The Boston Red Sox cemented their place at the top of the American League wild‑card race with a marathon 13‑inning victory over the Chicago White Sox, extending their winning streak to eight games and completing a season sweep.
A clutch two‑run single by Chase Meidroth in the third put Chicago ahead, but the Sox answered in the fourth with an RBI hit that tied the game, and a fifth‑inning single by Braden Montgomery briefly gave the White Sox the lead.
The contest swung back and forth, featuring a ninth‑inning RBI single that forced extra innings and a dramatic 10th‑inning homer by Ronald Acuña Jr. off Aroldis Chapman that set the stage for Caleb Durbin’s game‑winning RBI single in the 13th.
A Night of Extra‑Inning Drama
Acuña Jr. finished the night with two homers, the first of which required a timely assist from Hernández and Ruiz, underscoring his impact on a team that now sits half a game behind the New York Yankees for the top wild‑card spot.
Meanwhile, the Detroit Tigers routed the Seattle Mariners 11‑0, with rookie third baseman Kevin McGonigle launching a home run, while the Milwaukee Brewers edged the Pittsburgh Pirates 3‑2 after starter Dustin May tossed six solid innings.
The San Diego Padres split a three‑game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks, moving within a game of the final wild‑card berth, and the Cleveland Guardians fell 13‑6 to the New York Mets, where Austin Hedges held the lead late but could not preserve the win.
With the trade deadline approaching, teams are jockeying for position, and the Red Sox, Tigers and Brewers have emerged as early leaders in a tightly contested race that promises more thrilling baseball before the postseason.