Boston Red Sox at Athletics

	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
BOS	0	0	0	0	3	0	0	2	0	5	8	2
ATH	0	0	1	2	0	1	0	0	0	4	9	1

Sonny Gray gets the ball for the series finale at 6:40 PM PT, and this is about as personal as it gets for him — the Sacramento stint is his old stomping grounds before Boston made him an ace. Mason Barnett draws the assignment for the A's, a young arm still finding his footing at the big-league level.

Show fees

FINAL

Spread

ML

Total

Red Sox(56-51)

WLWWL

5

-1.5-117-174o10.5+115

Athletics(45-63)

LWLLL

4

+1.5+115+170u10.5-115

Best BetRed Sox -168

Pregame

Sonny Gray's last outing was ugly, but a 12-2 record and a sub-3 ERA don't happen by accident, and he's going up against a lineup still missing Shea Langeliers and easing Nick Kurtz back to full strength. The Red Sox have already beaten this Athletics club twice in this series and have the better arm on the mound tonight. Boston's the play even paying the short-side price.

Gray's been the best story in Boston's rotation all year, but his last time out against Toronto was a mess — he didn't miss many bats and got hit around before the hook came early. The Red Sox need the version of Gray from the first four months, not the one Toronto saw, because behind him this rotation is running on fumes with Crochet, Houck, Oviedo and Crawford all shelved. On the other side, Nick Kurtz is back in the A's lineup mix after his forearm scare, but he's been eased back in and got a scheduled rest earlier in this series — Oakland's already thin offense can't afford to play shorthanded much longer, especially with Shea Langeliers now out for a knee procedure.

Sonny Gray

(14-3)·2.79 ERA

Jul 25 vs Blue Jays

L

5.0IP

5ER

3K

0BB

75P

07/30 Lineup

Mason Barnett

(1-3)·6.16 ERA

07/30 Lineup

None of that has stopped Boston from taking the first two of this set, and Chad Tracy's fingerprints are all over the turnaround. The interim skipper took over a team scuffling in April and has this club playing meaningful ball into the stretch run, buzz about a permanent title following him around the whole way.

Boston Red Sox

(56-51)

Jul 30W@ Athletics4-2

Jul 29L@ Athletics3-4

Jul 28W@ Athletics4-2

Jul 26Wvs Blue Jays6-1

Jul 25Lvs Blue Jays0-6

Athletics

(45-63)

Jul 30Lvs Red Sox2-4

Jul 29Wvs Red Sox4-3

Jul 28Lvs Red Sox2-4

Jul 26L@ Twins8-11

Jul 25L@ Twins0-2

Say what you want about the record, but the A's have had their moments even in a lost season — the offense can still erupt out of nowhere, as an 11-run outburst against Minnesota a week ago showed. That's part of the appeal of catching them at home: Sacramento hasn't been an automatic win for anybody, and this same Red Sox team already dropped one game in this series. Boston, for its part, is dealing with a lineup missing Triston Casas, Roman Anthony, Trevor Story and both middle infielders in Marcelo Mayer and Curtis Mead — that's a lot of talent watching from the training room for a team clawing at a playoff spot.

Boston Red Sox

(11)

