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Red Sox score 3 in 9th for walk-off win against Giants

The Boston Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning to defeat the San Francisco Giants 3-2 at Fenway Park on Saturday night, with Eli White sliding in safely on a play upheld after a review. Wilyer Abreu, who had struck out four times earlier, delivered the game-winning fielder's choice.

By Tertius News AI Desk 10 outlets · 13 articles Version 3 Coverage Aug 23–24, 2026 Published 1d ago

Ninth-Inning Comeback

The Boston Red Sox erased a 2-0 deficit with a three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday night, defeating the San Francisco Giants 3-2 at Fenway Park. The win was Boston's fourth walk-off of the season and improved the club to 70-59, as reported by multiple outlets.

The rally began when Caleb Durbin walked and pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones was hit by a pitch. Andruw Monasterio advanced Durbin to third on a fielder's choice before Eli White, batting for Mickey Gasper, singled up the middle to plate the first run. Nick Sogard then doubled off the Green Monster, tying the game. The Giants intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela to load the bases for Wilyer Abreu, who had struck out in each of his first four at-bats.

Abreu, facing left-hander Sam Hentges, worked a full count and hit a chopper to first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who made a diving stop and threw home. White slid headfirst into the plate, and umpire James Hoye ruled him safe, setting off a celebration that was briefly halted by a crew-chief review. The Giants, who had no challenges remaining, requested the review, and the call stood after a 2-minute, 18-second delay.

"It was crazy. The ending was just crazy," Abreu said, as quoted by boston.com. The Red Sox mobbed Abreu again once the call was confirmed, with The Boston Globe reporting that Abreu's jersey had been ripped off during the initial celebration.

Key Performances

Nick Sogard was central to the comeback, delivering the game-tying double in the ninth and making a diving catch with the bases loaded in the top of the inning to keep the deficit at two. Sogard finished 2 for 3 with a walk, extending his hitting streak to five games, according to boston.com.

Giants starter Blade Tidwell kept Boston's batters quiet for 5 2/3 innings, striking out seven while allowing just three hits, as noted by multiple sources. His performance came after a rough outing against Colorado in which he allowed six earned runs.

Red Sox starter Patrick Sandoval gave up solo home runs to Willy Adames and Andrew Knizner but settled in, finishing with two runs allowed on five hits over 5 2/3 innings. Sandoval has now allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts this season, per boston.com.

Boston's bullpen—Greg Weissert, Jovani Morán, and Wyatt Olds—escaped multiple jams to keep the game close. Olds earned his first career win, as reported by The Boston Globe.

Previous Game and Context

The Red Sox won the series opener Friday behind Willson Contreras' 450-foot, three-run homer, according to NBC10 Boston and other outlets. The Saturday victory set up a potential series sweep on Sunday, with left-hander Jake Bennett scheduled to start against the Giants.

Giants designated hitter Rafael Devers, who was traded by Boston last season, was booed loudly in each at-bat and went 0 for 4 with a walk, as reported by multiple outlets.

The win continued a torrid stretch for the Red Sox, who have gone 33-11 in their last 44 games, according to boston.com. Sports Illustrated noted that Boston entered the game with the best run differential in the American League at +98 and had gone 38-13 since June 25.

Looking Ahead

Boston's win improved its record to 70-59, making it the third American League team to reach 70 wins this season, joining the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees, per Sports Illustrated. The Red Sox were scheduled to fly to Miami after Sunday's game for a three-game series against the Marlins, with the pitching matchups announced by MassLive.

The Giants, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games, fell to 52-77, as reported by SFGATE. The loss was another blown save for San Francisco's bullpen, which has now failed to hold leads 19 times this season, according to Sports Illustrated.

How each outlet told it

boston.com as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on five takeaways from the win, emphasizing the team's resilience and key performances. — Enthusiastic and celebratory, with a focus on the team's character.

Facts Included:

