Red Sox complete successful roadtrip with sweep over Orioles; Payton Tolle set to make Fenway Park debut vs. Pirates’ Paul Skenes; Aroldis Chapman sticking around beyond 2025?

The Red Sox wrapped up their stay in Baltimore with a four-game sweep over the Orioles, completing an eight-game road trip, going 7-1, which included taking three of four against the Yankees in the Bronx.

Boston, currently leading the AL wild-card standings and sitting 3.5 games behind Toronto in the American League East, is starting to pose a significant threat to the Blue Jays.

“All year, road trips haven’t been kind to us,” Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet said following his start on Thursday at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. “So it’s nice that when it matters here down the stretch that we’re making it happen.”

Crochet pitched six innings in the Red Sox’ 3-2 win over the Orioles in the series finale, allowing two runs on six hits with no walks and seven strikeouts. He was largely effective, despite hitting two batters, and he threw 98 pitches, 67 of them for strikes.

In the third inning, Crochet allowed a leadoff homer to catcher Alex Jackson that plated the Orioles’ first run of the game.

“I felt like I was grinding; not a lot of swing and miss today,” he said.

The southpaw managed to contain the Orioles throughout the afternoon, but encountered difficulties in the fourth inning when he gave up consecutive singles to start the frame. Crochet was able to limit the damage and strand the runners at the corners to keep the game 2-1.

Crochet hit Jackson with a pitch to lead off the fifth, who later scored on a Jeremiah Jackson double to left field that tied the game, 2-2. He finished his outing with a 1-2-3 sixth inning, and he now has 18 quality starts this season (27 outings).

“Off command-wise it felt like, but he made some pitches when he had to,” Alex Cora said. “And that play by Trevor, that was the game-changer.”

The bullpen remained one of the key stories of the Sox’ successful road trip. All-Star closer Aroldis Chapman was unavailable for the ninth inning on Thursday; Cora went with left-hander Steven Matz to clinch the sweep. He allowed a leadoff double to Dylan Carlson, but Trevor Story made a heads-up play just two pitches later, throwing out Carlson at third base after Jackson grounded to the shortstop. Matz got a lineout and flyout to win it for the Sox.

“(Jackson) obviously flashed the bunt on the first pitch, and then I thought maybe he might take a swing on that one,” Story said. “So I wasn’t as close holding the runner on at second, and he hit kind of a hot shot at me. It was kind of a tough read for the baserunner, but obviously he went. I felt like it was time to get that guy at third because he hit it so hard. I thought I had enough time.”

Chapman has been on an unbelievable run of late, not allowing a hit to the last 41 batters he’s faced. He hasn’t allowed a hit since July 23, and his ERA is sitting at 1.04 with 26 saves in 28 opportunities.

The dominant lefty is a free agent after the season but reportedly would like to stay with the Red Sox, according to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman.

“Word is, the Red Sox would like to bring back Chapman, who’s having his best year (no hits allowed for a month) and is said to love Boston,” said Heyman.

MassLive’s Sean McAdam echoed the same sentiment, reporting that Craig Breslow remains open to Chapman sticking around Fenway beyond this season.

“Those conversations are always evolving, but based on the feedback I’ve gotten from Aroldis, he’s enjoyed his time in Boston, the city, the fan base, the coaching staff, and his teammates. … And this has worked out really, really well for us, so of course extending him is something we’d want to consider.

“It will take two sides, but this guy is having a historic season for a reliever. Certainly there’s reason to be skeptical as players reach their late 30s, but if you had to bet on somebody, the way he keeps himself in shape and how physically strong he is, that’s the type of guy you’d want to bet on,” Breslow added.

Story continues to look like the clear-cut winner for American League Comeback Player of the Year. He would homer in the first inning to left field, giving Boston a 1-0 lead; it was Story’s 22nd blast of the season. He also is up to 23 stolen bases on the season, making him one of four players in Red Sox history to rack up at least 22 homers and 23 stolen bases in a season since Mookie Betts (2016, 2017, 2018), Carl Yastrzemski (1970), and Jacoby Ellsbury (2011).

“Just a good player playing elite baseball, we’re very proud of him,” Cora said of Story. “Last year he made a point of playing in September; if it was someone else, he could have mailed it in and said, ‘You know what? I’m going to rehab and be ready for next year,’ but he wanted to play, he wanted to be with the boys, he missed the game, and all that work he put in last year is paying off.”

Crochet called Thursday’s game the “Trevor Story Game,” partly due to his big defensive play in the fifth inning that saved two runs from scoring. With one out and runners at second and third base, Story dove to his left to catch a line drive off the bat of slugger Ryan Mountcastle. He made the catch and then doubled off Jackson Holliday to keep the game tied at 2-2.

“It was sick,” Crochet said. “I was joking when he was coming in. It’s ‘The Trevor Story Game’ today. Because they were in the ninth, too, he made another great play.

“I think you can always just count on him to make the high IQ play that needs to be made,” Crochet said. “Always very locked into the game, and we’ve seen it here all season on defense.”

Rob Refsnyder returned from the 10-day injured list, and he didn’t look like he missed a beat. The left masher crushed a solo homer to center off Orioles’ southpaw Cade Povich. 

It was the first game since Aug. 15 that Refsnyder had seen live pitching in a game before he went on the injured list with a left oblique strain.

“Good rehab stint,” quipped Refsnyder. “No, we have great athletic trainers and strength coaches. And they were just working really hard behind the scenes to get me healthy and feel comfortable enough to play and strong enough to play.”

