter Brayan Bello (12-11) allowed five runs on nine hits and two walks, striking out three in six innings.

Lowe hit a solo homer in the second inning, and the Rays made it 3-0 in the fourth when they started the inning with three straight singles, scoring one run on a bases-loaded sacrifice fly and a second on Manuel Margot’s double.

Lowe had his third hit to lead off the sixth and scored on Paredes’ homer to make it 5-0.

TOUGH CROWD

The attendance for the Fenway finale of 34,559 brought the season total to 2.67 million — about 50,000 more than last year, but worse than every other non-pandemic year since 2002.

UP NEXT

Rays: Have Thursday off before opening a season-ending three-game series in Toronto. RHP Aaron Civale (7-4) will pitch the opener for Tampa Bay.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (6-4) will face Orioles RHP Dean Kremer (12-5) on Thursday night in the opener of a four-game, season-ending series in Baltimore.

Rays starter Zach Eflin (16-8) yielded three runs off five hits over five innings to earn his third victory in four starts. Pete Fairbanks struck out three in a scoreless ninth to pick up his 25th save.

“A bunch of relentless at-bats early on. … Found holes, drove the ball well and everybody really contributed,” manager Kevin Cash said. “We want all those guys to feel good and today was a step in that direction.”

Eflin said he’s in a good place after notching his AL-leading 16th win.

“I’ve learned so much this year being able to play with these guys — it’s been tremendous,” Eflin said. “We’re looking forward to the playoffs. We’re ready to get going. But in the meantime we’re going to keep trying to win games and see where it takes us.”

The Rays entered the day having already secured a wild-card berth and with only slim hopes of overtaking Baltimore for the AL East title.

It led Cash to give starts to some of his younger players to allow some veterans to heal up from some recent injuries.

They responded by tagging Boston starter Tanner Houck (5-10) for seven runs off 10 hits, ending his night after just three innings. It included Pinto’s 424-foot homer to center field, his sixth of the season.

“I gained a lot of confidence,” Pinto said through a translator. “I also have to remember to stay humble in this game, especially since we have a big week ahead of us.”

With the win Tampa Bay (96-62) kept Baltimore’s magic number at two to clinch the AL East following the Orioles’ win over the Nationals.

Boston (76-81) has lost five of its last six games. Emmanuel Valdez had three hits and a career-high four RBIs and Wilyer Abreu added a two-run double for the Red Sox.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said seeing them perform well with these late-season opportunities is encouraging as the season winds down.

“They swing at strikes and they hit strikes hard, both of them,” Cora said. “Very advanced in their approach.”

Tampa Bay jumped out to a 7-0 lead before Valdez got Boston on the board with a three-run home run in the fifth.

The Red Sox trimmed it to 7-5 in the sixth via Abreu’s two-run double off reliever Kevin Kelly. Justin Turner then dropped in a bloop single off Colin Poche that scored Adam Duvall to get it down to 7-6 in the seventh.

Tampa Bay stretched the lead back to three runs in the eighth off Harold Ramirez’s RBI groundout and Jonathan Aranda’s RBI single.

With Shawn Armstrong on in relief, Boston had a runner on first with one out in the ninth, when Bobby Dalbec hit a grounder to Aranda at first. He tried to throw to second for a potential double play, but it clipped Trevor Story in the back leaving both runners safe.

Valdez doubled, scoring Story and leaving runners at second and third. But Armstrong struck out Connor Wong and Duvall to end the inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: All-Star first baseman Yandy Diaz (right hamstring) and outfielder Randy Arozarena (right quad tightness), both sat out Tuesday. Cash said both are expected to return to the lineup sometime this week.

Red Sox: Catcher Reese McGuire left the game prior to the start of the third inning after suffering a left thumb contusion while taking warmup throws from Houck. He was replaced by Wong.

UP NEXT

Rays: RHP Tyler Glasnow (9-7, 3.68 ERA) has an 8.22 ERA in his last three starts.

Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (12-10, 4.11) will make his 28th start. He is coming off allowing a career-high eight earned runs over three innings last week at Texas.

Trying to avoid their second 100-loss season in five years and the fifth in club history, the White Sox took two of three from the Red Sox and captured their first series since August 7-9 when they went 2-1 against the Yankees.

“Not fun,” said Clevinger of pitching in rainy, cool conditions. “Not very conducive to playing baseball. We got through it.”

Adam Duvall and Wilyer Abreu each hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who are on pace to finish in the AL East basement for the third time in four years.

The umpires called for the tarp after the sixth and it was called after an hour, 43–minute delay.

“That’s always nice,” Clevinger said, smiling, when informed he was credited with a complete game.

It was the fourth of his career and his second straight after he went nine innings beating the Washington Nationals in his last start.

Chicago outfielder Luis Robert Jr. left with a sore right knee after stealing his 20th base. He has 38 homers and 36 doubles, becoming the first White Sox player with 35 homers, 35 doubles and 20 steals.

Clevinger (9-8) gave up two runs and five hits without striking out or walking a batter.

Playing with rain falling most of the time for the second straight day, the White Sox scored twice with just one hit against Kutter Crawford (6-8) to take a 2-1 edge in the fifth.

Crawford walked a pair before Andrus’ liner to center just got under the glove of centerfielder Ceddanne Rafaela’s full-length dive.

“For the first three or four innings I was in total control,” Crawford said. “That fifth inning happened and it all started with the leadoff walk and then the two-out walk. Those are things I can’t let happen.”

Gavin Sheets’ sacrifice fly made it 3-1 in the sixth.

“It was weird conditions,” Sheets said. “One of those things you grind through. Our pitching carried us.”

Abreu’s drive went into the seats in deep right for his second career homer in the second. Duvall’s completely left Fenway Park over the Green Monster in the sixth.

SERIES STUFF

The Red Sox have lost a season-high six straight series.

It was Chicago’s first road series win since August 4-6, at Cleveland. The White Sox won the season series against Boston, 4-2.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Placed right-hander Jesse Scholtens on the 15-day injured list with a strained left calf. They recalled right-hander Declan Cronin to take his spot.

Red Sox: Reinstated right-hander Zack Kelly from the 60-day injured list. He was out since April 13 with right elbow inflammation. Right-hander Nick Robertson was optioned to Triple-A to make room.

UP NEXT

White Sox: Have an off day Monday because their scheduled game against Arizona was moved to Thursday so the Diamondbacks could play a makeup game in New York against the Yankees. RHP José Ureña (0-6, 7.27 ERA) is set to start the first of a three-game series vs. Arizona on Tuesday.

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (5-9, 4.92) is slated to start the first of a two-game series against Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Heck, it might not have even gotten high enough to clear Fenway Park’s 37-foot Green Monster in left.

But the White Sox slugger’s curving liner found the front row of the right field seats beyond Fenway’s Pesky Pole in the ninth inning of a scoreless game on Saturday to give Chicago a 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

“It was hilarious because he’s got (38) home runs and all that, and then he hits one 311,” said Dylan Cease, who struck out 11 in seven scoreless innings to surpass 200 strikeouts for the third straight season. “Baseball is funny like that sometimes.”

Playing in a cold rain, with the wind blowing in at a steady 10 mph, Cease and Boston starter Nick Pivetta matched scoreless innings before both departed after seven. Aaron Bummer (5-5) pitched the eighth for Chicago, walking the first two batters before retiring the heart of the Boston order to escape.

Bryan Shaw got the last three outs for his third save, striking out Ceddanne Rafaela with runners on first and second to end it.

Josh Winckowski (4-3) struck out three in two innings after relieving Pivetta, allowing two hits, including the curling line drive that found the first row of seats — just beyond the foul pole that is 302 feet from home plate. Robert called the foul pole “the best,” saying it made up for a couple of much longer drives in Baltimore last month that stayed in play.

“It’s gotten us a few times, but today it helped us,” Chicago manager Pedro Grifol said. “This is a really nice place to play, and it’s got so many different things going on in the ballpark that it’s really cool. And that’s one of them today. Today, it helped us.”

Masataka Yoshida had three hits for Boston but grounded out to end the eighth with runners on first and second. Boston stranded 10 runners — going 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

The last-place Red Sox are playing for a chance to finish above .500 and to catch the rival Yankees and avoid finishing last in the AL East for the third time in four seasons. Chicago, which is all-but locked into fourth place in the AL Central, snapped a three-game losing streak and won for just the fourth time in 12 games.

NOTHING DOING

Pivetta held the White Sox hitless until Andrew Benintendi singled to lead off the fourth inning. In all, the Red Sox right-hander allowed three hits and a walk while striking out seven. Cease also pitched seven scoreless, allowing six hits for his 17th career double-digit strikeout game, and his fourth this season.

The 11 strikeouts left the Chicago righty with 207 for the season. He is the third White Sox pitcher to top 200 for three straight seasons, joining Chris Sale, who did it four times from 2013-16, and Hall of Famer Ed Walsh (1910-12).

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Reinstated closer Kenley Jansen from the COVID-19 injured list and optioned RHP Zack Weiss to Triple-A Worcester.

UP NEXT

Finale of the three-game series. RHP Mike Clevinger (8-8) will face Boston RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7).

Playing their first game after being eliminated from postseason contention, the Red Sox (76-78) won for just the second time in eight games.

Looking to avoid just their second 100-loss season in 53 years, the White Sox (58-96) lost for the 10th time in their last 13 games.

Red Sox starter Chris Sale went five scoreless innings, striking out seven while allowing just three singles and a walk against his former team where he was a five-time All-Star from 2010-16.

“Command was kind of in and out at times, but I made some pitches when I needed to,” said Sale, who missed two months with left shoulder inflammation from early June to August.

“I want to, obviously, do as well as I can every time, but I want to finish the year strong and go into the offseason good, and have a normal good offseason and build up for spring training.”

Chicago right-hander Touki Toussaint, who was claimed off waivers after he was designated for assignment by Cleveland on June 17, gave up a run on five hits with two strikeouts and two walks over 6 1/3 innings.

“It felt good to be able to do that, hopefully I can continue to be able to do that,” he said. “You want to finish the season strong. That’s the goal for everyone.”

Trevor Story had three hits and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela also had a fifth inning sacrifice fly for Boston.

Duvall’s bases-loaded sacrifice came against Garrett Crochet (0-2) before Yoshida sent his grounder between first and second for the tie-breaking run.

Mauricio Llovera (2-3) worked a scoreless inning for the victory and Chris Martin got the final three outs for his third save.

“I just try to go out and prepare every single day,” said Martin, who hasn’t allowed a run in a career-best 20 straight appearances. “I’m not really thinking about the numbers and all that.”

Trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Chicago scored twice against reliever Garrett Whitlock. Luis Robert Jr. singled, stole second and third before scoring on Andrew Vaughn’s single. Trayce Thompson delivered a go-ahead RBI double to left-center field gap.

LOWLY 100s

The White Sox lost 100 games in 2018, 1970, 1948 and 1932.

BARBIE NIGHT SELLOUT

The Red Sox promotion honored a hit movie of the summer. There was a pink party before the game on the right-field upper deck with T-shirts for fans that purchased special tickets. On its website, the club also called the stadium (Ken)way Park.

The sold-out attendance was 37,102.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Placed RHP Michael Kopech on the 15-day injured list after he underwent surgery to remove a cyst on his right knee. The team said he’s expected to recover in six to eight weeks. The 27-year-old finished the season with a 5-12 record and a 5.43 ERA in 30 games, making 27 starts.

Red Sox: Placed IF Luis Urias on the 10-day IL with a strained left calf. … RHP Kenley Jansen (Covid-19 list) was in the clubhouse and is expected to be activated Saturday.

UP NEXT

RHP Dylan Cease (7-8, 4.85 ERA) is scheduled to start for the White Sox in the middle game of the three-game set weather permitting. RHP Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.48) is set to go for the Red Sox.

