Red Sox 3, Phillies 1

The wind must have been blowing out to left field last night. All four runs scored by both teams were on homers hit into deep left-center or center field. Trevor Story hit one in the second inning and the Phillies in the third. Rafaela hit a two-run homer into left center in the sixth. 

Three runs were enough for Boston to pick up a win with Sonny Grey going six full innings with only two hits (including that third-inning HR) and six Ks, and the "good" bullpen (Slaten, Whitlock, and Chapman) giving up only one hit and no runs. Chapman made it interesting by walking two, but ultimately struck the side out, getting his third K with runners on second and third.

Tampa Bay and New York both lost last night, so the Sox (18-23) move back to 10 games out of first.

Former Phillie Ranger Suarez (2-2, 2.77) pitches tonight against his old team. He'll be pitching against the Jesus Lizard, Jesús Luzardo, who struck out seven but gave up a grand slam home run to Romy Gonzalez in an 11-inning thriller on July 23 of last year.

First Everest Summit of 2026

 

Wednesday morning (10:25 am, Nepali time), a team of 10 to 15 Sherpas completed the first summit of Mount Everest this year. There is some disagreement about which team of the various trekking companies working the mountain made the first summit, so precisely who it was that first set foot on the mountaintop this year remains unclear, not that it matters (it's not a competition).

Hakon Andreas and Hanne Nicole Hyttedalen of Norway and Chinese national Li Yitong, clients of the outfitter Imagine Nepal, followed the Sherpas and were the first foreigners to summit this year. 

With the ropes now fixed all the way to the top, the route is now open for the hundreds of other climbers waiting at the lower camps.

Phillies 2, Red Sox 1

 

Off-fence, we need some off-fence, boyos. Do you know what I mean by the word, "offence"? Hit the ball. Get some runs. 

After an 18-run streak in three games earlier this month, the Red Sox have scored only four runs in the last three games. That's 0.15 runs per inning in the last three, incidentally all home at Fenway. Boston's slugging percentage (.351) is second lowest in MLB, on-base plus slugging (.664) is third lowest, and total runs on the season (157) is fourth lowest. The pitching isn't the problem - the team ERA is 3.95, 12th of 30 in MLB. But our hitting stinks.

Last night, the Sox only managed one run against the Phillies, an RBI single to right center by Raefela in the seventh inning. Other than that, bupkis.

Brayan Bello gave up one run over 6⅓ innings (opener Jovani Morán gave up the other run) and even Zach Kelly didn't allow any runs. But even the best pitching isn't going to win many games when the batting only gets one run, or 0.15 runs per inning.

The Sox are now 11 games out of first place, the furthest back in their division of any team in MLB except the Mets (12½). 

Sonny Gray (3-1, 3.54) pitches tonight, if it even matters. Gray is a career 2-2 against the Phillies, striking out 46 while allowing only five home runs over 40⅔ innings, although he did get roughed up in his last two starts against them with the Cardinals in 2025 and '24. He'll be pitching against rookie Andrew Painter (1-4, 6.89), who's given up 25 runs on 44 hits this season, including six homers.

Statistically, if pitching matters, the odds would favor the Red Sox, but unless the offence improves ("off-fence") a Little Leaguer could pitch for the Phillies and probably still win.

Everest Update

 

Preparations for the final summit push on Everest have been hampered by bad weather. Ropes and supplies have only been set as far as Camp 4, although a team of Sherpas plans to attempt a summit on Wednesday, possibly along with some clients, to complete the ropes up to the top. 

Meanwhile, a Nepali climber fell sick on his way to Camp 2 and died near Camp 1 on Sunday, the first death on the mountain this season. The climber, Bijay Ghimire Bishwakarma, age 35, had previously summited four times and was the first from Nepal’s Dalit community to summit. Although not officially on the mountain, a Sherpa guide died last week while approaching Base Camp.

