The Boston Red Sox continued their remarkable surge on Saturday, blanking the New York Mets 4-0 at Citi Field to extend their winning streak to eight games. Boston has now won 13 of its last 15 contests, turning what began as a road trip to Anaheim into the team’s most impressive stretch of the season with eight consecutive road victories.
The win improved the Red Sox to 45-48, putting them firmly back in the American League Wild Card conversation. They are now just three games below .500, their closest mark to an even record since the middle of April, highlighting a dramatic turnaround over the past few weeks.
While the club has been thriving on the field, one of the key figures behind its recent resurgence has been sidelined since Wednesday. Despite not being in the lineup, he shared a positive update on his recovery Saturday, offering optimism that he could be back with the team soon.
All Star Provides Update on His Foot
Willson Contreras fouled a ball off his left foot during Wednesday’s game against the White Sox and left early. The initial concern was that it could be something more than a bruise. The newly minted All-Star and Home Run Derby participant put those worries to rest on Saturday.
“I’m feeling good, feeling positive,” Contreras said. “I could be a DH if I was playing today. I’m really optimistic about how my foot is feeling.”
Contreras is currently serving a five-game suspension stemming from the benches-clearing incident against the Nationals on June 30. That forced absence has given the foot extra time to recover without costing the Red Sox anything they were not already going to lose.
Before the foot injury, Contreras had been swinging the bat as well as anyone in the lineup, driving in runs at a pace that earned him a late addition to the All-Star roster. His 20 home runs are tied for seventh in the American League. He was added as an injury replacement for Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and accepted an invitation to participate in the Home Run Derby.
The Red Sox Keep Rolling Without Him
With Contreras remaining out of the lineup on Saturday, the Red Sox still found a way to dominate. Boston’s pitching staff combined for its ninth shutout of the season, silencing the Mets in a 4-0 victory.
Making his first start after being promoted from Triple-A Worcester, 23-year-old Eduardo Rivera stepped into the rotation following Ranger Suárez’s groin injury. The young right-hander impressed by tossing 3⅔ scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three batters over 64 pitches, providing a strong foundation for the Red Sox’s eighth straight win.
“He was awesome,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “Everything you could ask for out of him.”
Boston’s bullpen took over after Rivera’s outing and made sure the Mets never mounted a comeback. Greg Weissert, Jovani Morán, Justin Slaten, and Danny Coulombe combined for 5⅓ scoreless innings, limiting New York to just three hits while preserving the club’s ninth shutout of the season.
The Red Sox generated all the offense they needed with two timely home runs. Andruw Monasterio broke the scoreless tie with a two-run blast in the fourth inning, while Masataka Yoshida added another two-run homer in the eighth to put the game out of reach.
Caleb Durbin also continued his impressive run at the plate, reaching base three times. The infielder has been one of Boston’s most reliable offensive performers over the past month and a half, consistently finding ways to get on base in most of his games since late May.
“Two big swings was enough today with our bullpen,” Tracy said.
A Season Transformed
Just a month ago, the Red Sox appeared to be headed nowhere. They were well below the .500 mark, sitting at the bottom of the American League East with little reason for optimism. At the time, much of the discussion surrounding the club centered on whether it would become a seller before the trade deadline.
Fast forward to today, and the outlook has changed dramatically. Boston has climbed back into the American League Wild Card race, putting itself firmly in the mix for a postseason berth as its remarkable turnaround continues.
“It’s felt like we’ve played three seasons in one already, and we’re just at the All-Star break, which is crazy to think about,” Durbin said. “But going through a full season, as players, you keep in perspective just how long 162 really is.”
The pitching has been the foundation. The starting staff has posted one of the best ERAs in the American League. The bullpen has stepped up when called upon. And the contributions on offense have come from everywhere in the lineup, not just the usual names.
“We’re doing a lot of things right,” Tracy said. “We’re throwing the ball great…we’re getting clutch hits, we’re scoring runs early, we’re stretching pitch counts on starters…doing a fantastic job. So we just got to keep playing good baseball.”
Final Word for the Red Sox
Willson Contreras says the foot is feeling good. He could DH right now if he had to. When the suspension ends and the foot is fully healed, Boston gets one of its most dangerous hitters back in a lineup that has already been winning without him.
The road trip is 8-0. The Red Sox winning streak is at eight. Everything about this team looks different than it did three weeks ago.
Contreras coming back healthy would make all of it even better.