"It was crazy. The ending was just crazy."
For eight innings Saturday, it simply wasn’t the Red Sox’ or Wilyer Abreu’s night. The offense struggled mightily through seven, then stranded the bases loaded in the eighth against the Giants’ bullpen. Abreu was 0 for 4 with four strikeouts.
This team is different. Since late June, the Red Sox have simply refused to lose. This was one of their most dramatic wins yet, as they rallied to outlast the Giants, 3-2, on a walk-off fielder’s choice from Abreu.
Caleb Durbin walked and Jahmai Jones was hit by a pitch to start the ninth. Andruw Monasterio moved Durbin to third on a fielder’s choice, then Eli White plated Durbin on a single to center. Nick Sogard smashed a double to left to drive in Monasterio. San Francisco intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela to load the bases and Abreu hit a sharp grounder to first.
White was barely safe, as Andrew Knizner’s foot came off the plate by a matter of inches, but it was enough to cement a thrilling victory. After a crew-chief review, White was confirmed safe to cue part two of a rowdy celebration.
Abreu appeared out of sorts all night and didn’t look like himself. When he got his chance with the game on the line, he didn’t squander it. His goal was to put the ball in play and give his team an opportunity, and that’s exactly what he did.
This was the second walk-off RBI of his career, with the other also coming on a fielder’s choice last year.
There were many key moments in the comeback, but Sogard’s double was arguably the biggest. After snaring a line drive with the bases loaded in the top of the ninth, he stepped up with runners on first and second in a one-run game and delivered.
Sogard also singled in the third and walked in the sixth and eighth, matching a career high in times on base and extending his hitting streak to five games.
Starter Patrick Sandoval struggled early, surrendering a solo shot to Willy Adames in the first and another to Knizner in the third. He nearly unraveled entirely, as the Giants loaded the bases after that, but Sandoval escaped without any further damage.
He then settled in with a 1-2-3 fourth and fifth, finishing the night in solid fashion (5 ⅔, 5 hits, 2 runs, 6 strikeouts, 93 pitches, 60 strikes).
Sandoval has allowed two earned runs or fewer in six of his eight starts this season.
Giants starter Blade Tidwell, who allowed six earned runs Sunday against the Rockies, bounced back convincingly against the Red Sox. Boston hitters were consistently late on pitches and didn’t generate many chances against the 6-foot-3-inch right-hander. Tidwell fanned Rafaela and Abreu (0 for 4 with four strikeouts on the night) in the first and escaped from a first-and-second jam in the third by striking out Abreu again.
Tidwell went 5 ⅔ innings, giving up just three hits and striking out seven in a strong all-around showing.
Greg Weissert replaced Sandoval with two outs in the sixth and escaped from a jam. He kept it rolling in the seventh, then Jovani Morán and Wyatt Olds teamed up in the eighth and Olds escaped in the ninth.
The Red Sox, who entered with a Major League-best 2.94 bullpen ERA, continued to excel in that facet of the game.
They gave the offense a shot, and they almost capitalized in the eighth. Mickey Gasper smoked a double to right, Sogard walked, and Rafaela lined a single to left to load the bases with no outs. Abreu and Contreras struck out, and Adley Rutschman flew out to center field to end the threat.
When it happened again in the ninth, this time they finished the job. This team just doesn’t quit. That’s four walk-off wins and 31 comeback victories. They’re now 33-11 in their last 44.
Quotes from Tracy, Sogard, Abreu.

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The Boston Globe as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the walk-off win, but with an emphasis on the unusual delay due to replay review. — Dramatic and detailed, with a focus on the human elements and emotions of the players.

Facts Included:

The Red Sox broke through in the ninth inning for a walkoff win over the Giants.
The part that Nick Sogard called “weird,” Jahmai Jones described as “hilarious,” and Abreu deemed “crazy”: a replay review by the umpires of the final play.
For 2 minutes and 18 seconds, after the Red Sox already had mobbed Abreu and ripped off his jersey, both teams stood around on the field waiting for the verdict.
The Red Sox milled about on the right side of the infield. Contreras tossed Abreu’s jersey, in a heap, back onto Abreu’s shoulder.
White thought he knew what he saw in the moment — diving headfirst, helmet tilted over his eyes — but as he watched the slow-motion replays on the center-field video board, he began to wonder. "When I was sliding in, I didn’t think his foot was anywhere near the plate," White said. "But on the video, it looked way closer than what I remember seeing. So I was a little nervous."
Plate umpire James Hoye, who as crew chief agreed to the game-deciding review when Giants manager Tony Vitello asked for it, announced that the call stood.
The Sox mobbed Abreu again, collected their sixth win in nine games, and improved to 70-59.
Wyatt Olds came on in relief to pick up his first career win.
In the eighth inning, they loaded the bases with no outs but failed to score. Rookie righthander Dylan Smith struck out Abreu, struck out Contreras, and induced a deep fly out from Adley Rutschman.
Vitello, in his first year with the Giants after jumping from the college coaching ranks, may have aided the Sox’ comeback by disregarding what many managers view as a key, feel-based managerial decision: When a reliever escapes a jam like Smith just did — with all the tension and adrenaline that comes with it — don’t put him back on the mound for the next inning. It’s too difficult to try to rev up again.
When Smith started the ninth, he walked Caleb Durbin on four pitches, none close.
Lefthander Sam Hentges replaced Smith, then hit Jones — pinch hitting for Jarren Duran — with a pitch. Jones pumped his fists on the way to first base, representing the potential tying run.
Andruw Monasterio’s grounder to second yielded only a force out at second. White, pinch hitting for Mickey Gasper, sneaked a single up the middle for the first run.
Sogard’s full-count double — lined hard off the Green Monster — tied it.
Sogard went 2 for 3 with a walk and a diving catch of a bases-loaded line drive in the top of the ninth to keep the deficit at two.
The Giants (52-77) intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela to load the bases for Abreu, who had struck out in each of his first four plate appearances.
Lefthander Patrick Sandoval gave up solo homers to Willy Adames and Knizner. Giants rookie Blade Tidwell held the Sox to three singles in 5⅔ innings. San Francisco went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position and left 11 men on base. The Red Sox’ bullpen B-squad — Greg Weissert, Jovani Morán, Wyatt Olds (first major league win) — evaded trouble to keep it close.
Quotes from Tracy, Sogard, Jones, Abreu, White.

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The Boston Herald as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

Framing: Emphasizes the wild ninth-inning comeback, but also highlights the team's offensive struggles early on. — Dramatic and detailed, with a clear sense of relief and excitement about the win.