“This is more who we were,” manager Bruce Bochy said.

Marcus Semien drove in three runs from the top of the order and scored for the AL-best 115th time, Jonah Heim and Mitch Garver hit back-to-back homers and the playoff-chasing Rangers beat the Boston Red Sox 15-5 on Wednesday. All-Star third baseman Josh Jung, in his third game back after missing six weeks with a fractured left thumb, and fellow rookie Evan Carter each added two-run homers.

“Great at-bats up and down the lineup, guys hitting mistakes for homers and guys taking their walks,” said Heim, the switch-hitting All-Star catcher. “It’s encouraging to see, and just got to keep putting it together.”

Texas (84-68) remained a half-game behind Houston for the AL West lead after the Astros (85-68) had a walk-off win over AL East-leading Baltimore to avoid being swept in three games at home. The Rangers are tied with division foe Seattle for the American League’s third and final wild-card spot. The Mariners beat Oakland 6-3 Wednesday before heading to Texas for a three-game weekend series.

All-Star right fielder Adolis Garcia, in his third game back after missing 10 games with a right patellar tendon strain in his right knee, walked in the second inning and scored on Heim’s homer. That was the 100th run scored this season for Garcia, who got his 102nd RBI with a double in the fourth.

“You look at the two guys we just got back, I love their at-bats,” Bochy said. “It stretches out your lineup. … It’s always good to have success, it breeds confidence as they say, and you can see it in the guys right now.”

The Rangers play seven of their last 10 games against the Mariners, including the last four in Seattle.

Semien is the only of the Rangers six All-Stars, including pitcher Nathan Eovaldi, who hasn’t had a stint on the injured list. The second baseman is the lone Ranger to start all 152 games, plus the All-Star Game on July 11 with teammates Garcia, Heim, Jung and shortstop Corey Seager — who all have since missed time injured. Eovaldi was out seven weeks with a forearm strain.

Veteran left-hander Martin Perez (10-4) struck out five over 4 2/3 scoreless innings in relief of Jon Gray, who has allowed 11 runs over 8 2/3 innings his last three starts.

“He’s done a tremendous job since he’s gone to the bullpen. He’s picked us up so many times,” Bochy said of Perez, an All-Star last season and a starter until Texas acquired Max Scherzer and Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline.

“They know that I’m a starter. … It doesn’t matter if you’re from the bullpen or if I have to start game, I just want to get people out and help my team to win,” Perez said.

Boston, last in the AL East, lost for the 12th time in 15 games even after jumping ahead 4-0. Adam Duvall hit a three-run homer in the first and Bobby Dalbec had a leadoff shot in the second off Gray.

The first seven Texas batters reached base in the bottom of the second off Brayan Bello (12-10). Heim’s three-run homer came just before Garver went deep, and Semien’s two-run single snapped the 4-all tie and put Texas ahead to stay.

Semien drew a bases-loaded walk in the third after an RBI single by Leody Taveras, who added a sacrifice fly an inning later.

Bello allowed eight runs and eight hits over three innings. He walked four, hit a batter and struck out two.

LOTS OF HITS AND RUNS

Texas, which finished with 16 hits, broke franchise records with at least 10 runs for the 26th time and 15 runs for the sixth time. The Rangers had 25 games with 10 runs in 2008, and five games with 15 runs in 1998. … Every Texas starter had a base hit and scored a run, and only one didn’t have an RBI. Jung had three hits and scored three times. Carter, in his 13th big league game, also had three hits and scored twice.

100/100 FOR GARCIA

Garcia is the only the second Rangers player in the past 18 seasons to score 100 runs and drive in 100. The other in that span was Josh Hamilton in 2012, when he had 128 RBIs and 103 runs scores.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Luis Urias exited the game with left calf tightness. He was lifted for a pinch-runner after his single in the seventh inning.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Boston opens its final homestand Friday night against the Chicago White Sox.

Rangers: After their final off day of the regular season, the Rangers open their final home series against Seattle on Friday night.

Texas, which ended a four-game losing streak, closed within a half-game of AL West-leading Houston. The Rangers remained tied with Seattle for the third wild card, one game behind Toronto,

Texas plays the Mariners in seven of its last 10 games.

“It’s going to be a fight every night,” said Jung, who returned Monday after missing 37 games with a fractured left thumb.

Aroldis Chapman (6-4) retired five consecutive batters in the seventh and eighth innings, striking out three, and Jose Leclerc pitched a perfect ninth for his third save in eight chances.

Chapman’s 1,145 strikeouts are 10th among relievers.

“I think the addition of that sinker, he’s making it tougher for everybody,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

With the score 4-4, Marcus Semien was hit by a pitch from Chris Murphy (1-2) leading off the seventh and took second on Corey Seager’s single. John Schreiber relieved with one out and Jung grounded a single to center. Schreiber forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk to Jonah Heim.

Boston, last in the AL East, has lost five of six.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the seventh by plate umpire Ben May after a ball four to Luis Urias. Alex Verdugo followed with a potential inning-ending, double-play grounder to shortstop but Seager’s throw to second sailed into right field for an error that tied the score 4-4.

“I was kidding the staff now: ‘Hey I need to leave the dugout a little bit more,’” Bochy said.

Adolis Garcia’s career-best 35th homer, his first since coming off the injured list, put Texas ahead in the second. Justin Turner hit a tying RBI grounder in a three-run third that included Masataka Yoshida’s two-run single.

Semien hit a run-scoring single in the fifth, and Texas went ahead 4-3 in the sixth on Leody Taveras’s run-scoring single and Heim’s RBI double.

FOR STARTERS

Texas starter Nathan Eovaldi allowed three runs, four hits and three walks in five innings. It was his fourth start since coming off the 15-day injured list on Sept. 5. He didn’t go further than 3 1/3 innings in his previous three outings.

Boston’s Tanner Houck gave up two runs, three hits and four walks in four innings.

THE BAND’S BACK TOGETHER

Tuesday’s game was Texas’ first since July 18 featuring all six of its 2023 all-stars: Eovaldi, Garcia, Semien, Seager, Jung and Heim.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Wilyer Abreu (sore hand) is day to day. … An MRI revealed 1B Triston Casas, who won’t play anymore this season, has bursitis in his right shoulder.

Rangers: Bochy said RHP Josh Sborz (biceps tendinitis) is close to returning after throwing Monday.

UP NEXT

Wednesday afternoon’s rubber game will match Rangers RHP Jon Gray (8-8, 4.05 ERA) against Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (12-9, 3.71). Gray is 0-3 in his previous six outings. Bello comes off a loss and hasn’t lost consecutive starts since early June.

Boston rallied against reliever Will Smith (2-7), who walked No. 8 batter Luis Urias and then gave up a double that snapped No. 9 batter Connor Wong’s 0-for-17 slide. Refsnyder’s one-out hit that made it 3-2 came after Rafael Devers, with 10 hits his previous 21 at-bats, was intentionally walked. Adam Duvall followed with a sac fly.

Marcus Semien, the only Rangers player to start all 150 of their games, hit another leadoff homer and had an RBI single.

Texas (82-68), already guaranteed its first winning record since 2016, began the day one game ahead of Seattle for the American League’s third and final wild-card spot. The Mariners, who the Rangers play seven times in the season’s last 10 days, were at Oakland on Monday night.

While not yet eliminated from the playoffs, the Red Sox (75-76) were at the bottom of the AL East standings and 7 1/2 games behind the final wild-card spot with only 11 games to play. Urias had an RBI single in the fifth for their other run.

Josh Winckowski (4-2) struck out three and walked two in a scoreless seventh for Boston after starter Kutter Crawford had seven strikeouts without a walk and allowed two runs over six innings. Chris Martin struck out two in the ninth, his 19th consecutive scoreless appearance and only second save.

Rangers rookie third baseman Josh Jung and slugging right fielder Adolis Garcia were both activated from the injured list. Jung, who was 1 for 4 with a single in the ninth inning, had been out six weeks with a fractured left thumb. Garcia went 0 for 3 with a walk and two strikeouts after missing 10 games with a patellar tendon strain in his right knee.

It was the first time since July 21, the night shortstop Corey Seager exited with a sprained right thumb and missed nine games, that the Rangers had in their lineup all five of their position players who started for the American League in the All-Star Game on July 11. Switch-hitting catcher Jonah Heim also had an IL stint since then.

SEMIEN’S QUICK HITS

Semien’s 25th homer of the season came on the first pitch thrown by Crawford. It was the AL-best ninth leadoff homer in a first inning for Semien, extending his single-season franchise record. It was the third time this month he hit a leadoff homer on the first pitch.

SOLID START

Trade deadline acquisition Jordan Montgomery struck out eight without any walks while allowing one run over seven innings in his ninth start for the Rangers.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Rookie OF Wilyer Abreu was out of the lineup a day after he hurt his throwing hand when crashing into the wall trying to make a catch on the game-ending play in their loss at Toronto. He is expected back in the lineup Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Rangers All-Star right-hander Nathan Eovaldi, who was with the Red Sox the past five seasons, pitches against them Tuesday night in the middle game of the series. It is only the fourth start for Eovaldi (11-4, 2.96 ERA) since he came off the IL after missing seven weeks with a right forearm strain. Right-hander Tanner Houck (5-9, 4.94) goes for the Red Sox.

Red Sox manager Alex Cora said Monday that Casas was seeing a doctor, and they were looking at an MRI. But even before knowing those results, Cora said it was unlikely the first baseman would get back in the lineup.

Casas was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday. Boston, last in the AL East, had only 11 games remaining after the series opener at Texas on Monday night.

“To ramp up again … it doesn’t make any sense. That’s where we’re at,” Cora said. “For this season, it doesn’t make sense to get him back here.”

Casas hit .263 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 132 games. He ranked first among AL rookies in walks and second in homers. He batted .317 with 15 home runs in 54 games after the All-Star break.

The 37-year-old right-hander has not pitched for Boston since June 20 because of right shoulder inflammation. He had been scheduled to make a third rehab start for Triple-Worcester on Saturday.

Instead, manager Alex Cora said Kluber will continue his rehab at home.

Kluber started for Worcester on Sept. 12, allowing two hits and striking out two in 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

With the Red Sox, Kluber went 3-6 with a 7.04 ERA in 15 games, including nine starts. He signed a $10 million, one-year contract with Boston in January, a deal that includes an $11 million club option for 2024.

Kluber went 5-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 16 starts for the New York Yankees in 2021, including a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory at Texas. He pitched for Tampa Bay in 2022, going 10-10 with a 4.34 ERA in 31 starts.

A three-time All-Star, Kluber won his first Cy Young with Cleveland in 2014, going 18-9 with a 2.44 ERA. He won the award again in 2017, finishing 18-4 with a 2.25 ERA.

A 13-year veteran who has also pitched for Texas, Kluber has a 116-77 record and a 3.44 ERA in 271 games, all but 11 as a starter.

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Toronto, which swept its ninth series this season, entered in the AL’s third and final wild card spot, a half-game behind Texas and a half-game ahead of Seattle.

The sweep of Boston put the Blue Jays back in the postseason picture after they were swept by Texas in a four-game series last week.

“To get three wins like that and get right back in the mix is huge for us,” Chapman said.

The Blue Jays won in their final at-bat for the sixth time this season and the second time in two days. Whit Merrifield’s infield single in the 13th inning gave Toronto a 4-3 win Saturday.

“It’s fun to build off that energy,” Chapman said. “I think it gets guys excited. Hopefully we can just build off that energy and keep it rolling through this last stretch.”

Toronto has 12 games remaining, six each against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays.

Boston has lost 10 of 12 and is nine games back of the Blue Jays with 12 games left. The Red Sox were swept for the eighth time.

