Heading into the bottom of the seventh, the Red Sox were clinging to a 3-1 lead. With one out and the bases loaded—thanks to a walk drawn by Rafael Devers—Rob Refsnyder came in to pinch-hit against a lefty. He went down swinging on three pitches. Carlos Narvaez then lined out to left to end the inning. It felt all too familiar—another missed opportunity in a high-leverage moment. Here we go again.
Garrett Whitlock took over in the bottom half and immediately gave up a jam-shot double down the line to the Braves’ No. 9 hitter. He fell behind Ronald Acuña Jr. 3-0 but managed to get a groundout that kept the runner at second.
Was luck finally turning? Whitlock got ahead of Ozzie Albies 0-2, but then hit him with a slider—more drama. Marcell Ozuna struck out on some of Whitlock’s best velocity of the season, bringing the Sox within one out of escape.
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Garrett Whitlock
Alex Cora then turned to Brennan Bernardino to face lefty Matt Olson. On a full count, Olson hit a rocket up the middle. Trevor Story made a great play to stop it, spun, and fired to first—but the throw pulled Abraham Toro off the bag. Olson was called safe and the tying run scored. Déjà vu—again.
But then came the twist. Boston challenged the play, and replays showed Toro managed to keep his foot on the bag while digging the ball out of the dirt. The call was overturned, the inning was over, and the Red Sox escaped.
Greg Weissert held down the eighth, the Sox tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth, and Aroldis Chapman shut the door to snap the losing streak. Expectations flipped on their head. A chaotic, thrilling Friday night.
Three Stars
Abraham Toro
Three hits, a run, an RBI, and a game-saving pick at first base. His best performance in a Red Sox uniform, proving how important depth players can be.
Trevor Story
Story crushed a home run and made an incredible play on Olson’s 112 mph grounder. Though Toro got the glory, Story’s stop was essential. And yes—he did hit a home run.
Garrett Whitlock
He wasn’t flawless, but 1.2 scoreless innings when it mattered most is all you can ask for. Gritty, effective outing.
Two Letdowns
Jarren Duran
Not his night, but no panic here. Even the best have off days.
Lucas Giolito
He was solid, but the noticeable drop in fastball velocity is worth watching. His success depends on that pitch. Here’s hoping this was just an off night after a light workload.
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