A Polish climber who goes by the name Lucas Extreme had cycled all the way to Everest from sea level at the Bay of Bengal and was planning a no-oxygen ascent of the mountain. He arrived in Base Camp back on April 16, but was only able to make a single acclimatization rotation. With the route to higher altitudes not yet ready, he was forced to cancel this year’s attempt and will postpone the expedition until next year. Another Polish mountaineer, Bartek Ziemski, completed an acclimatization climb up to Camp 3 and then skied back down to Base Camp.

Meanwhile, Back in the Bering Sea, Capt. Ella Reunites With the Yeva

 

After some seven moths or so, Capt. Ella Hibbert has returned to the tiny Pribilof island of St. Paul (population, 413) in the Bering Sea and has reunited with her sailboat, the Yeva. Once she gets her ship back into operating condition and out of dry dock, she will resume her solo voyage around the Arctic Ocean, sailing across the northern coast of Russia, over Scandanavia, and on to her original starting point east of Iceland.

It will be the first known solo circumnavigation of the Arctic Circle in a sailboat. Completion of the voyage was delayed last year due to a combination of bad weather, malfunctioning navigation equipment, and a grounding off the North Slope of Alaska.

Bon voyage, Captain! We look forward to tracking your progress again here.

Rays 4, Red Sox 1

 

The Red Sox played Saturday's game on Sunday because of the rain and delivered a Mothers' Day loss to the Fenway Faithful assembled. 

Tolle pitched a pretty good game - five innings and four Ks but three runs on seven hits, including  one solo, first-inning homer.  Zach Kelly gave up another run because that's what he does, but after that, the bullpen was flawless - no runs, no hits, two walks, and one K.

But the lack of any sustained offense killed the Sox once again. Despite getting eight hits, the same as the Rays, and four of them extra-base hits, four times as many as the Rays, the Sox left 18 runners stranded on base and only scored one run on an RBI single in the sixth. You don't win many games like that.

The Rays win the rain-shortened series, 2-1, with the missing game to be made up at some future date - hopefully when Boston has some hitters at the plate.

With the loss, Boston (17-23) is once again all alone in last place in the AL East, while the Rays take a one-game lead for first over the Yankees, who have now lost three straight. The Sox are 9½ back from Tampa Bay. 

The Sox are off today and will host the Phillies (19-22) for three starting Tuesday. No idea who'll start that series.

 

Rain Delay/Yankees Suck

 

The Red Sox game got rained out last night, but they still picked up a game on first place because yesterday the Yankees lost to the Brewers, 4-3, their third loss in their last four games. Tampa Bay's now in first place, and Boston trails them by nine games.

The Tolle-Martinez pitching matchup scheduled for yesterday will occur today (1:35), so everything I said yesterday applies today. The forecast today is for partly to mostly cloudy skies, but with only a 15% chance of showers, so the show should go on.

Red Sox 2, Rays 0

 

A bright spot in this Super El Nino-influenced summer of our discontent: Abreu and Rafaela homer and Early strikes out eight as the Red Sox beat the Tampa Bay Rays,2-0, in Diamond City.

It was Abreu's sixth home run of the year and Rafaela's third. The only other Boston hit all game was a Jarren Duran single in the seventh, but he stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error to capitalize on his hit. However, with two out already that inning, the Sox weren't able to bring him home.

Early lived up to his potential and hype, and went seven full innings with no runs, only four hits, and eight Ks. Whitlock and Chapman were immaculate in relief and didn't give up a single run. 

Also, DA JANKEES LOSE!, 6-0, to Milwaukee last night, so the Sox pick up a game on their lead. They're still nine games back, but at least Baltimore also lost, 4-3, to the Angels last night, so Boston is no longer all alone in last place in the AL East. Both teams are 17-22 (.436), which is more than the Twins, Astros, and Angels can say, or for that matter, the NL's Mets, Rockies, and Giants.

This afternoon (4:10 pm), Payton Tolle (1-1, 2.04) is slated to take the mound for Boston against the Rays' Nick Martinez (3-1, 1.71). Statistically, it might appear that Martinez has the advantage, but he's started seven games this season for Tampa Bay, while Tolle has started only three. Martinez is a career 1-3 against Boston in five games (nine starts) and has given up eight homers, while the Sox have earned a total of 23 runs against him in 35⅔ innings.

