JJ Bleday takes a seat Wednesday vs. Guardians

Rafaela’s homer gave the Red Sox a 5-4 lead in the seventh, and the team added three more runs afterwards in the frame. Along with his 12th homer, Rafaela collected his 15th steal tonight, adding to his chances of notching a 20/20 season. He’s been Boston’s best player with his .286/.326/.456 line and his spectacular defense in center field.

Not wanting him to face Shohei Ohtani for a third time, the Red Sox employed a surprisingly quick hook with Suarez after a walk and two singles in the fifth. So, Jovani Moran replaced him and gave up a homer to Ohtani anyway. Suarez threw just 65 pitches before exiting, and his stuff was fine. It would have been just fine to keep him in. Maybe he’ll be allowed to complete five innings next week against the White Sox.

Bello took over with the Red Sox down 4-3 in the sixth and then finished the game while the offense added six runs against Cole Irvin. He’s allowed just one run in 13 2/3 innings in his three appearances since being recalled July 12. That’s not consistent enough work to make him useful in mixed leagues, but if he does get his rotation spot back at some point, he’ll be more interesting than he was in April and May.

Irvin took the loss in his 2026 debut, but at least he was able to preserve the pen in a bullpen game. The Dodgers could DFA him prior to Saturday’s game, but there’s a good chance he’ll be claimed by one of the teams selling at the deadline. Irvin has no real upside, but he was pitching well in Triple-A prior to his callup and could be a reliable innings-eater for a non-contender down the stretch.

Ohtani has two homers and three doubles in his last three games, pushing his OPS back up to .939. That puts him fifth in the majors, barely behind Juan Soto (.947), James Wood (.944) and Willson Contreras (.943). Yordan Alvarez remains way, way out in front at 1.077.

All he does is win, no matter what. Sugano breezed through nearly seven innings against the hapless Royals lineup with the only blemish on his ledger coming from a Carter Jensen solo home run. That makes it wins in three straight starts for the crafty righty and wins in seven straight decisions dating back to early June. That is outright shocking while pitching for a team with only 43 wins in total. Sugano is a prime trade candidate before Monday’s deadline and he should benefit from leaving Coors Field.

Romano made quick work of the Royals here to earn yet another save. He’s now 5-for-5 in save opportunities since being picked up by the Rockies earlier this month and has only given up one run through 7 2/3 innings. It’s still worth remaining leery of this resurgence and maintaining a general distrust for closers who call Coors Field home.

Moniak got the Rockies going in this one with a double in his first plate appearance and came home to score a few batters later. Moniak has had a great season so far with 17 home runs, a .278 batting average, and an .881 OPS through 72 games. There’s a chance that production could take a hit though with his name coming up in trade rumors and the chance that he’ll no longer play half of his games in Coors Field.

Jensen’s solo shot represented the Royals’ lone run in an unexpected pitcher’s duel at Coors Field. Nevertheless, it was an impressive shot that traveled an estimated 424 feet showing off Jensen’s massive raw power. He’s been mired in a prolonged slump now though with just a .216 batting average and .289 on-base percentage over his last 30 games.

Wacha put together a fantastic start in Coors Field after a lengthy weather delay. He leaned on his trusted changeup as his primary pitch and it forced 13 of his 17 total swings-and-misses. That’s tied for the most whiffs he’s induced in any outing this season and showed the might of a quality changeup in extreme altitude. He’s put together a solid season to this point with a 3.51 ERA, 111 strikeouts, and 38 walks through 138 1/3 innings. If he remains with the Royals through the trade deadline, his next would come against the Twins at home.