Craig Kimbrel just etched himself into baseball history. The Boston Red Sox closer became the youngest pitcher in Major League Baseball history to record 300 saves at 29 years, 342 days old when he recorded his ninth save of the season in Saturday’s 6-5 win over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night. Along with being the youngest, Kimbrel also is the fastest pitcher to reach the milestone. To put just how dominant he’s been over the course of his career into perspective, the right-hander has had 330 save opportunities in his career. His 90.9 save percentage is the highest in the history of the game with a minimum of 250 save opportunities. ... NESN.com
Sports
Celtics’ T-Shirt Game Was On Point Upon Arrival In Philly For Game 3
The Boston Celtics are feeling themselves. Holders of a 2-0 series lead in their Eastern Conference semifinals matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers, the Celtics are playing like a confident group. And they certainly looked the part Friday afternoon upon arriving in Philly. Check out the T-shirts on Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Morris and, especially, Terry Rozier: The “Scary Terry” phenomenon clearly has taken hold in the Celtics’ locker room. Also, props to Rozier, Brown and Tatum for not being ashamed of rocking their own T-shirts. As for the series, Boston will look to take a commanding 3-0 lead Saturday night in ... NESN.com
Liga MX Rumors: Chivas Wants To Re-Sign ‘Chicharito’ For Club World Cup
Will Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez add the role of Chivas’ prodigal son to his resume? C.D. Guadalajara, the Mexican soccer club better known as Chivas, wants to sign the Mexican striker from West Ham this summer, ESPN’s Tom Marshall reported Friday citing a source. Chivas owner Jorge Vergara reportedly has authorized club directors to try to acquire Hernandez, and the club is willing to pay half his salary if West Ham loans him, according to Mexican newspaper Cancha. Hernandez, 29, is a Guadalajara native who started his career with Chivas. He graduated from the club’s academy and spent four seasons as a first-team player before leaving f... NESN.com
Red Sox Wrap: David Price Allows Seven Earned Runs In 11-5 Loss To Rangers
The Boston Red Sox’s 10-game road trip didn’t get off to the greatest start. Boston dropped an ugly 11-5 decision to the Texas Rangers on Thursday night at Globe Life Park in Arlington. Sox starter David Price lasted just 3 2/3 innings, allowing nine runs (seven earned) with the Rangers smacking a total of 11 hits off Boston pitchers. With the loss, the Red Sox fall to 22-9, while the Rangers climbed to 13-20. Here’s how it all went down: GAME IN A WORDUgly. The Red Sox’s pitching left plenty to be desired, and from the fourth inning on the result hardly was in doubt. ON THE BU... NESN.com
Mariners’ James Paxton Strikes Out League-High 16 Batters VS. Athletics
James Paxton now owns the season-high record for strikeouts in Major League Baseball. The Seattle Mariners southpaw fanned 16 Oakland Athletics over seven innings of work Wednesday night. With that, he now has the fourth-most strikeouts in Mariners history. The three other records of 19, 19 and 18 K’s are all owned by Hall of Famer Randy Johnson, per Greg Johns of MLB.com. Paxton was taken out of the game after he concluded the seventh inning with his 16th strikeout with runners on first and second base to keep the 2-0 lead Seattle had intact. He had thrown 105 pitches, 80 of those for strikes with 30 swinging strikes — a new MLB
Red Sox Vs. Royals Lineup: Mookie Betts Returns For Series Finale
Mookie Betts’ time on the shelf was short-lived. The Boston Red Sox right fielder will return to the lineup Wednesday for Boston’s series finale matinee against the Kansas City Royals. Betts left Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays after tweaking his hamstring, causing him to miss a few games. He did, however, enter the game off the bench late in Tuesday’s extra-innings loss. Betts’ bat is an important one for the Red Sox to have at the top of their order, with the 25-year-old hitting .337 this season with eight home runs and a league-leading 29 runs scored. Drew Pomeranz will get the ball for Boston, and will be caught by Sa... NESN.com
Why Skip Bayless Believes Tom Brady’s Interview Comments Were ‘Stunning’
Tom Brady did little Monday to cool the flames engulfing the New England Patriots’ offseason. In fact, Skip Bayless would argue the quarterback stoked the fire. Brady had some interesting responses to questions posed Monday by Jim Gray at the Milken Institute Global Conference in California. The biggest head-turner came when Brady was asked whether he felt appreciated by the Patriots and the 40-year-old started his response with, “I plead the fifth,” before then suggesting it was a “tough question.” Brady also said, “I have my moments,” when asked about his overall happiness. Maybe we’re reading too much into Brady’s responses. Maybe... NESN.com