Facts Included:

The Red Sox have been an offensive powerhouse this summer, and entered Saturday leading Major League Baseball in runs, slugging percentage and OPS, and top of the American League in home runs, batting average, and on-base percentage.
Boston was behind from the very beginning, though southpaw starter Patrick Sandoval was largely in command during his 5 2/3 innings. Shortstop Willy Adames blasted a 403-foot solo homer to left-center at 109.4 mph with two outs in the top of the first. Former Triple-A Worcester catcher Andrew Knizner doubled the Giants’ run total with a leadoff home run in the top of the third.
The boos for former fan-favorite Rafael Devers carried over from the night before. They were particularly vociferous in the top of the third, when the erstwhile Red Sox slugger drew a one-out walk and new catcher Adley Rutschman lost what might be the closest ABS challenge of this inaugural season trying to overturn Ball 4.
The Fenway Faithful seamlessly transferred their boos from Devers to Sandoval when the starter followed by allowing a single to Adames and bases-loading walk to Bryce Eldridge, but then flipped the switch to thunderous applause when Sandoval struck out second baseman Osleivis Basabe and got right fielder Jung Hoo Lee to ground out to first to waste the full diamond.
The round-trippers were the only damage off Sandoval, who allowed five total hits, walked two and struck out six on 93 pitches (60 strikes).
Nick Sogard, who changed the game on both ends of the ball with a diving catch to end a bases-loaded threat, and a game-tying RBI double in the bottom of the ninth, admitted postgame that something seemed off with the offense.
Giants right-hander Blade Tidwell entered Saturday’s game with a 4.33 ERA over 11 games, including the previous three as a starter. But he looked like Cy Young in his 5 2/3 scoreless innings, during which he allowed just three hits, two walks, hit a batter, and struck out seven.
The Red Sox erased themselves from the bases almost as soon as they managed to put a man on. Mickey Gasper reached base with one out in the third because Tidwell hit him with a pitch, but was quickly tagged out by his own teammate when Sogard’s ground-ball single collided with Gasper as he ran to second. Abreu struck out in each of his first three at-bats, matching his season-high for the first time since July 8.
Tidwell’s exit with two outs in the sixth did nothing to rouse the Boston bats. The inning ended with Giants third baseman Christian Koss making a very nonchalant catch of Willson Contreras’ lineout, and Contreras snapping his bat over his thigh and slamming his helmet down.
The boos continued for Devers, and others, throughout the night, but Red Sox relievers Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Wyatt Olds prevented the Giants from adding on. Olds escaped the second bases-loaded jam of the night with help from Sogard, who dove and snagged Eldridge’s low liner to end the top of the ninth.
The Fenway Faithful rose as one and turned the volume up to October levels when the bottom of the eighth began with a Gasper double to the right-field corner and Sogard walk. The sold-out crowd of 36,478 booed the Giants for removing right-hander Carson Seymour from the game, then roared when Ceddanne Rafaela greeted righty Dylan Smith with a single that loaded the bases with no outs.
But then Abreu donned the golden sombrero for just the second time in his career (Sept. 21, 2025) with his fourth strikeout, Contreras burned Boston’s last ABS challenge on a Strike 3 pitch that landed almost entirely inside the zone, and Rutschman flew out 365 feet to center.
The bottom of the ninth began with one final, bountiful opportunity for Boston. Caleb Durbin led off with a walk that knocked Smith out of the game, and left-hander Sam Hentges plunked pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones. The Giants unsuccessfully challenged the safe call on Andruw Monasterio, who reached on a force out that erased Jones at second.
Pinch-hitting for Gasper, Eli White’s RBI single got Boston on the board at last, and Sogard banged one off the Green Monster to pull the Red Sox even with the Giants.
Hentges intentionally walked Rafaela to load the bases with one out for the uncharacteristically cold Abreu. He grounded a sinker to first, where it was bobbled by Eldridge just long enough for White to beat the throw home.
The light towers began to flash, the opening bars of The Standells’ “Dirty Water” blared out of the Fenway sound system, “Red Sox Win” burst onto the video boards, and the home team swarmed the field.
But amidst the chaos, there was a crew chief review of the force play, so the Red Sox were forced to pull back their celebrations and wait.
Upon review, it was time to celebrate win No. 70 all over again.
Quotes from Tracy, Sogard.

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Heavy. as of Aug 23, 2026, 7:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on a roster move (catcher on IL) rather than the game itself, omitting the win details. — Informative and analytical, focusing on transactions and player backgrounds.

Facts Included:

The Boston Red Sox scored three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning Saturday to take the second game and the series from the San Francisco Giants, 3-2 at Fenway Park.
The walk-off win was the fourth of the season for the Red Sox, and set Boston up for a series sweep over San Francisco in Sunday’s 3:15 p.m. ET game with rookie left-hander Jake Bennett returning to the mound, opposed by the Giants‘ Matt Wilkinson making just his second major league start.
Before the series finale against the Giants, the Red Sox made a decision with a 31-year-old catcher who previously played parts of three seasons for the Pittsburgh Pirates, placing the Triple-A backstop on the injured list.
Jason Delay landed on Worcester’s 7-day IL Saturday, according to his MiLB.com transaction ledger, though the Red Sox did not reveal the nature of his injury or any recovery time estimate beyond the weeklong minimum stay on the injured list.
Delay has spent his career as the definition of a steady hand behind the plate. Born in Plano, Texas, he built his reputation at Vanderbilt University, where he helped the Commodores win the 2014 College World Series. Pittsburgh took him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft, a year after he passed on an earlier offer from San Francisco.
Delay debuted with the Pirates on June 14, 2022, and spent parts of three seasons in the majors, hitting .231/.295/.315 with two home runs and 35 RBI over 373 plate appearances, according to BoSox Injection‘s Katie Manganelli.
A torn meniscus limited him to seven games in 2024, and Pittsburgh traded him to Atlanta in April 2025. The Braves used him as insurance behind Sean Murphy, but he hit .200 between Double-A and Triple-A before being outrighted off the 40-man roster in late July. He elected free agency in October.
Boston signed Delay to a minor league contract days later, a move first reported by Just Baseball‘s Aram Leighton, with an invitation to major-league spring training attached.
Both Carlos Narváez and Connor Wong, Boston’s top two catchers, were recovering from offseason surgery — Narváez from a meniscus repair, Wong from a carpal boss excision — and the Red Sox wanted a proven veteran behind the plate in case either rehab slipped.
Delay opened 2026 in major-league camp before being reassigned to minor-league camp in late March, then settled into Worcester as exactly what he was brought in to be, that is, a defensive-minded veteran who can catch a staff and steady a WooSox pitching staff loaded with the organization’s top pitching prospects.
His offense has never been the selling point. Scouting reports consistently praise his framing, arm, and game-calling, while flagging a bat that’s below-average with little power, according to SoxProspects.com.
A return to Boston’s active roster would most likely require an injury to Wong or newly acquired All-Star catcher Adley Rutschman, since Delay is not on the Red Sox 40-man roster.

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MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 10:46 PM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the Sunday game and the sweep, highlighting Sogard and Bennett as key contributors. — Analytical and approving of the Red Sox's performance, with a critical view of the Giants.

Facts Included:

The Red Sox (71-59) overcame an early hole and finished a sweep of the Giants with a 5-4 win at Fenway Park on Sunday.
The Giants are an underperforming, dysfunctional mess with little talent left after making some deadline moves.
Sunday’s come-from-behind victory, after the Sox trailed 3-0 in the second inning, was the latest show of resilience.
The Red Sox scored five runs in a row early in the game to take the lead, then held on to get back to 12 games above .500 at 71-59.
Nick Sogard is rolling out every day at second base. After homering for the first time Wednesday and smoking a game-tying double in the ninth inning Saturday, he got Boston on the board with a right-handed homer in the second, then pounded a 104 mph double off the Green Monster to catalyze a three-run fourth.
Rookie Jake Bennett returned from his nine-day break with a Jekyll-and-Hyde outing that included early rust and late dominance. He worked around seven hits to give the Red Sox seven innings in his longest outing since July 8.
Bennett allowed two runs on three hits in the first, then a solo shot to Jonah Cox, who made it 3-0 to lead off the second. From there, Bennett retired 18 of the last 21 batters he faced and allowed just one more run (in unearned fashion).
Bennett was tagged for four runs (three earned) on seven hits. He struck out six batters and walked one.
After Saturday’s dramatic win, Sogard described Boston’s offense as “relentless.” That proved to be the case in a three-run fourth inning that flipped the game.
Sogard led off with a double off rookie Matt Wilkinson, then after two quick outs, Connor Wong doubled him home on a skyscraper fly ball that barely glanced off the Monster before landing in Victor Bericoto’s glove, tying the game. The Giants went to righty JT Brubaker and Boston countered with pinch-hitter Mickey Gasper, who gave the Sox the lead with a first-pitch double down the line. Ceddanne Rafaela’s third single in four innings made it 5-3.
Since joining the Red Sox at the All-Star break, all Jahmai Jones has done is hit rockets off left-handed pitchers. He led off the bottom of the first with a 107.6 mph single off Wilkinson, then smashed a 103.7 mph triple into deep center in the third inning before scoring the second run of the game.
Jones has had a very limited role and has gotten just 29 plate appearances since the Sox traded for him (including 24 against lefties). But he has been phenomenal, hitting .520 (13-for-25) with two homers, a triple, four doubles, six RBIs and an OPS of 1.586.
Jones’ reward for his two hits? Being pulled for Gasper as Chad Tracy managed aggressively in the fourth inning.
A pretty complete win included perhaps the worst play from the Red Sox in months as they surrendered a true Little League home run in the seventh. Christian Koss hit a grounder to short, but Andruw Monasterio’s one-hop throw got away from Willson Contreras and bounced into foul territory. The speedy Koss rounded second and didn’t let up, so Wilyer Abreu corralled the ball and tried to nail him at third. Instead, Abreu airmailed his throw, which ended up out of play, and Koss trotted home.
Monasterio and Abreu were both tasked with errors on a play that made it 5-4.
Bennett’s first inning would have been much, much worse if not for some fantastic outfield defense behind him. He had allowed four straight Giants to reach with one out when Eli White saved a run by leaping at the left field wall to rob Jung Hoo Lee of a hit and Ceddanne Rafaela made a spectacular diving catch on a sinking Andrew Knizner liner to end the inning.
It was a day of constant pressure from the Red Sox’ offense despite no contributions from Abreu (0-for-4), Contreras (0-for-4) and Caleb Durbin (0-for-4). Boston’s 11 hits included three from Rafaela and two apiece from Jones, Sogard and Wong.
The Red Sox are now 34-32 at home. The sweep over San Francisco was their first since August 4-6, when they took three in a row from the White Sox. They’re an MLB-best 25-11 since the All-Star break.
The final ledger on Rafael Devers’ homecoming? A 1-for-10 showing that included a homer Friday, two walks and three strikeouts. He was 0-for-3 with two strikeouts Sunday.
The Red Sox will fly to Miami on Sunday night ahead of a three-game interleague series that begins there Monday. Here’s the schedule (and pitching probables): Monday, 6:40 p.m. ET — LHP Ranger Suarez (5-3, 3.41 ERA) vs. RHP Sandy Alcantara (13-8, 3.46 ERA); Tuesday, 6:40 p.m. ET — LHP Payton Tolle (8-6, 3.08 ERA) vs. TBA; Wednesday, 6:40 p.m. ET — RHP Sonny Gray (16-3, 2.79 ERA) vs. RHP Ryan Gusto (0-3, 4.37 ERA)