• 10-Day-ILCurtis Mead (3B) — Mead isn't expected to undergo surgery to repair his fractured left wrist, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/29
• 10-Day-ILMarcelo Mayer (2B) — Mayer (forearm) has progressed from dry swings to hitting off a tee, MLB.com reports.07/26
• 10-Day-ILIsiah Kiner-Falefa (2B) — Kiner-Falefa (forearm) has been cleared to start his hitting progression with dry swings, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILGarrett Crochet (SP) — Crochet (lat/shoulder) said Tuesday that he and the Red Sox training staff have no timeline in mind for when he'll be cleared to restart his throwing program, Christopher Smith of MassLive.com reports.07/22
• 60-Day-ILZack Kelly (RP) — The Red Sox recalled Kelly (elbow) from Triple-A Worcester and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/21
• 60-Day-ILTrevor Story (SS) — Story (sports hernia) told reporters Monday that "sometime in August is in play" for him to embark on a rehab assignment, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/20
• 60-Day-ILTanner Houck (SP) — Houck (elbow) has started throwing two bullpen sessions per week, MLB.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILJohan Oviedo (SP) — Oviedo (elbow) will throw a bullpen session next week, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILRoman Anthony (LF) — Interim manager Chad Tracy confirmed Thursday that Anthony's (finger) recent follow-up appointment with Dr. Gary Lourie revealed no new information about his injury, and the outfielder will continue to rehab at the Red Sox's complex in Florida through at least the All-Star break, Chris Cotillo of MassLive.com reports.07/13
• 60-Day-ILKutter Crawford (SP) — The Red Sox announced June 29 that Crawford (forearm) has been throwing plyometric balls during workouts at the team's spring training facility in Florida, MLB.com reports.07/06
• 60-Day-ILTriston Casas (1B) — Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said Saturday that Casas (abdomen/knee) has been shut down from hitting due to a wrist issue, Tim Healey of The Boston Globe reports.07/06

Athletics

(13)

• Day-To-DayNick Kurtz (1B) — Kurtz is not in the Athletics' starting lineup against the Red Sox on Monday.07/30
• Day-To-DayJeffrey Springs (SP) — Springs (hip) is expected to be available the next time his turn in the rotation comes up Friday versus the Tigers in Sacramento, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.07/27
• 10-Day-ILShea Langeliers (C) — The Athletics announced that Langeliers underwent a successful medial meniscectomy Tuesday in Los Angeles and also received a platelet-rich plasma injection for his right knee, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.07/28
• 10-Day-ILZack Gelof (3B) — Gelof (knee) is continuing a running progression and participating in baseball activities, per MLB.com.07/28
• 10-Day-ILJoshua Kuroda-Grauer (3B) — Kuroda-Grauer was diagnosed with a testicular contusion after exiting Monday's 5-2 win over the Diamondbacks, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.07/21
• 15-Day-ILJ.T. Ginn (SP) — Ginn (finger) threw a bullpen Monday and is scheduled to throw another one Wednesday, per MLB.com.07/28
• 15-Day-ILMark Leiter Jr. (RP) — Leiter will undergo surgery Tuesday to address a right hip impingement and is expected to miss the remainder of the season, Martin Gallegos of MLB.com reports.07/27
• 15-Day-ILJustin Sterner (RP) — Sterner earned his first save of the season in Wednesday's extra-inning win over the Cubs. He tossed a perfect inning while striking out one.07/18
• 60-Day-ILLuis Severino (SP) — Severino (shoulder) began a throwing progression Saturday, per MLB.com.07/28
• 60-Day-ILDenzel Clarke (CF) — Manager Mark Kotsay said Saturday that Clarke (hamstring) is nearing a rehab assignment, Jason Burke of Roundtable.io reports.07/19
• 60-Day-ILBrent Rooker (DH) — Rooker will undergo season-ending surgery to repair a cartilage tear in his left knee, Jason Burke of Roundtable.io reports.07/17
• 60-Day-ILBrooks Kriske (RP) — Kriske (shoulder) began a throwing progression Thursday, MLB.com reports.06/16
• 60-Day-ILGunnar Hoglund (SP) — Hoglund (knee/back) will be sidelined for the rest of the 2026 season after undergoing surgery on his left hip Monday.05/20

Boston's found a way to win with a M*A*S*H unit for a lineup, which says plenty about the pitching and the vibe Tracy has built in that clubhouse. A's manager Mark Kotsay is playing a longer game entirely, developing what's left of his young core before the eventual Vegas move, and nights like this one are about individual building blocks — Kurtz's timing, Barnett's next step — more than the standings. Boston just wants the series in the books and to keep rolling into August.