“Obviously we want different results but it’s not happening right now,” manager Alex Cora said.

Boston trailed 2-1 when Rafael Devers homered off Erik Swanson (4-2) with two outs in the ninth, Devers’ career-high 33rd home run.

With All-Star closer Jordan Romano unavailable after pitching the previous two days, Swanson blew a save for the second time in six chances.

Cavan Biggio singled with one out in the bottom half against Garrett Whitlock (5-5), and Chapman followed with his second double of the game. Chapman’s 37 doubles are tied for third-most in the AL.

Red Sox rookie Wilyer Abreu, who took over in center in the eighth, jumped for the ball but couldn’t make the play.

“I did everything I could and unfortunately I wasn’t able to get it,” Abreu said through a translator.

Abreu injured his left hand when he landed and had an ice pack on it after the game but said it wasn’t serious.

Chapman’s hits were his first since being activated off the injured list last Thursday. He returned after being sidelined since Aug. 27 because of a sprained right middle finger, and was hitless in 12 at-bats coming into the game.

“I haven’t been able to be as consistent as I’d like to but to be able to come up big for the team today is a lot of fun,” Chapman said.

Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette threw Devers out at the plate for the first out of the second as Devers tried to score on Pablo Reyes’ grounder.

“Being able to get an out like that really did change the whole atmosphere,” Blue Jays left-hander Hyun Jin Ryu said through a translator.

Devers reached base five times. He singled in the second, walked in the third and fifth, and was hit by a pitch in the seventh.

“He’s locked in right now,” Cora said. “He’s taking his walks, working the count, getting pitches he can drive. He’s in a great place right now.”

Kevin Kiermaier hit a sacrifice fly in the second and Daulton Varsho homered in the fifth off Nick Pivetta, who allowed two runs and four hits in 6 1/3 innings. Pivetta is winless in four starts.

Reyes had a two-out RBI single in the seventh. Boston was 1 for 14 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for its first 12.

Boston went 3 for 33 in the three-game series with runners in scoring position.

“It’s tough,” Cora said. “It happens over 162, but it’s been going on for a while.”

Ryu allowed six hits in 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Two-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber (shoulder) has ended his rehab assignment with Triple-A Worcester and will not pitch again this season, Cora said. … RHP Kenley Jansen (COVID IL) is expected to join the team in Texas this week, Cora said. Jansen is eligible to be activated on Wednesday.

NEW IN BLUE

Umpire Jacob Metz joined the crew at third base Sunday. He replaced Jordan Baker, who left Saturday’s game after eight innings and entered Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol after being struck by multiple foul tips.

ONE-RUN FUN

Toronto is 25-19 in one-run games.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.26 ERA) is expected to start Monday night as the Red Sox visit Texas for a three-game series. LHP Jordan Montgomery (9-11, 3.47) is scheduled for the Rangers.

Blue Jays: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-6, 3.81 ERA) is scheduled to start Tuesday night as the Blue Jays travel to New York to begin a three-game series against the Yankees. New York’s scheduled starter is RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.56).

Merrifield’s infield single off Mauricio Llovera (1-3) drove in Vladimir Guerrero Jr. from third base for Toronto’s fifth win in its last at-bat.

Chad Green (3-0) pitched one inning for the win.

Guerrero hit a solo home run and reached base five times as the Blue Jays ensured they would not lose ground in the AL wild card race. Toronto began the day half a game behind Seattle for the third wild card spot.

“At this point in the year, any win is going to be a good confidence boost,” Merrifield said. “Hopefully it will be good momentum.”

Guerrero went 2 for 3 with three walks, one intentional. He has homered in three consecutive games for the fourth time in his career.

“What Vladdy has done the last couple of days is a big boost,” Merrifield said.

Rafael Devers hit a two-run home run, his 32nd, but Boston lost for the ninth time in 11 games. The Red Sox lost for the fourth time in 62 opportunities when leading after six innings.

Toronto used an intentional walk and an infield single to load the bases against Nick Robertson in the 10th, but Merrifield struck out to end the threat.

“When something like that happens you’re eager to get back up and try again,” Merrifield said. “Fortunately I got another chance and made it happen.”

Boston led 2-1 heading to the ninth but right-hander John Schreiber couldn’t close it out, blowing his second save in three chances.

Pinch-hitting for Matt Chapman, Toronto’s Cavan Biggio hit a one-out single and advanced on a wild pitch. One out later, Daulton Varsho lined a game-tying triple over the head of rookie center fielder Cedanna Rafaela, who initially broke in on Varsho’s hit.

“It’s a mistake,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of Rafaela’s play. “He’ll learn from it and be better for the next one.”

Schreiber sent it to extra innings by getting George Springer to ground out.

Boston’s Pablo Reyes hit an RBI single off Jordan Hicks in the top of the 12th but Bo Bichette tied it in the bottom half with a sacrifice fly off Zack Weiss.

Red Sox left-hander Chris Sale allowed one run and two hits in six-plus innings. The left-hander walked two and struck out 10.

“Definitely something to build off of,” Sale said.

Cora said he hasn’t seen Sale pitch better this year.

“I know he’s had some good games this season but for me, that was the best one as far as hitting his spots,” Cora said.

Sale departed after Guerrero’s leadoff home run in the seventh, his 24th.

Right-hander Josh Winckowski replaced Sale and got two outs but walked the bases loaded. Brennan Bernardino came on and retired pinch hitter Ernie Clement to end the threat.

Making his career-high 31st start, Blue Jays right-hander Chris Bassitt allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Plate umpire Jordan Baker was struck in the left shoulder by a foul tip during Justin Turner’s at-bat in the top of the fourth. Baker received attention from Toronto’s trainer and was able to continue, but left after the eighth. Brennan Miller moved from second base to behind the plate in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Boston put 1B Triston Casas on the 10-day IL because of right shoulder inflammation and recalled INF Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester. Cora said Casas will return to Boston on Saturday night and undergo an MRI Sunday. “It doesn’t make sense to push,” Cora said. “He’s been grinding through it. The last few days have been a challenge for him.”

Blue Jays: RHP Adam Cimber (shoulder) allowed one run and two hits in one inning in his first rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday.

STARTING STRONG

Red Sox starting pitchers have allowed three or fewer runs in each of the past seven games.

WEB GEM

Springer raced into the right field corner to make a diving catch on Masataka Yoshida’s liner for the first out of the seventh.

CHAPMAN STRUGGLING

Chapman is hitless in nine at-bats since being activated off the IL Thursday. The three-time Gold Glove Award winner missed 15 games because of a sprained right middle finger.

UP NEXT

LHP Hyun Jin Ryu (3-3, 2.93 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays in Sunday’s series finale against Canadian-born Red Sox RHP Nick Pivetta (9-9, 4.56).

The 41-year-old Baker, a member of MLB’s staff since 2014, will miss Sunday’s series finale at a minimum, according to the commissioner’s office.

Baker needed attention from Toronto’s athletic trainer after he was hit on the left shoulder during Justin Turner’s at-bat in the fourth. Baker left the field between the top and bottom of the inning to receive further treatment.

“You hate seeing an umpire get hurt like that,” Blue Jays manager John Schneider said. “Jordan took a beating today.”

The game was delayed after eight innings while second base umpire Brennan Miller changed into his gear to work the plate. The game continued with three umpires.

A Blue Jays spokesperson said Baker’s status for Sunday’s series finale was unknown.

The move, retroactive to Friday, came after the rookie slugger was scratched from the starting lineup for a second straight game.

Casas is batting .263 with 24 home runs and 65 RBIs in 132 games.

Casas ranks first among AL rookies in walks (70) and OPS (.857) and is second in home runs. He has hit .317 with 15 home runs in 54 games since the All-Star break.

The Red Sox recalled infielder Bobby Dalbec from Triple-A Worcester. Dalbec hit 25 home runs as a rookie in 2021, the sixth-highest rookie total in Red Sox history.

Berríos (11-10) allowed all five hits and struck out eight over seven sharp innings as the Blue Jays bounced back after being swept in a four-game series against AL wild-card rival Texas. Toronto came in 1 1/2 games behind Seattle for the third wild-card spot.

Jordan Hicks worked the eighth and Jordan Romano finished Toronto’s 14th shutout, earning his 35th save in 38 chances.

Berríos has won back-to-back decisions after losing his previous three. He was coming off a win against Boston in his last start, his first time beating the Red Sox in seven career opportunities.

None of the three Blue Jays pitchers allowed a walk.

Toronto has won six of its past nine meetings against AL East opponents.

Justin Turner had two hits for the Red Sox, but Boston lost its fourth straight against Toronto after winning the first seven meetings this season.

Guerrero homered for the second straight game when he went deep on the first pitch he saw from Boston right-hander Brayan Bello in the third. Guerrero’s two-out drive was his team-leading 23rd.

Bello (12-9) allowed three runs and four hits in six innings. He walked one and struck out a career-high 10, fanning the final three batters he faced.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 1B Triston Casas was scratched from the lineup because of a sore right shoulder.

BERRÍOS VS BOSTON

Berríos is 3-6 all-time against the Red Sox. Two of the wins have come this season.

ROSTER MOVES

Red Sox: Boston optioned LHP Brandon Walter to Triple-A Worcester and recalled RHP Chris Murphy from Triple-A.

Blue Jays: Toronto optioned RHP Bowden Francis to Triple-A Buffalo and recalled RHP Nate Pearson from the Bisons.

UP NEXT

RHP Chris Bassitt (14-8, 3.83 ERA) is expected to start for the Blue Jays on Saturday against Red Sox LHP Chris Sale (6-4, 4.88).

Oswald Peraza hit his first career homer, a two-run shot in the ninth for the Yankees (74-73), who won three of four at Boston to draw even with their rival at the bottom of the AL East.

Earlier Thursday, the Red Sox fired Chief Baseball Officer Chaim Bloom after nearly four seasons, then beat the Yankees 5-0 in the twinbill opener. Tanner Houck pitched six strong innings and registered his first win since April.

Boston made the playoffs once during Bloom’s tenure and enters the remaining weeks of the season seeking to avoid another last-place finish in the division.

“Obviously, it’s a decision that ownership decided to go this route. We worked together all these years. It’s never easy to hear that,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said between games.

In the nightcap, Judge slugged a 2-0 pitch from Brennan Bernardino over the wall in center field with the bases loaded in the second inning to make it 5-2. It was his 32nd homer of the season and sixth career grand slam.

Rafael Devers hit his 31st homer in the third to get the Red Sox within 5-3. Boston added a run in the fifth, and in the seventh, Triston Casas’ RBI groundout made it 5-5.

LeMahieu hit the go-ahead double off Mauricio Llovera (1-2).

Wandy Peralta (4-2) pitched the seventh for New York and Tommy Kahnle worked the final two innings for his second save.

FIRST GAME

In the opener, Houck (5-9) gave up four hits and struck out seven, and Trevor Story and rookie Ceddanne Rafaela homered for Boston. With the Red Sox ahead 2-0, Story hit a three-run shot into the center-field batters’ eye in the eighth inning.

Houck capped off his outing by escaping a one-out, first-and-third jam in the sixth. The Yankees were shut out for the ninth time this season.

“Today was a big day for Tanner,” Cora said. “He needed six innings.”

New York right-hander Michael King (4-6) gave up a run and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. The reliever-turned-starter who hails from Rhode Island and played at Boston College struck out eight and walked one.

“It’s nice being back on that routine,” King said of being back in the rotation for his fifth start. “I think that’s the main part of my body recovery that I feel like I missed (coming) out of the bullpen.”

Boston finished 9-4 against its rival this season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Manager Aaron Boone said top prospect Jasson Domínguez will undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow next Wednesday. Boone said the recovery time for a position player is nine to 10 months.