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MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on Abreu's redemption from a rough night to become the walk-off hero. — Dramatic and sympathetic towards Abreu, using words like 'toughest night' and 'heroics'.

Facts Included:

Wilyer Abreu struck out five times in a game, and found himself on the verge of that ignominious accomplishment when he stepped to the plate in the ninth inning.
Abreu and the Red Sox were also on the doorstep of victory, though, with the game suddenly tied 2-2, the bases loaded and one out.
Abreu worked a 3-2 sinker against tough Giants lefty Sam Hentges — and would have won the game if he had taken the sixth pitch of the at-bat, a sinker well inside the plate. He swung, though, and hit a chopper at first baseman Bryce Eldridge, who tried to make a heroic throw home to keep San Francisco’s hopes alive.
Catcher Andrew Knizner came off home plate, though, and the Red Sox went home winners... after a crew chief review that briefly halted a raucous celebration in front of 36,478 fans on a crisp night at Fenway.
Abreu’s night started with four straight punch-outs, including three against tough starter Blake Tidwell, who held the Red Sox scoreless in 5 ⅔ innings. Abreu’s fourth strikeout was the most costly, as it served as the first out in the high-wire act of hard-throwing righty Dylan Smith, who retired three straight Red Sox to escape a bases-loaded, no-out jam and preserve a 2-0 lead.
Smith issued a four-pitch walk to Caleb Durbin, then lefty Sam Hentges entered and hit pinch-hitter Jahmai Jones with a pitch. With one out, Eli White pinch-hit and plated Boston’s first run with an RBI single up the middle. On a 3-2 pitch of his own, Sogard smoked a game-tying double off the Green Monster, leading the Giants to intentionally walk Ceddanne Rafaela in panic mode.
Abreu then stepped up knowing the game was in his hands. His mindset was a clear one: "I had a tough day today," he said. "I struck out four times. But at that moment, in that at-bat, I just tried to put the ball in play and forget about what happened early in the game."
Added interim manager Chad Tracy: "I looked up (at the scoreboard) and was like, ‘Well, this is a big plate appearance.’ I’ve been there before when you have 4 Ks and you just grind it out. At that point in the game, that stuff becomes an afterthought."
When Abreu’s 81 mph chopper left the bat, he was hoping “something crazy” would happen. It did, and his teammates mobbed him — for a few seconds, at least, until the umpiring crew got together and got a second look.
Replay review revealed Knizner’s foot did not stay on the plate as White slid in and beat Eldridge’s one-hop throw. The celebration resumed in chaotic fashion.
The Giants didn’t have any challenges remaining after losing one earlier in the game. But MLB allows umpires to check close, gamer-altering plays on their own after the eighth inning, and that’s what happened.
The Red Sox’ ninth-inning rally was made possible by a great escape of their own. In the top of the frame, a wild showing from newcomer Wyatt Olds loaded the bases, but Eldridge lined out to Sogard to end the inning.
The heroics from Abreu and Sogard — who Tracy said had “the key at-bat of the inning” in the ninth — ensured an energetic crowd went home happy after a game that looked, for seven innings at least, to be a tidy loss.
This was a day that felt strange from the start — with a cooler than usual temperature for August and first pitch three hours later than the customary Saturday start time at Fenway because the game was aired nationally.

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MassLive as of Aug 24, 2026, 12:47 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on Bennett's 'gutty' start and his gratitude to teammates for defensive plays. — Appreciative and analytical, with a focus on Bennett's resilience.

