You don’t ever mess with tradition. The Rays have not won a game on April 15th in 14 years. After the Rays defeated the Red Sox brutally the night prior, this felt inevitable. However, the Red Sox kept the tradition alive and got back into the win column.

Alex Cora spoke after the lopsided loss and did say he would get them to be more prepared. They came out prepared and won a ball game 7-4 and have a chance to win the series tomorrow night. This game though, was the Alex Bregman show.

Bregman Leads the Way

Walker Buehler got the ball in this one and he did deliver on his part. He went five innings strong and surrendered three earned runs. That’s not bad and you’ll take that each time he takes the ball. Thanks to a great diving catch by center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela, it likely preserved the lead and did not allow further damage. As good as Buehler was, the offense woke up and delivered at the plate. This time, it was the top of the order.

Red Sox 1 and 2 order spots rank 25th in wRC+ so far this year. Their 3-4-5 spots rank 23rd. The 6-7-8-9 slots rank 7th. pic.twitter.com/3rZBLYju9i

— Red Sox Stats (@redsoxstats) April 15, 2025

Entering play today, the Red Sox top of the order has not been their strong suit. Having an 83 wRC+ is not exactly a strong statement. However, they sure made a statement in this name. Devers got it started with a stand up double and then Alex Bregman drove in the run with a deep single.

Jarren Duran heard the noise and some wondered why was he struggling and why isn’t it talked about enough. Well, he said let’s change that and hit his first home run of the season. A good ole fashioned oppo-taco to left center field. You saw guys like Trevor Story continue to hit and you also saw Rafaela come through. But today was all about Bregman and his career day.

Bregman wants more. pic.twitter.com/NGDz0IHtjz

— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 16, 2025

Bregman did something he never did as a Houston Astro and it only took 19 games to do so. Bregman went 5-5, with two home runs and 4 RBI’s. It was a massive day for him. And certainly the veteran taking it upon himself to help this team right the ship. His home runs propelled the Red Sox to a commanding lead and they never looked back.

Zack Kelly threw two strong innings before the runs poured on in the ninth and Aroldis Chapman locked down the one out save.

A huge victory and a big chance to win tomorrow!