Red Sox: Right-handers Zack Kelly (right elbow inflammation) and Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) are both on rehab assignments. Cora didn’t know what they’d be doing next.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.79 ERA) starts Friday in the opener of a weekend series at Pittsburgh.

Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (12-8, 3.68) starts Friday’s series opener at Toronto.

Bloom was dismissed after nearly four seasons. He was hired from the Tampa Bay Rays to help revive the farm system and bring financial stability to a team that was one of baseball’s biggest spenders.

“It’s not easy,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of the move. “I’ve been through this twice already. Obviously, it’s a decision that ownership decided to go this route. We worked together all these years. It’s never easy to hear that.”

Rookie Ceddanne Rafaela added a solo shot and Wilyer Abreu had a first-inning RBI single for Boston, which has won nine of the 12 meetings between the longtime rivals this season.

Coming off a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday that moved New York into a tie with Boston for last place, the Yankees were shut out for the ninth time this season.

Gleyber Torres had two doubles for the Yankees.

The game was a makeup of Wednesday night’s rainout.

Houck (5-9) allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked three. Garrett Whitlock retired all six batters he faced, and Chris Martin finished a six-hitter.

“I definitely thought he was going to take me out,” Houck said of Cora’s visit before he got out of a sixth-inning mess. “I wanted to be out there. I’ve been working day in and day out, trying to get better and trying to push myself to get through the sixth inning.”

New York right-hander Michael King (4-6) gave up a run and six hits in 4 2/3 innings. He struck out eight and walked one.

“It’s nice being back on that routine,” King said of being back in the starting rotation for his fifth start. “I think that’s the main part of my body recovery that I feel liked I missed (coming) out of the bullpen.”

Story hit his homer into the center-field batters’ eye off Matt Bowman in the eighth. Rafaela hooked his second career homer around the Pesky Pole in the seventh against Greg Weissert, just past the leap of right fielder Oswaldo Peraza.

Houck escaped a first-and-third, one-out jam in the sixth with a little help from plate umpire Todd Tichenor.

“Today was a big day for Tanner,” Cora said. “He needed six innings.”

With the infield in during the sixth, Jake Bauers hit a slow roller to first baseman Triston Casas, who fired home. The ball bounced up and slightly past catcher Conner Wong but hit Tichenor. Wong grabbed it and got Torres out in a rundown. Houck then retired Peraza on a comebacker.

“We had a couple of chances there,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said. “I thought Houck threw the ball well, but we should have punched a couple through, no doubt about it.”

NEW PITCH LIMIT

Houck threw a career-high 105 pitches, 63 for strikes.

LOOK OUT

Weissert spun around on Casas’ hard-hit grounder to the mound, and the ball caromed off his left foot and over to first baseman Bauers for an out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Boone said top prospect Jasson Domínguez will undergo Tommy John surgery on his throwing elbow next Wednesday. Boone said the recovery time for a position player is nine to 10 months.

Red Sox: Right-handers Zack Kelly (right elbow inflammation) and Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) are both on rehab assignments. Cora didn’t know what they’d be doing next.

UP NEXT

RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.54 ERA) was set to go for the Yankees in the nightcap. RHP Nick Robertson (0-1, 6.06 ERA) starts for the Red Sox.

Torres had a go-ahead, two-run single in the sixth inning and started a game-ending double play with the bases loaded in the opener of a day-night doubleheader opener. Then in the night game, Torres scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded grounder in the sixth and added an RBI single in the ninth.

New York entered 1-8 against the Red Sox this year and had not swept a doubleheader at Fenway since Aug. 18, 2006. The Yankees, who had been fifth in the AL East every day since Aug. 9, matched Boston at 73-72.

Boone improved his managing record to 500-353 in six seasons.

Carlos Rodón (3-5) struck out nine over five innings in the night game, allowing one run and four hits. Zach McAllister, a 35-year-old right-hander, gave up one hit in a scoreless sixth in his first major league appearance since 2018 with Detroit. Matt Bowman, a 32-year-old righty, pitched a one-hit eighth in his first big league outing since 2019 with Cincinnai.

Nick Ramirez finished with a perfect ninth for his first major league save.

Boston has lost six of its last seven as wild card hopes. The Red Sox dropped seven games back for the final AL berth, with Toronto and Seattle ahead.

Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford allowed one run and two hits with seven strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

Ceddanne Rafaela led off the first with a drive over the Green Monster for his first big league homer.

Estevan Florial tied the score with an RBI single in the fifth and Jake Bauer hit into a run-scoring forceout in the sixth after Josh Winckowski (3-2) loaded the bases on two walks and a single.

New York boosted its lead in a two-run ninth that included a video review that awarded a bases-loaded catcher’s inference call on Connor Wong.

A day after the series opener was rained out, the Yankees took the field in the first game wearing caps to honor first responders of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The opening game had an announced paid attendance of only 30,029. It was the lowest at Fenway Park for a Red Sox-Yankees game since May 27, 1999, not including pandemic-restricted crowds in 2020 and 2021. Game 2 was only slightly better at 30,392.

Jhony Brito (7-7) pitched three-hit ball over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Clay Holmes walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth before Alex Verdugo grounded a first-pitch sinker to Torres at second. He threw to shortstop Anthony Volpe for a forceout at second, and LeMahieu stretched to get the throw to first, giving Holmes his 19th save in 22 chances.

Yankees starter Randy Vásquez gave up two runs off three hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Boston starter Nick Pivetta (9-9) struck out 10, but allowed three runs off four hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Rafael Devers homered on a first-pitch cutter in the fourth, a drive into the Yankees bullpen in right-center for his 30th home run this season and the 25th of his career against the Yankees.

DJ LeMahieu’s RBI double in the sixth started New York’s comeback from a 2-0 deficit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with right elbow swelling. It comes just over a month after he was activated following arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow, which had sidelined him since April 5. He’s made 17 appearances this season, with a 3.06 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. New York selected the contract of McAllister, who hadn’t appeared in a major league game since 2018 before coming on in relief in the sixth inning of Game 2. … INF Anthony Rizzo (post-concussion syndrome) was transferred to the 60-day IL. … RHP Luke Weaver was claimed off waivers from Seattle.

Red Sox: RHP Kenley Jansen exited in the eighth inning of the second game with fatigue and illness symptoms. … Reinstated INF/OF Pablo Reyes from the 10-day IL (elbow inflammation). To make room on the active roster, INF Enmanuel Valdez was optioned to Triple-A Worcester.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.54 ERA), originally slated to start Monday’s opener, will make his 29th start on Wednesday. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in 18 of his last 19 starts.

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (4-9, 5.28) has a 2.39 ERA in six starts and five relief appearances against the Yankees.

DJ LeMahieu added an RBI double as New York earned just its second victory in 10 meetings with Boston this season and got back to .500 at 72-72. The Red Sox, just one game ahead of the Yankees at 73-71, have lost five of their last six as their hopes fade of securing the AL’s final wild-card berth.

The doubleheader was scheduled after Monday’s series opener was rained out. The change contributed to an announced paid attendance of only 30,029, the lowest at Fenway Park for a Red Sox-Yankees game since May 27, 1999, not including pandemic-restricted crowds in 2020 and 2021.

“The end of the season is about having the discipline to go out there and still be at your sharpest and put your best foot forward,” said Yankees catcher Kyle Higashioka, who played just his third game following the Sept. 1 call-up of rookie Austin Wells and had his fifth, three-hit game this season. “At this point we’ve got to show some character and finish strong no matter what the circumstances are.”

Jhony Brito (7-7) pitched three-hit ball over 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Clay Holmes walked the bases loaded with one out in the ninth before Alex Verdugo grounded a first-pitch sinker to Torres at second. He threw to shortstop Anthony Volpe for a forceout at second, and LeMahieu stretched to get the throw to first, giving Holmes his 19th save in 22 chances.

With the Yankees wearing caps to honor first responders of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Yankees starter Randy Vásquez gave up two runs off three hits over 3 2/3 innings.

Boston starter Nick Pivetta (9-9) struck out 10, but allowed three runs off four hits over 5 1/3 innings.

Rafael Devers homered on a first-pitch cutter in the fourth, a drive into the Yankees bullpen in right-center for his 30th home run this season and the 25th of his career against the Yankees. Triston Casas doubled and scored on a wild pitch.

“Obviously, losing this game put us in a tougher spot,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We know where we’re at. We’ve put ourselves in this situation. So just keep playing good baseball, that’s the key. … It’s not going to change because of where we are.”

Pivetta hit Everson Pereira and gave up a single to Higashioka opening the sixth. LeMahieu ripped an RBI double down the left field line and set up Torres’ two-run single.

“He was having his way with us, obviously, ringing up a lot of strikeouts,” Yankees manager Aaron Boone said of Pivetta. “We were able to just string at-bats together against him.”

Left-hander Carlos Rodón (2-5) was set to start the night game for the Yankees and Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.36) for the Red Sox.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Jonathan Loáisiga was placed on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sunday with right elbow swelling. It comes just over a month after he was activated following arthroscopic surgery to remove a bone spur from his pitching elbow, which had sidelined him since April 5. He’s made 17 appearances this season, with a 3.06 ERA over 17 2/3 innings. New York selected the contract of RHP Zach McAllister, who hasn’t appeared in a major league game since 2018. … INF Anthony Rizzo (post-concussion syndrome) was transferred to the 60-day IL. … RHP Luke Weaver was claimed off waivers from Seattle.

UP NEXT

Yankees: RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.54 ERA), originally slated to start Monday’s opener, will make his 29th start on Wednesday. He’s allowed three or fewer runs in 18 of his last 19 starts.

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (4-9, 5.28) has a 2.39 ERA in six starts and five relief appearances against the Yankees.

Reese McGuire added an RBI triple and Rafael Devers a run-scoring single for the Red Sox, who stopped their four-game losing streak. Boston is six games behind Seattle for the last AL wild card, also trailing Texas by 5 1/2 games.

Closing in on their first playoff berth since 2016 and looking for their first division title in nine years, the Orioles lead second-place Tampa Bay by three games in the AL East.

Adam Frazier had a two-run triple for Baltimore, which finished a 7-2 trip.

After a 42-minute delay at the start, much of the game was played in light rain, and there was a 1:28 delay with two outs in the bottom of the eighth.

With Boston leading 4-3 in the sixth, Casas sent a cut fastball from Cole Irvin into the first row of seats above the Green Monster for his 24th homer. Ceddanne Rafaela reached when he grounded into a forceout, and Rafael Devers’ grounder went through first baseman Ryan O’Hearn’s legs for an error.

A day after getting 23 hits in a 13-12 loss, the Red Sox wiped out a 3-0 deficit with two runs in each of the third and fourth innings against Grayson Rodriguez (5-4).

Brayan Bello (12-8) worked five innings, giving up three runs and seven hits.

Boston’s runs in the third scored when third baseman Ramón Urías tried to backhand Trevor Story’s medium-speed grounder and the ball rolled under his glove and into the left-field corner for a two-base error.

McGuire tripled into the center-field triangle in the fourth and scored on Devers’ infield single off Urías’ glove on a hard liner.

Baltimore went ahead 3-0 in the second when Frazier tripled after Aaron Hicks’ RBI single.

NICE GRAB

Rafaela made a long run before making a leaping catch at the base of the center-field wall on Anthony Santander’s drive in the third inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: LHP James Paxton went on the 15-day IL with right knee inflammation, ending his season. He went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts. … RHP Garrett Whitlock was reinstated from bereavement list and pitched two hitless innings.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Dean Kremer (12-5, 4.07 ERA) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game interleague series against St. Louis on Monday. RHP Dakota Hudson (6-1, 4.43) is set for the Cardinals.