Facts Included:

Jake Bennett's first start since August 14 began with a one-out walk to Rafael Devers followed by three hard-hit singles by Giants hitters Willy Adames (100.6 mph), Bryce Eldridge (95.7 mph) and Victor Bericoto (97.7 mph) that gave San Francisco a 2-0 lead.
It felt like more runs were coming, too, when Jung Hoo Lee lifted a fly ball deep to left field, only for Eli White to make a nice leaping catch against the Green Monster.
The standout play came next when Andrew Knizner hit a sinking liner with a .980 expected batting average that looked like it might plate two runs, only for Ceddanne Rafaela to make a great diving play to end the threat.
The damage against Bennett didn’t end in the first, as Jonah Cox made it a 3-0 game with a solo shot to lead off the second.
Bennett went seven innings, as the Red Sox won, 5-4 to finish off a three-game sweep.
Bennett, after allowing four hits and three runs against the first eight batters he faced, found a way to turn in a quality start. After the Cox homer, he retired 18 of the final 21 batters he faced.
Bennett was charged with four runs (three earned) on seven hits while striking out six hitters. After the second, the only run against him came on a Christian Koss Little League home run that included two throwing errors by Sox fielders.
Bennett needed 23 pitches to get through the first inning, then 51 in the next six frames.
Neither he nor Tracy attributed the early-game struggles to rust after the Red Sox unplugged him from the rotation in the middle of last week in an effort to monitor his innings total. Instead, the change was chalked up to mechanical changes and a more complete pitch mix.
Bennett used his sinker more (31%, compared to 24%) than he has throughout the season and mixed in 11 sweepers while relying less on his four-seam fastball after the first. In all, he got 13 swings-and-misses, including six on a changeup he threw 23 times.
For Bennett, the outing was a step back in the right direction after a recent rough patch. After logging a 2.35 ERA in his first nine major league starts through July 17, the 25-year-old seemed to have hit a wall in recent weeks as he pitched to a 5.67 ERA in his last five outings and bottomed out with a four-run, four-inning loss in Pittsburgh last time out.
The Red Sox insisted that his break was all about workload and not related to performance. Still, it seems to have helped him get back on track.
For Bennett, the outing against the Giants was his longest since July 8, when he dominated the White Sox for seven shutout innings at Rate Field. His eighth win of the season was made possible by some quick fixes — and two catches that likely prolonged his leash.
Quotes from Bennett, Tracy.

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MLB News as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the walk-off win and the Red Sox's comeback, but also highlights key individual performances. — Excited and analytical, with a focus on the Red Sox's resilience.

Facts Included:

Chalk up Saturday night as the most satisfying 0-for-5 in Wilyer Abreu's career. Not even the golden sombrero could wipe the smile off his face by the time this one was over.
With the Red Sox in the middle of a frenzied three-run rally in the bottom of the ninth that ultimately led to a 3-2 walk-off victory over the Giants, Abreu came to the plate at Fenway Park with just one thought in his mind: Put the bat on the ball.
Abreu had struck out in his first four at-bats, including a crushing one in the bottom of the eighth with nobody out.
An inning later, the game tied at this point, the Giants intentionally walked Ceddanne Rafaela to load them up with one out for Abreu.
Facing lefty Sam Hentges, Abreu was down in the count, 1-2. Then, he worked it to 3-2. On a 95.9 mph sinker that was in and just out of the strike zone, Abreu got enough of it to hit an 80.8 mph shot down the first-base line. Bryce Eldridge snared it on a dive and fired a one-hopper that pulled catcher Andrew Knizner just off the plate.
Eli White scored for the win, and the Red Sox chased Abreu around the infield to celebrate the walk-off win. Well, at least they were pretty sure it was a win.
Though the Giants were out of challenges, managers are allowed to ask for a crew-chief review in the final two innings. The Red Sox didn’t wait for the final verdict (the initial call stood) to celebrate. It went down as a fielder’s choice RBI and also a ripped No. 52 jersey.
It was another wild win in a summer full of them for the Red Sox, who pulled themselves out of a 32-46 start at which point they trailed the Yankees by 15 1/2 games. Saturday’s wildness put Boston (70-59) three games behind its rivals (73-56) for the top American League Wild Card spot.
Nick Sogard logged the biggest hit of the ballgame. The switch-hitter had already been on base three times when he came up in the ninth and belted a game-tying double off the Green Monster, setting Fenway into an absolute frenzy.
During a five-game hitting streak, at which point he has served as Boston’s leadoff hitter, Sogard is 9-for-19 with three doubles, a homer and five walks.
Third baseman Caleb Durbin did nothing to dissuade the notion he will win his first Gold Glove Award in his second season. With the Red Sox trying to hang in the game in the top of the eighth, Durbin ranged to his left and made a brilliant diving stop on a grounder by Osleivis Basabe and fired to second for the force.
With the bases loaded and two outs in the ninth, Sogard made a diving catch on a knuckling line drive by Eldridge to keep the game within reach.
At least early on, this wasn’t the prettiest of nights for Red Sox left-hander Patrick Sandoval, who gave up homers to Willy Adames and No. 9 hitter Knizner. He also had to battle out of a bases-loaded, one-out jam in the third inning. But Sandoval finished strong, retiring 10 of the last 11 batters he faced.
Overall, Sandoval gave up two runs on five hits and two walks over 5 2/3 innings, striking out six while stretching out to a season-high of 93 pitches in his return from Tommy John surgery. This was a much better outing for Sandoval than the previous two, when he gave up an aggregate 17 hits and 11 runs over 10 innings.
Quotes from Abreu, Tracy.

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NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the thrilling ninth-inning comeback, while omitting any broader context such as standings or playoff implications. — Excited and celebratory, using words like 'thrilling' and 'dramatic'.

