by Team Del Genio
Friday, Jul 31, 2026The Boston Red Sox were the hottest team in baseball in July. We were on them on Monday, July 27th, in Game 1 of their series on the road against the Athletics in their 4-2 victory. After losing Game 2 on Tuesday, they rebounded last night in another 4-2 win. They had a 19-4 record this month going into the final game of this four-game series on Thursday. The Red Sox had won twenty-four of their previous thirty-one games. With a 56-51 record, they were in third place in the AL East, trailing Tampa Bay by 7 1/2 games. With a run differential of +49, their Pythagorean record was 59-48.
Boston was in a great position to continue their winning ways in the final game of their series with the Athletics. They had won nineteen of their previous twenty-eight games on the road after winning their previous game. They had won thirty-two of their fifty-three games on the road this year. In the last month, they were averaging 4.8 runs per game with a .328 on-base percentage and a .418 slugging percentage in those 24 games.
The Red Sox were getting the Athletics' Mason Barnett tonight, making his first start of the season. The right-hander had a 1-1 record with a 4.74 era and a 1.38 whip in fourteen games. In July, he had a 10.61 era and a 2.04 whip in 9 1/3 innings. He was only striking out 21.9% of opposing hitters while issuing bases on balls 12.4% of the time this year. His numbers should be worse considering that his opponent’s batting average for the balls put into play against him was .250. His career babip was .289, and the MLB babip average was .287 going into that game. Barnett was stretched out by pitching 3 1/3 innings in his previous appearance five days ago. He was not likely to pitch much longer than that tonight, which meant the Athletics bullpen would have to pitch the majority of this game. The Athletics bullpen had a 7.33 era and a 1.78 whip in the previous month. At home, the Athletics bullpen had a 6.91 era and a 1.71 whip.
The Athletics may have been the coldest team in MLB in July. They had won only five of their twenty-two games in the second half of the season, and they had lost twenty-six of their previous thirty-three games. This team began May with a 17-14 record. Since then, they had a 28-48 record. With their 45-63 record for the year, they were in fourth place in the AL West, trailing the Texas Rangers by 9 1/2 games. With a -128 run differential, their Pythagorean record was 42-66. They had won only twenty-one of their fifty-three games at home. The Athletics had pulled off only three upset victories in their previous ten games at home when the oddsmakers installed them as a money line underdog at +125 or higher. They had beaten only three of their previous fifteen opponents with a winning record.
The Athletics were set to face the Red Sox’s Sonny Gray, who had a 12-2 record with a 2.78 era and a 1.16 whip in nineteen starts. He was coming off only his second start all year where he gave up more than three earned runs, five days ago when he had allowed five earned runs in five innings against Toronto. In his previous five starts before that outing, he had allowed only four earned runs and never more than one earned run per appearance. Gray had a 1.12 era and a 0.99 whip in those five starts. Since the beginning of May, Gray had a 2.37 era and a 1.12 whip. The Athletics were averaging only 3.0 runs per game in the last week with a .207 batting average, a .261 on-base percentage, and a .337 slugging percentage in those six games.
The Boston money line side play was our MLB American League Game of the Month. The Athletics controlled the game early and took a 3-0 lead after four innings. Yet the Red Sox tied the score by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Athletics would then retake the lead by scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gray was not as good on the mound as we expected. He gave up four earned runs in five innings before failing to get an out in the sixth inning and getting knocked out of the game. Barnett pitched better than we expected as he held Boston to three earned runs in five innings.
Yet our concerns about the Athletics bullpen bailed us out. The Red Sox scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on for a 5-4 victory.
Good luck - TDG.
Boston was in a great position to continue their winning ways in the final game of their series with the Athletics. They had won nineteen of their previous twenty-eight games on the road after winning their previous game. They had won thirty-two of their fifty-three games on the road this year. In the last month, they were averaging 4.8 runs per game with a .328 on-base percentage and a .418 slugging percentage in those 24 games.
The Red Sox were getting the Athletics' Mason Barnett tonight, making his first start of the season. The right-hander had a 1-1 record with a 4.74 era and a 1.38 whip in fourteen games. In July, he had a 10.61 era and a 2.04 whip in 9 1/3 innings. He was only striking out 21.9% of opposing hitters while issuing bases on balls 12.4% of the time this year. His numbers should be worse considering that his opponent’s batting average for the balls put into play against him was .250. His career babip was .289, and the MLB babip average was .287 going into that game. Barnett was stretched out by pitching 3 1/3 innings in his previous appearance five days ago. He was not likely to pitch much longer than that tonight, which meant the Athletics bullpen would have to pitch the majority of this game. The Athletics bullpen had a 7.33 era and a 1.78 whip in the previous month. At home, the Athletics bullpen had a 6.91 era and a 1.71 whip.
The Athletics may have been the coldest team in MLB in July. They had won only five of their twenty-two games in the second half of the season, and they had lost twenty-six of their previous thirty-three games. This team began May with a 17-14 record. Since then, they had a 28-48 record. With their 45-63 record for the year, they were in fourth place in the AL West, trailing the Texas Rangers by 9 1/2 games. With a -128 run differential, their Pythagorean record was 42-66. They had won only twenty-one of their fifty-three games at home. The Athletics had pulled off only three upset victories in their previous ten games at home when the oddsmakers installed them as a money line underdog at +125 or higher. They had beaten only three of their previous fifteen opponents with a winning record.
The Athletics were set to face the Red Sox’s Sonny Gray, who had a 12-2 record with a 2.78 era and a 1.16 whip in nineteen starts. He was coming off only his second start all year where he gave up more than three earned runs, five days ago when he had allowed five earned runs in five innings against Toronto. In his previous five starts before that outing, he had allowed only four earned runs and never more than one earned run per appearance. Gray had a 1.12 era and a 0.99 whip in those five starts. Since the beginning of May, Gray had a 2.37 era and a 1.12 whip. The Athletics were averaging only 3.0 runs per game in the last week with a .207 batting average, a .261 on-base percentage, and a .337 slugging percentage in those six games.
The Boston money line side play was our MLB American League Game of the Month. The Athletics controlled the game early and took a 3-0 lead after four innings. Yet the Red Sox tied the score by scoring three runs in the top of the fifth inning. The Athletics would then retake the lead by scoring in the bottom of the sixth inning. Gray was not as good on the mound as we expected. He gave up four earned runs in five innings before failing to get an out in the sixth inning and getting knocked out of the game. Barnett pitched better than we expected as he held Boston to three earned runs in five innings.
Yet our concerns about the Athletics bullpen bailed us out. The Red Sox scored two runs in the top of the eighth inning and held on for a 5-4 victory.
Good luck - TDG.