But who knows? This game probably won't happen - there's currently a 100% chance of rain forecast for Boston between 4:00 and 7:00 today, so we're most likely looking at a rainout to be made up at some future date.      

Rays 8, Red Sox 4

 

No four-in-a-row. Following their sweep of the Tigers in Detroit, the Boston Red Sox broke their three-game win streak and also their 3-0 streak of games back in Fenway following a road trip. Last night, the Red Sox got three runs in the second inning to tie up the game, but then gave up five more runs to lose. 

Greg Weissert came on in relief in the sixth inning with the game tied, 3-3, one on and one out, and promptly loaded up the bases and then gave up a two-run single before getting yanked.

Boston falls to 16-22, last in the AL East. The Jays were off last night, so the Sox are only a half-game back from Toronto, but once again 10 back from first-place New York.

Connelly Early (2-2, 3.79) pitches tonight. He faced the Rays once before in a 7-3 loss in Tampa last year, when he got four strikeouts and gave up two earned runs on three hits. He'll be up against the Ray's Jesse Scholtens (3-1, 3.18), who's a career 1-1 against the Sox in two relief appearances, once with Tampa Bay and once with the White Sox.     

Also, Roman Anthony is now officially on the 10-day IL.

Everest 2026

 

Following the success last year of the Chinese DJI Flycart 100 heavy-lift cargo drone, Seven Summit Treks has subcontracted the American firm, Airlift Technology, to conduct test flights of the American Alta X Gen 2 drone. However, in a development that caught Nepali authorities off guard, Airlift also proposed testing a robot that could go up and down the Khumbu Icefall and also climb Everest itself. The plan ran into immediate uncertainty, as Nepal currently has no legal framework that allows a non-human entity to attempt an ascent of the peak.

The Khumbu Icefall is perhaps the deadliest portion of the route up Everest. Located between Base Camp and Camp 1, the Icefall is characterized by massive blocks that calve off the upper glacier, gaping crevasses hundreds of feet deep and often over 50 feet wide, often concealed by snow bridges, and overhanging ice blocks (seracs) ranging from several tons to thousands of tons that can collapse with little warning. Since Everest was first summitted in 1953, nearly 50 climbers have died in the Icefall, mostly Sherpas, with 16 killed in 2014 alone and six in 1970. Two people were injured in an avalanche there this week.

The use of specially designed, high-altitude heavy-cargo drones, especially through the Icefall, can quite literally save the lives of Sherpa and other climbers. The American-made drone can carry 50 kg of gear to Camp 1 in about 10 minutes, a feat that would take a dozen Sherpas five to seven hours, making it the safest way to carry loads through the Khumbu Icefall.

Arguably, at very high altitudes closer to the summit, robots could safely carry gear where the air is too thin for drones to operate. However, they might also further crowd the already overcrowded route to the summit, potentially interfere with climbers' progress, or cause other unforeseen hazards. Also, while they might preserve Sherpa lives, they could also put Sherpas out of work in the classic high-tech threat to human labor. 

Weather permitting, summit pushes may begin by next week. Ropes have been fixed up to Camp 3 and a team of Sherpa rope fixers is speeding up the Lhotse Face and expected to reach the South Col and Camp 4, the last stop before the summit, by Friday. With Camp 3 established and the ropes fixed higher, the route is open for load ferrying and acclimatization rotations, and other teams are following closely behind the rope fixers to set up camps for their clients. Forecasts predict moderate winds and afternoon snow flurries, but no major storms or high, jet-stream winds are expected.

According to the latest update, 464 climbers have received permits to climb Everest so far this year. With an even higher number of Sherpas currently on the mountain, the final summit tally could reach record numbers.

Red Sox 4, Tigers 0

 

The Boston Red Sox sweep their first series of the season, beating the Tigers three games to none in Detroit, and win the First Series Sweep Award! Congratulations, Boston!