Facts Included:

Eli White slid headfirst into the plate with the winning run to complete a three-run ninth-inning rally, a play that was upheld after a review
Boston Red Sox got to twice celebrate their 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night
Wilyer Abreu hit a hard grounder that first baseman Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop on, then threw home for an attempted force, but White was ruled safe by umpire James Hoye
The Giants challenged the call on the field and the call stood after a video review
Willy Adames hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for the Giants, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games
Dylan Smith had escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth before Boston rallied against Sam Hentges (1-6), tying it on Nick Sogard’s RBI double down the left-field line after pinch-hitter White had a run-scoring single
Wyatt Olds (1-0) earned the win
Andrew Knizner also homered for the Giants
Giants DH Rafael Devers, who was traded by the Red Sox last season after refusing to switch positions, was booed loudly each at-bat and went 0 for 4 with a walk
Boston won the series opener Friday behind Willson Contreras’ 450-foot, three-run homer
Blade Tidwell kept Boston’s batters quiet while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings
Patrick Sandoval gave up two solo homers and five hits in 5 2/3 innings
Red Sox LHP Jake Bennett (7-6, 3.46 ERA) is set to start the series finale Sunday. The Giants haven’t named a starter

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Portland Press Herald as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:45 AM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the walk-off and the ninth-inning score, but omits any contextual details. — Neutral and factual.

Facts Included:

Eli White slid headfirst into the plate with the winning run to complete a three-run ninth-inning rally, a play that was upheld after a review
Boston Red Sox got to twice celebrate their 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night
Wilyer Abreu hit a hard grounder that first baseman Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop on, then threw home for an attempted force, but White was ruled safe by umpire James Hoye
The Giants challenged the call on the field and the call stood after a video review
Willy Adames hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for the Giants, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games
Dylan Smith had escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth before Boston rallied against Sam Hentges (1-6), tying it on Nick Sogard’s RBI double down the left-field line after pinch-hitter White had a run-scoring single
Wyatt Olds (1-0) earned the win
Andrew Knizner also homered for the Giants
Giants DH Rafael Devers, who was traded by the Red Sox last season after refusing to switch positions, was booed loudly each at-bat and went 0 for 4 with a walk
Boston won the series opener Friday behind Willson Contreras’ 450-foot, three-run homer
Blade Tidwell kept Boston’s batters quiet while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings
Patrick Sandoval gave up two solo homers and five hits in 5 2/3 innings
Red Sox LHP Jake Bennett (7-6, 3.46 ERA) is set to start the series finale Sunday. The Giants haven’t named a starter

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SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC

Framing: Similar to NBC10, emphasizes the winning slide and review, but omits the 'thrilling' descriptor. — Neutral and factual, with no strong emotional language.

Facts Included:

Eli White slid headfirst into the plate with the winning run to complete a three-run ninth-inning rally, a play that was upheld after a review
Boston Red Sox got to twice celebrate their 3-2 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night
Wilyer Abreu hit a hard grounder that first baseman Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop on, then threw home for an attempted force, but White was ruled safe by umpire James Hoye
The Giants challenged the call on the field and the call stood after a video review
Willy Adames hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for the Giants, who lost for the 10th time in 13 games
Dylan Smith had escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth before Boston rallied against Sam Hentges (1-6), tying it on Nick Sogard’s RBI double down the left-field line after pinch-hitter White had a run-scoring single
Wyatt Olds (1-0) earned the win
Andrew Knizner also homered for the Giants
Giants DH Rafael Devers, who was traded by the Red Sox last season after refusing to switch positions, was booed loudly each at-bat and went 0 for 4 with a walk
Boston won the series opener Friday behind Willson Contreras’ 450-foot, three-run homer
Blade Tidwell kept Boston’s batters quiet while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings
Patrick Sandoval gave up two solo homers and five hits in 5 2/3 innings
Red Sox LHP Jake Bennett (7-6, 3.46 ERA) is set to start the series finale Sunday. The Giants haven’t named a starter

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Sports Illustrated as of Aug 23, 2026, 5:19 PM UTC

Framing: Focuses on the Red Sox as AL favorites, using the win as a jumping-off point for a season analysis. — Analytical and optimistic about Boston's chances, but not overtly celebratory.

Facts Included:

The Boston Red Sox have won two straight games over the San Francisco Giants and will go for the sweep on Sunday afternoon with lefty Jake Bennett set to take the hill.
With the club's thrilling walk-off win over the Giants on Saturday night, Boston improved its record to 70-59 on the season.
Boston became just the third team in the American League to reach 70 wins on the season, joining the Tampa Bay Rays and the New York Yankees.
While the Red Sox are in third place in the American League East, there's reason to believe that this club actually could end up being the best in the division overall by the time the regular season comes to a close.
Boston has gone 38-13 since June 25. The Yankees have gone 25-25 and the Rays have gone 32-23 in comparison.
Boston has the best run differential in the American League at +98. The Yankees are in second place at +95.
The Red Sox lost a lot of close games early on, which didn't look good in the standings. But despite the fact that they were among the worst teams in baseball for a few months in the standings, they were still competitive, due to their pitching.

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Sports Illustrated as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:20 PM UTC

Framing: Focuses on Tidwell's best start but frames it as a loss, emphasizing the disappointment. — Slightly frustrated and sympathetic towards the Giants, using words like 'tragic ending' and 'surefire win'.