Red Sox: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7, 4.36) is slated to start the first of a four-game series against the Yankees at Fenway Park Monday. RHP Clarke Schmidt (9-8, 4.54) is in line for New York. Boston has gone 8-1 against the Yankees this season, as they face each other looking to avoid finishing last in the AL East.

“It’s been barking at him,” Cora said Sunday at Fenway Park before a series finale against AL East-leading Baltimore. “We looked at pushing him back. I don’t think it makes sense to push him. He’s been through so much in his career.”

Originally, the team pushed back the start of the 34-year-old Paxton to Tuesday against the New York Yankees, but decided it was best to shut him down. Cora said Nick Pivetta will take Paxton’s turn in the rotation the rest of the season.

Paxton tore the ulnar collateral ligament in a start with Seattle in April 2021 and had surgery a week later. Paxton had a $6 million deal for the 2022 season while he was rehabbing from Tommy John surgery. He didn’t pitch that year because of a few setbacks during the recovery process.

“It was good,” said Cora, of his season. “The medical staff did an outstanding job the past two years to get him to the point that he was one of the best pitchers in the big leagues.”

He picked up a $4 million option to return this season and went 7-5 with a 4.50 ERA in 19 starts. He was one of the game’s top pitchers in June, going 3-0 with a 1.74 ERA in five starts.

Closing in on its first postseason berth in seven years, the Orioles opened leads of 7-2 in the fourth, 12-6 in the seventh and 13-9 in the ninth as Aaron Hicks and rookie Gunnar Henderson hit three-run homers and Jordan Westburg had a solo shot.

Boston, which outhit the Orioles 23-14, closed in the ninth on Trevor Story’s two-run, two-out double and Wilyer Abreu’s RBI single before Cano hit a flyout to left that Austin Hays caught well in front of the Green Monster.

The Red Sox loaded the bases again in the ninth and got a two-run double by Trevor Story and RBI single by Wilyer Abreu before Valdez’s opposite-field flyout to left fielder Austin Hayes in front of the Green Monster.

Baltimore (90-51) won for the 13th time in 16 games and became the first AL team to reach 90 wins, maintaining a four-game lead over second-place Tampa Bay in the AL East. Shintaro Fujinami (7-8) pitched 1 2/3 innings.

Boston (72-70) dropped four games behind Toronto for the AL’s last wild-card berth and also trails Texas.

In a game that started 1 hour, 32 minutes late because of rain, McCann hit a two-run homer in the fourth off Chris Sale (6-4) and a solo drive in the sixth against Zack Weiss, who gave up Westburg’s homer on his next pitch.

Henderson’s seventh-inning homer off Mauricio Lovera raised his season total to 24.

Fenway Park was filled with orange-clad Orioles fans, who haven’t seen their club in the postseason since 2016 and have gone without an AL East title since 2014.

Justin Turner hit a two-run homer in the first off Jack Flaherty, who gave up five runs — four earned — and eight hits in 3 1/3 innings. Flaherty is 1-2 in six starts since he was acquired from St. Louis for Baltimore’s playoff pish.

Sale allowed seven runs — six earned — and six hits in four innings. The 34-year-old left-hander was coming off his first win since May 26, ending a stretch in which he was 0-1 in five starts.

POPPED

The game was delayed for a few moments in the fourth when a beach ball bounced from the seats down to left field, where Hays delivered a two-footed stomp with his spikes that popped the ball and drew boos from some fans. After disposing of the ball’s remains, Hays robbed Verdugo with a diving catch on a sinking drive that would have been extra bases and multiple RBIs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: LHP John Means (Tommy John surgery) threw a bullpen session Saturday. Manager Brandon Hyde said Means felt good but wasn’t ready to offer a time when Means could join the rotation and pitch again for the first time since his April 2022 injury.

Red Sox: Weiss was recalled from Worcester and LHP Brandon Walter was optioned to the Triple-A team. Boston claimed Weiss off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 25 and he made his debut for the Red Sox when he took over for Sale to start the fifth.

UP NEXT

Orioles RHP Brayson Rodriguez (5-3, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face RHP Brayan Bello (11-8, 3.61) in Sunday’s series finale.

After going 5-1 on the western portion of its nine-game trip, Baltimore posted its sixth straight victory and 12th in the last 15 games. The Orioles extended their streak of series without being swept to 85.

Ryan O’Hearn also homered for the Orioles. Cedric Mullins had a two-run double during a four-run sixth inning that chased Boston starter Tanner Houck (4-9).

Connor Wong hit a solo homer for the Red Sox, who have lost three straight and eight of 11. On the fringe of the AL’s wild-card chase, Boston entered the day five games out of the third and final spot.

Mixing his fastball, curve and slider, Bradish (11-6) breezed through five scoreless innings with seven Ks, allowing only one hit before giving up two runs on three hits in the sixth.

O’Hearn’s homer sailed a few rows behind Baltimore’s bullpen, making it 1-0 in the fourth.

The Orioles made it 5-0 in the sixth. Mullins hit his double over the head of Alex Verdugo and Austin Hays followed with a single through a draw-in infield. Rutschman added a sacrifice fly.

After Baltimore batted around in the top of the inning, Boston got to Bradish in the bottom half. Wong cleared the Green Monster with his shot that left Fenway Park completely and Justin Turner had an RBI double.

The Orioles added two runs in the eighth and four more in the ninth. Aaron Hicks pinch-hit for O’Hearn in the eighth and went 2-for-2, including a two-run single in the ninth.

HIGHLIGHT PLAY

Baltimore’s Ryan McKenna, a defensive replacement, made a leaping grab with his back to the plate before banging into the right-field wall to take an extra-base hit away from Rafael Devers in the eighth.

FOR STARTERS

Bradish has allowed two or fewer runs in six consecutive starts and didn’t walk a batter for just the second time in his 27 outings this season.

Houck looked strong in the first five innings, relying on a sharp slider to strike out five and allow only a run. He’s made it past six innings just once in 17 starts this year.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Right fielder Verdugo returned to the lineup after missing the last three games with hamstring tightness. … Right-hander Corey Kluber (injured list since June, right shoulder inflammation) and Pablo Reyes (IL since late August, left elbow inflammation) both started rehab assignments with Triple-A Worcester.

UP NEXT

Orioles: RHP Jack Flaherty (8-8, 4.84 ERA) is slated to make his first career start against the Red Sox on Saturday.

Red Sox: LHP Chris Sale (6-3, 4,46) is set for Boston. He has a 4.18 ERA in five starts since being sidelined with left shoulder inflammation for two months.

Glasnow (8-5) allowed one run and three hits over six innings in a season-high, 103-pitch outing. Boston was 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position against the 6-foot-8 right-hander.

“It felt good, it felt timed up, and that was a good feeling for sure,” Glasnow said, “I hope I can do that a lot more.”

Glasnow has gone six or more innings in nine straight starts.

“You got to have some dominant starting pitching to get where you want to get,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Certainly we want to play well here in September, and he’s a big part of that. Today was a pretty dominating performance.”

After Robert Stephenson and Colin Poche went an inning each, Pete Fairbanks worked the ninth to get his 20th save and complete a five-hitter.

Brandon Lowe and Isaac Paredes hit solo home runs off Boston starter Nick Pivetta (9-8).

Tampa Bay took two of three in the series, and have won 14 of 15 at home against the Red Sox.

Boston struck out 17 times in the game, and finished with 47 strikeouts during the series.

The Rays hold a commanding lead for the top AL wild card. Boston started play five back of the final wild-card spot.

“We’re going home now,” Boston manager Alex Cora said, “If we want to gain ground, we’ve got a chance now. We’ve got the best team in the American League (Baltimore) coming up. We’ve got the Yankees and then Toronto and Texas. This week is going to be huge for us.”

Boston rookie Triston Casas singled in the ninth to extend his career-best hitting streak to 13 games

Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead on Paredes’ shot in the fourth. It gave him three homers in 10 at-bats when facing Pivetta.

Lowe tied it at 1 with a third-inning homer. It was his third long ball in 13 at-bats against the right-hander.

Harold Ramírez, on his 29th birthday, ended Pivetta’s night with a run-scoring double that made it 3-1 in the fifth.

Connor Wong had an RBI triple in the third that put Boston up 1-0. Rays shortstop Osleivis Basabe help keep Wong from scoring when he made a diving grab on Rafael Devers’ grounder up the middle with the infield in.

Pivetta gave up three runs and seven hits over 4 2/3 innings in his first start since Aug. 15. He was coming off a three-inning save on Saturday,

“It’s been great,” Cora said. “I told him on the mound, ‘I said ’thank you bro.’ What he did today, that was good to see,”

DOMEBALL

Devers had a first-inning double off a catwalk. As right fielder Luke Raley drifted back to the warning track, the high fly struck the overhanging structure and landed in shallow right.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo (left hamstring tightness) missed his third straight game, but manager Alex Cora is hopeful he will be back Friday. … LHP John Paxton is getting extra rest and is scheduled to start Tuesday against the New York Yankees on 10 days of rest. … RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) will pitch for Double-A Portland on Friday.

Rays: SS Taylor Walls (groin) sat out the second consecutive game, but is expected to start Thursday.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Tanner Houck (4-8) is set to start Friday night in the opener of a three-game home series against AL East-leading Baltimore.

Rays: RHP Zack Littell (3-4) was scheduled to face Seattle RHP Luis Castillo (11-7) at home Thursday night.

Boston’s slide at the dome began on April 23, 2022.

“Nothing special, to be honest with you,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said of ending the streak.

Wilyer Abreu had a leadoff double before Justin Turner drew a one-out walk in the sixth inning, ending Aaron Civale’s day. Chris Devenski (3-4) entered and gave up Casas’ three-run shot that put the Red Sox ahead 4-3.

Casas added a run-scoring single and Masataka Yoshida connected on a two-run homer off Andrew Kittredge in the eighth that made it 7-3. Casas has three homers and 11 RBIs during a career-best 11-game hitting streak.

“He’s a good hitter,” Cora said. “He knows what he’s doing.”

Monday marked the first anniversary of Casas’ major league debut. Two days later, he hit his first big league homer at Tropicana Field.

“We talked about Triston Casas before the game,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “He’s really turned it on, putting together a good season. Laid off a close pitch to put himself in a 1-0 count. Devenski had to throw a strike right there, looked like he was ready for it.”

Bello (11-8) gave up three runs, all in the first, and five hits over six innings.

While the Rays have a comfortable lead for the top AL wild card, Boston moved within 4 1/2 games of Texas for the final spot.

Boston closer Kenley Jansen, who pitched the ninth in a non-save situation, was checked by an athletic trainer with one out but remained in the game.

Cora said Jansen is fine and the issue was that a wrap on his leg was too tight. The right-hander has had some hamstring problems this season.

Civale, acquired from Cleveland on July 31, allowed three runs, two hits and three walks while striking out a career-high 12 during a 98-pitch outing. The right-hander has gone 5 1/3 or fewer innings in five of his six starts with Tampa Bay.

Brandon Lowe grounded a two-run single up the middle and Harold Ramírez had an RBI double down the third-base line off Bello as the Rays took a 3-0 lead in the first.

Bello recorded an out on 11 consecutive batters after Ramírez’s hit. The righty ended his outing by striking out Ramírez with two on to end the sixth.

“It felt good just to keep them at bay like that,” Bello said through a translator. “Give time for the offense to do what they ended up doing. Feels good to keep us in it.”

Civale retired his first 10 batters, six on strikeouts. After a pair of walks in the fourth, Adam Duvall got Boston’s first hit with a two-out RBI single later in the inning.

POSTSEASON SPEEDSTER?

Speedy OF Billy Hamilton is set to join the Rays’ Triple-A affiliate at Durham on Tuesday and is under serious consideration for a potential playoff roster spot.

