​NEW YORK — Immediate reactions as the Red Sox (45-48) add another win, this time a 4-0 victory over the Mets on Saturday at Citi Field. The Mets showed struggle, particularly at the plate, but Boston deserves credit for grinding out another win and extending the season-long streak with two victories in Flushing to begin the final weekend of the first half. Boston’s pitching staff has now held New York to just two runs over 18 innings in this series. Consistent with the Sox’ midseason turnaround, several unlikely contributors stepped up Saturday: a rookie called upon for a spot start (Eduardo Rivera), a backup infielder (Andruw Monasterio), and a platoon designated hitter (Masataka Yoshida) carried the load as Boston binds its eight-game hot streak. The team sits at 13-2 over its last 15 games and remains three games under .500.
Rivera delivered more than expected in his first career big-league start (and second major league appearance). He worked 3 ⅔ shutout innings, permitting only one hit—the latter on his final pitch—while striking out three and issuing two walks. Perhaps more notable than the line was Rivera’s length, giving Boston a much-needed bridge as the bullpen system rotated in. After three recent Triple-A Worcester outings where his pitch counts peaked at 29, 25, and 32, Rivera threw 64 pitches in his big-league turn (39 strikes). In a bullpen-heavy plan, that extra length mattered greatly. This season Rivera has already logged seven scoreless innings at the major league level, fanning six, and his early results have drawn some positive expectations from the Boston staff.
The offense produced production from unexpected places, led by Monasterio and Yoshida with two-run homers that did the majority of the scoring damage. Monasterio, starting against a right-handed pitcher, sparked the earlier scoring with his two-run shot—the fifth of his season—into left field in the fourth inning. The ball came on a middle-of-the-plate fastball, a 378-foot drive off the bat with an exit velocity approaching 99 mph. Monasterio also added a leadoff triple off left-hander A.J. Minter in the sixth, demonstrating his versatility and timely hitting. Boston’s hit total was modest (three) against Peralta, who completed 5 ⅓ innings.
Yoshida padded the lead in the eighth against right-handed Tobias Myers, launching his third homer of the season just inside the right-field line and providing the final tally. Yoshida’s homer extended the lead and underscored his ongoing role in the lineup as a productive left-handed bat in a right-handed-heavy matchup scenario.
From a strategic standpoint, the bullpen sequence began in the fourth inning when Rivera fought through a 10-pitch duel with light-hitting Jorge Polanco, who lined a single to center. Chad Tracy summoned Greg Weissert for three outs, then turned to left-hander Jovani Morán with the top of New York’s order coming up in the sixth. Morán delivered five outs before issuing a one-out walk to Eric Wagaman in the seventh. The Mets then loaded the bases, prompting Justin Slaten to enter and eventually ending the threat with an inning-ending strikeout of A.J. Ewing. The relief corps held firm thereafter, sealing the shutout and securing the 4-0 win as Boston padded its late-season surge.
Overall, the Red Sox continued their strong play on the road, taking advantage of opportunities presented by Rivera’s length, Monasterio’s multi-faceted contributions, and Yoshida’s timely power. The combination of efficient pitching, a disciplined bullpen approach, and clutch hitting from unlikely sources has Boston thriving at a critical point in the season, reinforcing optimism for what the second half could hold if this level of performance persists.