Facts Included:

For San Francisco Giants starter Blade Tidwell, Saturday night's game against the Boston Red Sox represented another opportunity to earn a place in the team's rotation next season.
Coming off a start against Colorado that was rocky, he certainly answered the bell, throwing 5.2 innings of scoreless baseball, striking out seven batters and walking two.
Then the bottom of the ninth inning came, and that's when the bell tolled in Boston. With a 2-0 lead, Tidwell's team only needed three outs to secure the win. Instead, they surrendered three runs, as the Sox stole away what should have been a surefire win.
With the loss, the Giants fall to 52-77 and 23.5 games behind the two-time defending World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, in their division. They are also incredibly close to falling into last place in the National West, as they have gone 3-7 in their last 10 games, and they are only two games ahead of annual also-rans, the Colorado Rockies, for a cold spot in the basement.
The last time the San Francisco Giants finished in last place in the NL West was 2017, when they finished an astonishing 40 games behind (you guessed it) the Dodgers.
After fellow upstart Carson Seymour pitched 1.1 innings of scoreless relief, it went back to business as usual for the back of the bullpen. They blew yet another save. That's now 19 on the year.
Tidwell's Future is Bright
Despite the freaky finish, San Francisco fans have to be encouraged by what they saw out of the 25-year-old Tidwell, who has an incredible upside and played for manager Tony Vitello before the first-year skipper joined the Giants. TV coached the young hurler at the University of Tennessee.
Tidwell says he felt good about the performance and thought that he really set the tone right away by striking out the side in the first inning.

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What was claimed, and who backed it

Each row is one claim, attributed to the outlet whose wording states it most clearly. Confidence rates how directly the source text states the claim — explicit and unhedged rates high; hedged, pieced-together, or internally inconsistent statements rate lower. It does not measure whether the claim is true. Status counts the distinct outlets we found asserting it — so a single-source claim can still show high confidence, and a multi-source claim can show medium. Every one of those outlets is named beside the status, so you can check the count against the list. For claims extracted before we began storing that list, the row says so: it names the outlet the claim is quoted from and states that we have not recorded which outlets backed it. Outlets wrote at different times, so a figure that evolves — a casualty count, for example — can legitimately differ between rows; check the "as of" time next to each claim's source.

Claim	Confidence	Status
ClaimThe Boston Red Sox won 3-2 over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday night at Fenway Park.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (8 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, Heavy. as of Aug 23, 2026, 7:46 AM UTC, MLB News as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC, MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, Portland Press Herald as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:45 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, The Boston Globe as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC, boston.com as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimEli White slid headfirst into the plate with the winning run in the ninth inning, and the call was upheld after a review.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimWilyer Abreu hit a hard grounder that first baseman Bryce Eldridge made a diving stop on, threw home for an attempted force, but Eli White was ruled safe by umpire James Hoye.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (3 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, MLB News as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe Giants challenged the call on the field and the call stood after a video review.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimWilly Adames hit a solo homer over the Green Monster for the Giants.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (3 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, The Boston Herald as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe Giants lost for the 10th time in 13 games.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimDylan Smith had escaped a bases-loaded, no-out jam in the eighth inning.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (3 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, The Boston Globe as of Aug 23, 2026, 3:46 AM UTC
ClaimBoston rallied against Sam Hentges, tying it on Nick Sogard’s RBI double down the left-field line.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimWyatt Olds earned the win for the Red Sox.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimAndrew Knizner hit a home run for the Giants.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimGiants DH Rafael Devers, who was traded by the Red Sox last season after refusing to switch positions, was booed loudly at each at-bat and went 0 for 4 with a walk.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimBoston won the series opener Friday behind Willson Contreras’ 450-foot, three-run homer.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimBlade Tidwell kept Boston's batters quiet while striking out seven over 5 2/3 innings.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimPatrick Sandoval gave up two solo homers and five hits in 5 2/3 innings.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimRed Sox left-hander Jake Bennett (7-6, 3.73 ERA) is set to start the series finale Sunday against the Giants.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusMulti-source (2 outlets) via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe Boston Red Sox improved to 68-59 with the win.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusContested via NBC10 Boston as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC, SFGATE as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimWilyer Abreu capped a 0-for-5 night with four strikeouts and his first career fielder's choice RBI to win the game.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimAbreu worked a 3-2 sinker against Sam Hentges and hit a chopper that Eldridge fielded, but the final play was upheld after a crew chief review.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusContested via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe crew chief review was done because managers can ask for one in the final two innings; the Giants had no challenges left.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe game was played in front of a sellout crowd of 36,478.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimWilyer Abreu's hit recorded an exit speed of 91.9 mph.	ConfidenceMedium	StatusSingle-source via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC
ClaimThe final play was reviewed by the crew chief after the Giants had used their final challenge.	ConfidenceHigh	StatusSingle-source via MassLive as of Aug 23, 2026, 4:46 AM UTC

Transparency & Audit Trail

10 outlets · 13 articles consulted: boston.com, The Boston Globe, The Boston Herald, Heavy., MassLive, MLB News, NBC10 Boston, Portland Press Herald, SFGATE, Sports Illustrated 22 claims extracted Version 3 Written 2026-08-24