“It’s something that we factor in all the time,” Cash said. “I think we would look at him as a potential weapon.”

The 32-year-old Hamilton has 326 stolen bases in 951 career games. He has been caught stealing 72 times.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Alex Verdugo, who left Sunday’s game with left hamstring tightness, didn’t play and might miss the three-game series. … RHP Corey Kluber (right shoulder inflammation) threw off a bullpen mound.

Rays: SS Taylor Walls was out of the lineup due to groin soreness. He played two games over the weekend after missing six weeks with a strained left oblique.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Zach Eflin (13-8) faces Boston RHP Kutter Crawford (6-7) on Tuesday night. Eflin and Toronto RHP Chris Bassitt, scheduled to pitch against Oakland, will be looking to become the AL’s first 14-game winners.

Sale (6-3) didn’t allow a run over five innings, gave up two hits and struck out five while walking two. It was the first time he hasn’t allowed a run in a start since July 12 of last season.

“They are a good team and they are very patient and I felt like I was throwing a lot of pitches they were fouling off,” Sale said. “It’s good to take this last one heading into Tampa.”

The Red Sox have won two straight after losing five in a row and six of seven. They are 5 1/2 games behind Texas for the final AL wild card.

Yoshida’s three-run homer went 415 feet to right field, scoring Justin Turner and Triston Casas in the fourth inning. It was his 14th homer on the year. Duvall added a home run in the sixth inning for his 19th of the season and gave Boston a 4-0 lead.

“He has been feeling better the last few days has been grinding through some things but his swing is getting back. He took some good cuts and he let it fly,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “Those are good signs.”

Boston added two runs in the seventh including an RBI from Turner which came off of Austin Cox. Rafael Devers hit an RBI double in the ninth.

Salvador Perez hit an RBI single scoring Bobby Witt Jr. in the sixth and Dairon Blanco hit a two run single in the ninth off of Kenley Jansen.

“I thought we worked some good at-bats and deep counts but we just couldn’t break through,” Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. “He (Sale) located when he had to…we just weren’t able to string a throng together against him.”

Taylor Clarke opened the game and pitched a scoreless inning before Zack Greinke (1-14) went 3 2/3 innings allowing three runs on five hits.

“He was a little under the weather today and didn’t have his full stamina, but he was still one pitch away from putting up another zero in the fourth,” Quatraro said.

It’s been over a month since the Royals have won a series and have lost eight of their last nine games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Alex Verdugo left the game in the middle of the bottom of the sixth inning due to left hamstring tightness. … The Red Sox reinstated LHP Brennan Bernardino from the COVID-19 Related Injured List. The club also placed RHP Garrett Whitlock on the Bereavement List.

UP NEXT

Boston will travel to Tampa Bay with Brayan Bello (10-8, 3.57) taking the mound on Monday. Kansas City sends Cole Ragans (5-4, 3.27) to the hill on Monday as they host the White Sox.

Six Boston batters drove in a run and all but one Red Sox starter had a hit. Boston snapped a five-game skid with the win after allowing four runs for the 12th time in 13 games.

Tanner Houck (4-8) worked five innings and allowed four runs and seven hits while walking one and striking out five.

Royals starter Alec March (0-8) was knocked out of the game early after allowing six runs on seven hits. He walked two and struck out one in 2 ⅔ innings.

Kansas City has lost 11 of its last 13 games. The Royals haven’t won a series since Aug. 3 and need a victory in the series finale on Sunday to end the skid.

The Red Sox capped a three-run first inning with Casas’ two-run homer to right field. Boston had four extra-base hits in the inning. Cases went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored.

MJ Melendez homered for Kansas City and Maikel Garcia, MJ Melendez, and Nelson Velazquez drove in runs.

YOST TO THE HALL OF FAME

Prior to the game, former manager Ned Yost was inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame. He led Kansas City to a World Series championship in 2015 and has the highest postseason winning percentage in MLB history.

UP NEXT

Chris Sale (5-3, 4.75 ERA) will start for the Red Sox in the series finale on Sunday. The Royals have not announced a starter.

Lyles (4-15), who leads the major leagues in losses, had one of his best outings of the season for the Royals. He allowed two runs on four hits, struck out seven and did not give up a walk. The Royals gave him a big lead early, and he cruised. He didn’t allow a run until Alex Verdugo’s two-out home run in the eighth.

Salvador Perez hit two home runs for his second multi-homer game of the season, the first since May 2 against Baltimore. Nick Loftin, who was making his major league debut, was 2-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and a run.

James Paxton (7-5) allowed six runs on five hits in 1 1/3 innings.

Bobby Witt Jr. put the Royals on the board in the first inning with his 28th home run of the season. He’s two home runs away from becoming the first Royal ever with 30 home runs and 30 stolen bases in a season. He already has 38 stolen bases.

Perez followed with his 20th, his seventh season with at least 20 home runs. He trails only George Brett, who had eight 20 home run seasons, in that category in franchise history.

Kyle Isbel, Maikel Garcia, Witt and Perez drove in runs in the Royals scored four-runs second inning.

Loftin had a double in the third for his first hit and RBI. He led off the sixth with a single and scored his first run on Isbel’s double. Perez and Nelson Velazquez each hit two-run homers in the Royals’ six-run sixth.

TRANSACTIONS:

Royals: OF Edward Olivares was recalled from Triple-A Omaha; RHP James McArthur was recalled from Triple-A Omaha; IF Nick Loftin was selected from Triple-A Omaha; RHP Brady Singer was placed on the Paternity List and RHP Joe Barlow was designated for assignment.

UP NEXT:

The Red Sox will send RHP Tanner Houck (3-8, 4.93 ERA) to the mound on Saturday night. The Royals have not yet announced a starter.

Former Royals World Series-winning manager Ned Yost will be inducted into the Royals Hall of Fame prior to the game.

Ortiz discussed the situation in a video, saying hackers somehow got an old phone of his. Now, Ortiz said, the hackers are threatening to sell his personal information. 

In the now viral message, Ortiz said the phone is a more than 15-year-old device that he has not been using.

Speaking with 7NEWS Wednesday, former FBI Special Agent in Charge of Criminal and Cyber Investigations Tim Gallagher shared his reaction to the situation. 

“Getting out in front of the information when someone is trying to damage your reputation is a solid strategy,” Gallagher said. 

“He’s taking the shame out of it by saying ‘Hey, this can happen to you. It happened to me,’ and, at the same time, letting people know that there may be information coming out which may be damaging to his reputation,” Gallagher continued. 

Gallagher, now the managing director of digital investigations at Nardello and Company, said this is a classic case of extortion.

“Someone has information which are threatening to release and they are trying to extract money from the victim,” Gallagher said. 

“That technology may not have been as good back then,” he continued. “So, there’s always a chance that some data, although deleted, may still be on the device and a threat actor with the right cyber tools may be able to extract it and use it for nefarious purposes.”

Gallagher said, if the victim ends up paying up, “That could perpetuate more extortions.”

“And once they have money from you, they may come back to you again and again and again knowing that you’re willing to pay,” Gallagher said. 

So, in this case, Gallagher said he believes Ortiz is taking the right course of action by taking to social media. 

“He’s a national hero not just in our country, but in his country, the Dominican Republic as well,” Gallagher said. “These individuals, these threat actors, they target people with reputations.”

Experts say even threatening to extort someone is a federal offense. Following through with such a threat could mean more than 10 years in prison.

The Houston Astros won their fifth straight game on Wednesday, earning their first sweep at Fenway Park with a 7-4 victory over the Boston Red Sox.

Framber Valdez retired the first 10 Boston batters one start after pitching seven no-hit innings and took a shutout into the sixth inning for the Astros, who ended the day in a virtual tie for first place in the AL West.

“We’re due for an extended streak of wins,” Houston manager Dusty Baker said. “So hopefully this is it.”

If the Astros can hold off the Rangers and Mariners, it would be their sixth division title in seven years; the two teams that fall short are still likely headed for the playoffs as wild-cards. Houston has won two World Series since 2017, added another pair of AL pennants and twice lost in the AL Championship Series.

“We’ve been there and done that for a long time, the past seven years,” said closer Ryan Pressly, who pitched the ninth for his 29th save. “I think this is kind of when we turn it on. This team is built to win championships and to go deep in the playoffs so we know what it takes to get there.”

The Red Sox lost for the fifth time in six games and are fifth in the race for the three AL wild-card berths, four games behind Toronto and seven back from the AL West pack heading into Wednesday night’s games.

Valdez (10-9) no-hit the Guardians on Aug. 1 and left Friday’s start against Detroit with a no-hitter intact before the bullpen took the loss. He extended his no-hit string to 10 1/3 innings before Justin Turner blooped a single into center in the fourth, with Houston already ahead 7-0.

Boston scored all its runs off Valdez in the sixth, when Luis Urias led off with a single and Triston Casas doubled. Shortstop Jeremy Peña’s throwing error allowed Connor Wong to reach safely and one run to score; Ceddanne Rafaela, making his first major league start, doubled in another run and two more followed on groundouts.

Valdez allowed four runs — two of them unearned — on five hits while striking out five in six innings.

“That’s how it usually happens. In that one inning we had a miscue and it kind of opened the gates and they start hitting and hitting,” Baker said. “I’m just glad that we got the sweep.”

Michael Brantley, Peña and Martín Maldonado had two hits apiece for Houston. Casas had three hits for Boston.

Red Sox starter Kutter Crawford (6-7) gave up six runs on seven hits and a walk, striking out one in 2 2/3 innings. He gave up three runs with two out in the second inning, and three more after loading the bases with one out in the third.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Kendall Graveman left the game with two outs in the seventh because of lower back discomfort. Baker said his reliever would get treatment on Thursday. “He threw a pitch and you could just sort of tell that he winced. We’re just hoping there wasn’t anything serious,” Baker said.

Red Sox: OF Jarren Duran had surgery on a tendon in his left big toe and is expected to miss the rest of the season. Duran was batting .295 with eight homers, 40 RBIs, 34 doubles and 24 stolen bases this season before going on the injured list Aug. 10.

UP NEXT

Astros: Off Thursday before opening a three-game series at home against the last-place Yankees. LHP Carlos Rodon (1-4) will start for New York against Houston RHP Justin Verlander (10-6).

Red Sox: Off Thursday before playing at Kansas City. LHP James Paxton (7-4) will start the series opener for Boston.

Mauricio Dubón added a two-run double in the sixth for the Astros, who kept pace in a tight race for the AL West after entering the night one game behind division-leading Seattle.

The Astros opened a 3 1/2-game lead over Toronto for the final AL wild card spot and are 1 percentage point behind Texas, which is second.

Since dropping three straight last week, including a pair of losses to the Red Sox in Houston, the defending World Series champion Astros have slugged their way to four straight wins, scoring 45 runs during the streak.

J.P. France (10-5) pitched 5 2/3 innings, holding Boston to two runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

Adam Duvall homered for Boston, which has lost four of five and fell one step closer to being knocked out of playoff contention with 29 games remaining.

Brayan Bello (10-8) pitched 4 2/3 innings, allowing three runs — two of them earned — on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts. He got stuck with an unearned run in the fifth after a fielding error by Rafael Devers at third base helped set up Bregman’s RBI single that pushed Houston’s lead to 3-1.

Bello steadied himself after a rough start in the first, when after striking out Jose Altuve, Bregman and Alvarez hit back-to-back homers that put the Astros up 2-0.

Bregman drove a 2-1 sinker from Bello out to left-center for his 22nd homer and had barely made it back to the dugout before Alvarez hit a line drive just inside Pesky’s Pole in right for his 23rd.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Reinstated OF Michael Brantley from the 60-day injured list and started him in left field. Brantley, a five-time All-Star, hadn’t played in a game since June 2022 and had been recovering from surgery on his right shoulder. Brantley batted sixth and went 0-for-4. … The Astros optioned OF Corey Julks to Triple-A Sugar Land and designated RHP Jake Cousins for assignment.