“He just impacts the game so much—defense, base running, hitting,” Refsnyder said about Story. “Just the way he goes about his business, gets here early, stays late, and takes care of his body. He’s the best example for a lot of our young guys, but even guys like me, just be a professional and strive to get better every day.”

The veteran leader is hitting .302/.395/.563 in 114 plate appearances for the Sox this season.

“Like I said before the game, we actually have been struggling against lefties the last few weeks,” said Cora. “And one of the reasons is not having him in the lineup. He put a great at-bat together right away, and we needed that. He’s healthy, and he's going to help us.”

Refsnyder missed 12 games but worked with the training staff, forgoing a rehab stint, and was injected back into the Sox’ lineup.

“It was mostly just getting the oblique to feel explosive and comfortable being in some of those vulnerable positions, especially with offspeed coming into me, having to churn pretty hard left,” Refsnyder said. “It was a lot of work getting the oblique strong and mentally feeling comfortable just letting it rip. A lot of credit to Brandon (Henry).”

PAYTON TOLLE PROMOTED

Just 13 months after he was drafted in the second round out of TCU, the Red Sox are promoting top pitching prospect Payton Tolle from Triple-A Worcester.

Tolle, who has flown through the Sox’ system since he was drafted, will make his first career start on Friday night at Fenway Park. 

He will be opposed by Pirates ace Paul Skenes, who will also be making his first appearance on the mound in Boston.

The left-hander is filling the spot in the rotation that belonged to Walker Buehler, whom Boston removed from the rotation this week due to his performance as a starter this season. Buehler has had a poor season for the Sox, posting a 5.40 ERA and a career-high 4.4 walks-per-nine-innings rate in 22 starts.

"It's obviously disappointing," Buehler said. "It's the first time in my career that I've been in a situation like that, but at the end of the day, the organization and, to a lesser extent, myself, kind of think it's probably the right thing for our group, and it gives me an opportunity to kind of reset in some ways."

He went 4-1 with a 4.28 ERA in his first six starts this season, but has gone 3-6 with a 6.37 ERA over his last 16 outings. Buehler hasn’t been the same since he went on the injured list for two weeks in May because of bursitis in his pitching shoulder.

"He's been very frustrated with the way he has pitched," Cora said. "I still believe in him. He's a big part of what we're trying to accomplish."

Buehler's move to the bullpen has now made room for Tolle, who made three starts for the WooSox, going 1-1 with a 3.60 ERA, 17 strikeouts in 15 innings, and two walks.

“The stuff is real,” Cora said last week to reporters about Tolle. “He’s very efficient. Pounds the strike zone. I think everybody is pleased with the progress.”

Tolle made his professional debut on April 4 with High-A Greenville. He was promoted to Double-A Portland in late June, where he dominated and was later promoted to Worcester. Across the three levels, Tolle skyrocketed as one of the most effective pitchers in all of the minors, posting a 3.04 ERA and 0.99 WHIP with 133 strikeouts in 91 2/3 frames.

The 6-foot-6 left-hander’s fastball sits at 98 mph and has also been deceiving to opposing hitters because of his low arm slot on the mound. He also throws a slider and changeup while developing a cutter within his arsenal.

Boston is opting to go with Tolle over Kyle Harrison, who has been in Worcester since he was acquired back on Father’s Day. 

The 24-year-old has been electric in the month of August for the WooSox, making five starts, going 2-0 with 24 strikeouts to 11 walks with a 1.35 WHIP in 23 innings.

Harrison has a big arm, and the Red Sox have been working to develop him further as a capable Major League starting pitcher.

“He has a really exciting arm, some really unique release qualities, and a unique fastball,” said Red Sox director of pitching development Justin Willard following the trade in June. 

“That's going to be his bread and butter, no matter what else we want to do to him; if that fastball is real, it's elite. Velo, he’s left-handed—all really, really positive things. So, we’re really excited to build his arsenal around that, making that the main event, and then what are the pitches he needs to be supplemental to that fastball.”

Harrison has an elite fastball but has failed to find consistency with his secondary pitches, which is one of the reasons why he was shuffled between the rotation and bullpen while with San Francisco. He throws a mid-80’s slurve, and a high-80’s changeup, which he features to righties, and both have been hit hard at the big league level in the past.

Still only 24 years old, the Red Sox believe they can tap into his ability and develop him into a starter that will help the big league club not only this season but for many years to come.

Boston’s rotational depth has taken a hit over the course of the season. The Sox lost Hunter Dobbins to a torn ACL, Tanner Houck (Tommy John surgery), and Patrick Sandoval will not pitch this season as he rehabs back from Tommy John surgery. 

Cooper Criswell was an option to make spot starts, but he went on the WooSox's 7-day IL with right elbow inflammation.

Richard Fitts is also back on the injured list after suffering an injury to his right biceps.

PAUL SKENES COMES TO FENWAY

Red Sox fans will not only be treated to seeing Tolle on the mound but also get an opportunity to see Skenes up close and personal at Fenway Park.

The Pirates’ phenom, the front-runner for the National League Cy Young Award, is off to one of the best starts to a career in recent history. Through 50 starts since his debut in May 2024, Skenes has posted a 2.02 ERA and 0.94 WHIP, with 351 strikeouts in 294 innings. Opposing hitters have a .196 average against him.

“He’s a great pitcher,” Cora said of Skenes. “Up there with the (Zack) Wheelers of the world. They’re playing well, too. They have a good pitching staff, obviously led by him. And it’s just a good one.”

Outside of Tolle making his debut and Skenes pitching with the Green Monster as his backdrop, seeing him face off against rookie Roman Anthony will be must-see TV.