Not only was this Boston's first sweep, it was only the second time this year they've won three straight. It's been a tough year, so I'll celebrate what I can. 

Last night, the Sox shut out the Tigers, 4-0, in Sonny Gray's return from the IL. Gray pitched five innings with only four hits and two walks, striking out two. The bullpen (Samaniego, Kelly, and Weissert) pitched four no-hit innings to preserved the win.

The Sox scored their runs on on a Durbin double, a Contreras sac fly, and a Detroit fielding error, the first of two gifts to the Sox last night (thanks, guys!).   

The Sox are still in last place, but at least now they have company as they're tied with Toronto at 16-21. Also, the second gift to Boston last night was . . . DA JANKEES LOSE! They lost last night to Houston, one of the very few teams with a season record (15-23) even worse that Boston's, so now the Red Sox trail New York by "only" nine games! Like I said, I'll celebrate whatever I can get this dismal season. 

The Red Sox took the red-eye out of Detroit and start a three-game home series against the second-place Tampa Bay Rays (24-12) tonight. Rookie Jake Bennett (1-0, 1.80) will take the mound for Boston in his second MLB appearance. The lefty posted an 0.86 ERA with just 12 hits allowed in five starts at Triple-A, and went five innings against Houston on May 1 in his major-league debut, striking out three, allowing only one run, and earning the win. He'll be up against veteran righty Griffin Jax (1-2, 5.14), who's a career 0-1 against the Sox in 14 games (one start), giving up four home runs and striking out 22 over 17⅓ innings.    

Should the Sox hang on and win the game tonight (they're 3-0 in Fenway following road trips), it will be the first time this year they've gone 4-0.

Red Sox 10, Tigers 3

 

Back-to-back wins! One more win and the Sox will have their first series sweep of the season!

Ceddanne Rafaela homered in the first last night, a three-run blast into deep right center. He also hit an RBI single in the third, followed by RBI base hits by Montesario, Durbin, Wong, and Kiner-Falefa to make it 8-2, Red Sox.

The real fun began in the fourth though, when Contreras and Abreu hit back-to-back homers. Tigers pitcher Framber Valdez was clearly frustrated and deliberately hit Trevor Story with a fastball on the next at-bat, clearing both benches. Both bullpens, too, but actual fighting never occurred - this is baseball, not ice hockey. Valdez was ejected and will probably be suspended for at least seven days.    

Lost in all the excitement over Valdez' theatrics was the fact that Brayan Bello, who replaced starter Jovani Moran after one inning, pitched a pretty good game, getting seven Ks over seven innings while giving up only one run, and earning his second win of the season. Is he over his early season struggles and back in the groove? Only time will tell.

One win, or even two back-to-back wins, doesn't change anything - the Sox are still 10 games back from first and one behind both Toronto and Baltimore - but at least their win-loss record (15-21) is better than that of the Astros and the Angels, or over in the National League, than the Mets, the Giants, and the Rockies.   

Adding to the miseries, the Injured List keeps on growing. The Red Sox now have starting pitchers Garrett Crochet and Kutter Crawford on the 15-day list, and Tanner Houck and Patrick Sandoval are on the 60-day list. Ranger Suarez is day-to-day with a hamstring issue. As for batters, Roman Anthony is also day-to-day with a wrist injury and both first-basemen Tristan Casas and Romy Gonzalez are on the 60-day list. 

Sonny Gray, who hasn't pitched since April 20, may start tonight. In that last start, a home game against Detroit, Gray left after 2⅔ innings with a hamstring pull, but had first managed to get two strikeouts off the Tigers. He's a career 5-2 against Detroit with 65 strikeouts over ten games. 

Whoever starts today will be facing the Tigers' Jack Flaherty (0-2, 5.90). The Red Sox tagged Flaherty with three hits and two runs in that April 20th game from which Gray had to step down, so statistically, Boston has a chance of completing their first series sweep of the season.