Red Sox: Announced OF Jarren Duran will miss the remainder of the season following surgery for a toe injury. Manager Alex Cora said he expects Duran to be ready for spring training.

UP NEXT

Astros RHP Framber Valdez (9-9, 3.40 ERA) starts the series finale Wednesday afternoon. The Red Sox had yet to name a starter for the game, which is the Red Sox’s last at home until Baltimore visits on Sept. 8.

Altuve struck out swinging to lead off the game, then doubled in the third, singled in the fifth and tripled in the sixth. His homer made him the first Astros player to hit for the cycle since Brandon Barnes against Seattle on July 19, 2013.

Altuve went 4-for-6, his third four-hit game of the season and 37th of his career.

Yordan Alvarez added a three-run homer as part of a six-run sixth inning and José Abreu hit a solo home run for the Astros, who won their third straight.

Kendall Graveman (4-6) pitched a scoreless fifth inning for Houston, which followed up its 25-hit performance in Sunday’s win at Detroit with 18 on Monday.

Chris Sale (5-4) lasted 4 2/3 innings and yielded three runs and seven hits, including a home run.

Houston starter Cristian Javier was chased in the fifth shortly after giving up a towering two-run home run to Boston’s Adam Duvall that cleared the Green Monster seats and put the Red Sox in front 4-3.

Boston’s momentum was short-lived.

Red Sox reliever Kyle Barraclough walked back-to-back batters to open the sixth. With one out, Altuve hit a deep flyball that ricocheted off the Monster in center, scoring two and allowing Altuve to slide in for a triple.

Barraclough hit Alex Bregman with the next pitch. Alvarez then emptied the bases, driving his 22nd home run of the season into the Red Sox bullpen in right field to stretch the lead to 8-4. After two walks and another hit batter, Yanier Diaz hit an RBI single.

Barraclough threw 94 pitches in 4 1/3 innings, allowing 10 runs, 11 hits, five walks and three homers. He hit three batters.

The Red Sox were 3-for-12 with runners in scoring position left 13 men on base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: INF/OF Pablo Reyes was placed on the 10-day injured list with elbow inflammation. … OF Wilyer Abreu was placed on the paternity list.

Astros: Manager Dusty Baker said outfielder Michael Brantley could make his season debut over the next two days. Brantley had right shoulder surgery a year ago. He recently had a productive seven-game rehab stint with Triple-A Sugar Land and flew to Boston to join the team on Monday.

SET TO START

Highly touted Red Sox prospect Ceddanne Rafaela made his major league debut, inserted into center field in the eighth inning after being called up from Triple-A Worcester. He is expected to get his first big league start on Tuesday.

Rafaela said manager Alex Cora told him about the start shortly after he arrived in Boston on Monday. The 22-year-old infielder/outfielder was named the Red Sox’s minor league Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and 2022 and has hit .312 with 20 home runs, 79 RBIs and 36 stolen bases in 108 games with Double-A Portland (60 games) and Worcester (48 games).

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP J.P. France (9-5, 3.51 ERA) will make his second career start against Boston. The first did not go well: He lasted 2 1/3 innings and allowed 10 runs and 11 hits in Houston’s 17-1 loss last week.

Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello (10-7, 3.56) picked up his team-leading 10th win last week at Houston, allowing one run in seven innings.

Yes, Mookie. A lot of your Dodgers teammates did. But baseball fans — especially those in Boston — still want to hear from you.

The 2018 AL MVP — who is among the favorites for the NL award this season — capped his return to Boston with a second straight three-hit game, connecting for a two-run homer to spark Los Angeles to a 7-4 victory over his former team on Sunday.

“Obviously, the emotions were there,” said Betts, who won a World Series with the Red Sox in 2018 and another in Los Angeles after he was traded there that spring in a salary dump. “I let them come. But I also let them go.”

Freddie Freeman also had three hits, and James Outman homered to help the Dodgers improve to 21-4 in August. Gavin Stone (1-0) earned his first career victory, following opener Caleb Ferguson to the mound and holding Boston to two runs over the next six innings before giving up homers on back-to-back pitches to start the eighth.

Playing in Boston for the first time as a Red Sox opponent, Betts collected seven hits and a series of standing ovations over three games, acknowledging the crowd with a wave of his batting helmet on Sunday before he led off the game with a single.

Freeman doubled him to third, but Tanner Houck (3-8) got out of the inning without allowing a run. Los Angeles scored one run in the fourth and another in the fifth before Betts cleared the Green Monster in the sixth to make it 4-0.

It was his 35th homer of the season, tying a career high he set last year. He pumped his arm as he rounded the bases, with the Fenway fans saluting the 2018 AL MVP with a mixture of applause and chants of “Mookie!”

“To still focus on the job at hand, it’s not easy to do,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, whose stolen base in the 2004 AL Championship Series has made him a hero in Boston as well.

“I’m sure he’s going to sleep well tonight. I’m sure he’s physically and emotionally exhausted,” Roberts said. “But, man, he’s a pro and he does a great job of compartmentalizing. It’s fun when you have expectations for a superstar and he delivers. And he did.”

Triston Casas homered in the sixth for Boston before Outman responded with an RBI single in the seventh. Betts singled in one run and scored another in the eighth to make it 7-2; it was 7-4 after Justin Turner and Adam Duvall homered to chase Stone in the eighth.

Ex-Boston reliever Ryan Brasier came in and retired the next three batters before Evan Phillips pitched the ninth for his 21st save. Freeman had two doubles, giving him a major league-leading 50 for the season — the most for a Dodger since they moved to Los Angeles in 1958.

Between them, Betts and Freeman had 14 hits in the series.

“Those two guys at the top of the order had a great series and that was fun,” Roberts said. “I’ve never seen two guys, in recent memory, play the way they have — on both sides of the baseball.”

Since starting the season 3-0 with a 4.29 ERA, Houck has lost eight consecutive decisions. He is 0-2 in two starts since spending two months on the injured list after getting hit in the face by a line drive on June 16.

ROUND-TRIPPER ROUNDUP

Casas’ two-run drive made it 4-2 and gave the Red Sox 16 straight games with a homer. It’s their longest such streak since August 2019. Boston has homered in 24 of its 25 August games.

After homering to lead off three straight games, Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo led off the bottom of the first with a groundout to Betts at second base. Verdugo’s three-game leadoff homer streak remains a Red Sox record and is tied for second-longest in the majors only to Baltimore’s Brady Anderson, who did it in four games in a row in 1996.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Placed LHP Brennan Bernardino on the COVID-19-related injured list and recalled LHP Chris Murphy from Triple-A Worcester.

UPCOMING

Dodgers: Open a three-game series at home against Arizona on Monday night. RHP Bobby Miller (7-3) will start for Los Angeles.

Red Sox: Play the first of three games against the Astros on Monday night, with LHP Chris Sale (5-3) facing Houston’s Cristian Javier (9-2).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Alex Verdugo became the first player in Red Sox history and the third major leaguer overall to hit a leadoff homer in the first inning in three straight games, driving the second pitch from Julio Urías (11-7) into Los Angeles’ bullpen.

“It’s cool, especially for me. I’m not a home run hitter,” said Verdugo, who has 12 homers on the season. “To kind of see that and to know that is pretty cool.”

Max Muncy hit a tiebreaking two-run homer for the Dodgers, who won the opener of the three-game series 7-4 on Friday night. Muncy and manager Dave Roberts were ejected after the slugger was called out on strikes, ending an eighth-inning rally.

“I said: ‘The pitch was down,’″ Muncy said when asked what he told umpire Jordan Baker before he was tossed. ”He said: ‘You threw your bat.’ I responded with: ‘I need you to lock in in a big situation like that.’ He goes ‘OK,’ and threw me out.”

Playing his second game against his former team after he was traded in February 2020, Betts went 3 for 6 with an RBI single. But he also committed a run-scoring error while playing second base in the eighth and made the final out with the bases loaded.

With the crowd standing and roaring, Betts flew to the track in straightaway center against John Schreiber.

“We’re producers not directors,” Betts said of his last out. “Produced a good swing. Can’t direct where it goes.”

Betts played six seasons with the Red Sox, winning the World Series in 2018.

Former Dodger Justin Turner also homered for Boston, tying it at 2 with a solo shot over the Monster in the fourth.

Like Friday, there was a large contingent of Dodgers fans that broke into chants of “Let’s Go Dodgers!” numerous times.

Trailing 4-2 in the sixth, Duvall hit a towering fly that settled into the first row of Monster seats. Reese McGuire added an RBI single later in the inning.

Muncy’s 30th, a drive over the Dodgers’ bullpen, made it 4-2 in the fifth.

Brennan Bernardino (2-1) got the victory, striking out the only batter he faced. Schreiber worked the ninth for his first save of the season.

Urías gave up six runs and eight hits over six innings. He struck out nine and walked one.

THEY STILL REMEMBER

Roberts still gets many requests for autographs of “The Steal.”

“Every day,” he said. “I’ve learned to embrace it years ago because it’s a big compliment to be associated and held in such a positive regard. I get it all the time.”

In 2004, when he was playing for the Red Sox in the ALCS against the Yankees, Roberts stole second base before scoring the tying run in Game 4 with Boston trailing 3-0 in the series. The Red Sox won that game in extra innings and went on to become the only team in MLB history to rebound from an 0-3 deficit before winning the World Series.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Dodgers: Left-hander Clayton Kershaw threw a bullpen about three hours before the game. He’s scheduled to start Tuesday at home against the Diamondbacks after his previous start was cut short by rain. … Roberts said right-hander Gavin Stone would be recalled from Triple-A and work out of the bullpen Sunday.

Red Sox: Closer Kenley Jansen, who left Wednesday’s game with right hamstring tightness, threw a live BP session. He says he’ll be available on Sunday. “Everything feels great and I’ll be ready (Sunday),” he said. “Just let it go in game speed.” … Manager Alex Cora said outfielder Jarren Duran (10-day injured list, toe sprain) will see a doctor on Monday. … Shortstop Pablo Reyes came out with left elbow pain.

UP NEXT

Boston right-hander Tanner Houck (3-7, 5.08 ERA) makes his second start since coming off the injured list in the series finale on Sunday. He had been sidelined by a facial fracture before starting against Houston on Tuesday. LHP Caleb Ferguson (7-3, 2.81 ERA) will be the opener for Los Angeles in a bullpen game.

Betts, back on the field in Boston for the first time since he was traded by the Red Sox in 2020, was given a standing ovation prior to his first at-bat and went 1 for 4 against the franchise where he spent his first six major league seasons.

Dodgers starter Lance Lynn (10-9) allowed four runs off 10 hits over six innings, plus two batters, yielding two home runs. Evan Phillips allowed a hit and struck out two in the ninth to get his 20th save.

The NL West-leading Dodgers have won five of six. Max Muncy added three RBIs, including a two-run double in the seventh inning that made it 6-3.

The Red Sox got one run back in the bottom of the inning when Rafael Devers scored off a throwing error by Muncy. They had two runners on trailing 6-4 in the eighth, but after a single by Alex Verdugo, Connor Wong over ran second base, was caught in run down and retired.

Nick Pivetta (9-7) allowed four runs over two relief innings to take the loss for Boston, which had won its previous two. Starter Kutter Crawford lasted five innings, plus two batters, yielding two runs off four hits.

Betts popped out in foul territory to lead off the game. Then Verdugo, one of the players Boston acquired for the 2018 AL MVP, opened the bottom half of the inning with a first pitch home run that landed in the right field bullpen.

Trevor Story made it 3-0 in the second when he bashed a two-run homer into the Green Monster seats in left field.

