Red Sox 4, Mets 0

Another day, another trophy. Today, the Boston Red Sox won their eighth straight game, a first for this season and a feat they haven't achieved since July 12, 2025. They're 13-2 since June 25 of this year and the start of a home stand against the Yankees, while New York's gone 5-11 in that time.

Monasterio hit a homer 390 feet into deep left center in the fourth inning, scoring Durbin, and Yoshida hit a homer 371 feet into deep right in the eighth, also scoring Durbin. Rivera lasted only 3⅔ innings in his first MLB start, but didn't allow any runs and only one hit. Coulombe gave up three walks in the last two innings, but no hits and no runs.

The Mets stink - there's no kinder way to express it - and while the Red Sox are on a tear right now, they still have a ways to go before . . . oh, who am I kidding?  We're going to the World Series, baby! 

The Rays won again today, so Boston (45-48) still trails by 11 games, but we're now only a half-game back from qualifying for a Wild Card spot. Right now, Seattle, who lost their fifth straight game today, has the last Wild Card berth, while Minnesota, who won today, now has an identical 47-49 record. It's not impossible that we enter the All Star break holding that last Wild Card spot.

But first, we have one more game against those Mets. Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14) will start the last game of the first half of the season. In his last start, Tolle, who's never faced the Mets, struck out six and gave up only two hits in six shut-out innings against the White Sox.

The Mets haven't yet announced their pitcher for tomorrow. You doing anything?