Betts doubled to lead off the sixth inning and moved to third on a single by Freeman.

Crawford was pulled in favor of Pivetta, but it didn’t stop the rally.

Will Smith doubled, scoring Betts. Freeman then scored on a groundout by Muncy,

David Peralta grounded out. But Boston couldn’t get out of inning before Kiké Hernández tied it with a single to center.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Claimed RHP Zack Weiss off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels and optioned him to Triple-A Worcester. To make room on the 40-man roster, they transferred RHP Corey Kluber to the 60-Day IL.

MULTIPLE REUNIONS

As part of welcoming back Betts to Fenway, the Red Sox showed a highlight video from the 2018 World Series season that also included pitcher Ryan Braiser, now a member of the Dodgers.

In addition, Red Sox fans gave a nice ovation during Hernández’s first at-bat. Hernández played for Los Angeles for six seasons before signing with Boston in 2021 in free agency. He was traded back to the Dodgers in July.

Boston DH Justin Turner was a member of the Dodgers’ 2020 World Series teams.

UP NEXT

Dodgers: LHP Julia Urias (11-6, 4.15 ERA) will face Boston for just the second time in his career. In his lone appearance against the Red Sox in 2019 he struck out two in two scoreless innings.

Red Sox: RHP James Paxton (7-4, 3.79) has pitched five-plus innings in 13 of his 17 starts. He is 1-0 with a 4.85 ERA in two career starts against the Dodgers.

The Red Sox were feeling much better about the trade Thursday when Abreu led the way in a 17-1 rout of the Astros. Abreu got his first major league home run among four hits as the Red Sox tagged J.P. France for 10 runs.

Alex Verdugo hit a leadoff homer and drove in two runs, and Abreu, who made his debut Tuesday, added four RBIs.

“Obviously the mood last year when we got him, it was a lot different than now,” Boston manager Alex Cora said.

The Red Sox set season highs for runs and hits with 24, and it was the most runs and hits the World Series champs have allowed this year. Boston has at least one home run in 13 straight games, the team’s longest streak since homering in 19 in a row in 2019.

“They were just hot,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “The bats were hot and they can hit and then when the hits start coming, it’s hard to stop it.”

Abreu’s big day came after he had two hits Tuesday and his first RBI Wednesday.

“He’s a good hitter,” Cora said. “He kept putting up good at-bats, even at the end. He was relentless.”

The Red Sox were up 13-1 before catcher Martín Maldonado gave up five hits, including a homer to Connor Wong, and four runs in the ninth. It was his second career pitching appearance and first since throwing a scoreless inning for the Brewers in 2014.

Thursday’s lopsided win comes after the Red Sox won 7-5 in 10 innings Wednesday night after dropping the first two games of the series.

The Astros were hoping to get a strong start from France (9-5) to give their taxed bullpen a rest. Instead, the rookie had the worst performance of his young career, giving up 11 hits and 10 runs — both career highs — without getting out of the third inning.

“It didn’t appear that him and (catcher) Yainer (Diaz) were on the same page for a while,” Baker said. “You could sort of tell they were out of sync and … the guy’s been great for us. I know he feels badly.”

Boston starter Brayan Bello (10-7) yielded nine hits and a run in seven innings for his second straight win.

The Red Sox got going immediately with Verdugo sending France’s third pitch into the seats in right field for his third leadoff homer this season.

There was one on with no outs in the second when Abreu homered to right-center to extend the lead to 3-0.

“As soon as I hit that ball, I knew it was gone,” Abreu said through a translator. “I can’t put into words how I felt in that moment … but it was an amazing experience and an amazing feeling, and I’m happy that it happened today.”

Rafael Devers hit a two-RBI single with one out in the inning to make it 5-0.

Luis Urías added an RBI double with one out in the third and Verdugo knocked another run in with a single later in the inning to leave Boston up 7-0. France walked Devers after that to load the bases and end his day.

Brandon Bielak, who was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, hit Justin Turner with a pitch before walking Adam Duvall to send two more runs home. Masataka Yoshida singled after that to make it 10-0, and the Red Sox added another run on a groundout by Pablo Reyes.

Mauricio Dubón doubled to start the fifth, and the Astros made it 11-1 when he scored on a single by Alex Bregman. Yordan Alvarez went 1 for 3 in his return after missing two games after slamming his hand in a door and injuring his left index finger.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: Closer Kenley Jansen wasn’t available Thursday after leaving Wednesday night’s game with tightness in his right hamstring. Cora said he would be evaluated when they return to Boston on Friday, and they hope he can avoid going on the injured list.

Astros: OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) will return to Sugar Land to resume a rehabilitation assignment this weekend. Baker said Brantley, who hasn’t played since June 2022, wasn’t ready to return and needed more time with Sugar Land before rejoining the Astros.

UP NEXT

Boston: RHP Kutter Crawford (6-6, 3.66 ERA) will start Friday’s opener of a three-game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Houston: LHP Framber Valdez (9-9, 3.55) starts for the Astros against Detroit RHP Matt Manning (5-4, 4.31) Friday night in the first of three games against the Tigers.

After composing himself he was able to put a much better swing on the next pitch he saw.

Duvall hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Red Sox to a 7-5 victory.

Rafael Devers started the 10th as the automatic runner on second, and Kendall Graveman (3-6) walked Triston Casas with one out. Duvall fouled a ball off his foot for the second strike of his at-bat and took a couple of minutes to shake it off and was checked on by a trainer before stepping back into the box.

He then smacked his 14th homer into the seats in left field to put the Red Sox on top 7-4.

“Honestly, I don’t know how I hit it after what I did,” Duvall said. “It squared me up (but) I put a good swing on it.”

It’s Duvall’s third home run of the series after he had a three-run home run Monday and a solo shot Tuesday.

“I wanted to start driving the ball more,” Duvall said. “I felt like I was getting some hits but I really wasn’t driving the baseball and driving guys in so that’s what we’ve been working on.”

Chas McCormick singled with Kyle Tucker on second to start the 10th before the Astros cut it to 7-5 on an RBI single by Yainer Díaz. There was one out in the inning when Jeremy Peña singled to load the bases. But Josh Winckowski struck out pinch-hitter Mauricio Dubón, and pinch-hitter Corey Julks grounded out to end it.

The Astros, who won the first two games of the series, could have moved into a tie with the Texas Rangers for first place in the AL West with a victory. But instead fell a game behind the Rangers, who were off Wednesday after losing six straight.

“It’s a little disappointing ,” manager Dusty Baker said. “But sometimes you can’t always get what you want at that point in time. But we’re still right there.”

Red Sox closer Kenley Jansen retired pinch-hitter Jon Singleton on a fly out to start the ninth before leaving with right hamstring tightness. He was replaced by Nick Pivetta (9-6), who walked Jose Altuve before striking out Alex Bregman and Tucker to send it to the 10th.

Martín Maldonado hit a two-run homer to make it 3-0 in the second and José Abreu had an RBI double in the third in his return from the injured list.

Boston scored two in the third and tied it with a two-run fifth featuring RBIs from Trevor Story and rookie Wilyer Abreu.

Houston starter José Urquidy allowed a season-high eight hits with four runs in 4 2/3 innings in his return to the rotation after pitching in relief in his last outing.

Boston’s Chris Sale yielded six hits and four runs with nine strikeouts in five innings.

GETTING DEFENSIVE

José Abreu also looked good on defense in his return from the injured list, making a nifty play to retire Rafael Devers in the sixth inning. Abreu made a diving stop on a grounder hit by Devers and then tossed it to first from the dirt to get the out.

But perhaps the best defensive play of the night came on a catch that didn’t even count. The Astros had runners at first and second with one out in the seventh when Bregman hit a pop up that sailed high above home plate.

As Bregman stood at the plate looking to see where it went, catcher Connor Wong crashed into him trying to make the catch. As this was happening, pitcher Garrett Whitlock sprinted before sliding to the ground on his back in foul territory behind the plate to make the catch.

But Bregman was called out for batter’s interference making all that work on the grab unnecessary.

“They’re joking with him because it supposedly doesn’t count … all that effort for nothing,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

Whitlock was shaken up on the play but remained in the game after some warmup pitches and struck out Tucker to end the threat.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: DH Yordan Alvarez was out for a second straight game after slamming his hand in a door and injuring his left index finger Tuesday. Baker said Alvarez was doing much better Wednesday and could return to the lineup Thursday. … OF Michael Brantley (right shoulder surgery) continued a rehabilitation assignment at Triple-A Sugar Land Wednesday and Baker said he could come off the injured list soon. Brantley hasn’t played since June 26, 2022. … INF David Hensley was optioned to Sugar Land to make room for Abreu on the roster.

UP NEXT

Houston RHP J.P. France (9-4, 2.75 ERA) opposes RHP Brayan Bello (9-7, 3.70) when the series wraps up Thursday.

Boston manager Alex Cora and right fielder Alex Verdugo were both ejected for arguing balls and strikes as the Red Sox lost a second straight game at Houston. Verdugo was ejected in the top of the fourth by plate umpire Pat Hoberg, who also tossed Cora after the manager objected to the call of ball four to Alex Bregman in bottom of the seventh.

It was the second ejection in three games for Cora, who stood the plate and kicked dirt before yelling in Hoberg’s face after he was tossed.

Verlander (9-6) allowed five hits and struck out a season-high nine in his fourth start since returning to the Astros in a trade with the Mets.

There was one out in the first when Tucker connected off Tanner Houck (3-7) for his team-leading 25th home run this season to make it 2-0.

Houck allowed four hits and three runs in five innings in his first start since June 16, when he sustained a facial fracture after being hit by a line drive.

Martín Maldonado drove in a run in the fourth for Houston. Jon Singleton doubled twice and had two RBIs in a four-run seventh that made it 7-0.

The Red Sox loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth and had runners on first and second with one out in the seventh but came away empty both times on a night they went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Adam Duvall, who had a three-run shot Monday night, hit a solo homer in the eighth inning to cut the lead to 7-1. The Red Sox have at least one home run in 11 straight games, which is their longest streak since a 19-game stretch in 2019.

Justin Turner drove in two runs for Boston with a single in the ninth.

Masataka Yoshida singled to start the fourth. Duvall was batting after that when Verdugo was ejected for yelling at Hoberg from the dugout.

Wilyer Abreu made his major league debut when he replaced Verdugo in right field in the bottom of the inning.

Mauricio Dubón singled leading off the fourth and Jeremy Peña walked with one out. Maldonado then hit a sacrifice bunt down the first-base line.

Catcher Connor Wong grabbed it and threw to first in time to beat Maldonado there. But the throw from Triston Casas to Devers, who was racing to cover home, wasn’t nearly in time to catch Dubón before he crossed the plate to make it 3-0.

Duvall doubled with two outs in the sixth before Verlander plunked Casas. The Red Sox loaded the bases when Trevor Story reached on an error by second baseman Jose Altuve.

Verlander retired Luis Arias on a fly ball on the next pitch to escape the jam.

Houston played without Yordan Alvarez, who was scratched after slamming his hand in a door at home and injuring his left index finger. Manager Dusty Baker said the injury wasn’t serious, but that the finger was sore.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: OF Jarren Duran was placed on the 10-day injured list with a bruised left toe. Abreu was called up from Triple-A Worcester to take his spot on the roster. … LHP Chris Murphy was optioned to Worcester to make room for Houck.

Astros: Baker said 1B Jose Abreu was doing much better and could come off the injured list before this homestand ends Thursday. Abreu has been out since Aug. 10 with lumbar spine inflammation.

UP NEXT

Boston LHP Chris Sale (5-3, 4.50 ERA) opposes RHP José Urquidy (2-3, 5.21) when the series continues Wednesday night.