Boston, MA
2024 Boys Tennis All-Scholastics and League All-Stars
BOYS TENNIS
Lucas Bikkesbakker (Concord-Carlisle)
Kiran Bhatia (Brookline)
Ravin Bhatia (Brookline)
Tucker Catalano (Duxbury)
Peter Chen (Weston)
John DeAngelis (St. John’s Prep)
Dillon Denny-Brown (Bedford)
Deven Devaiah (Brookline)
John Dickens (Milton)
Max Ding (Weston)
Mika Garber (Marblehead)
Boris Kouzimnov (St. John’s Prep)
Connor Liona (Westford Academy)
Jack Prokopis (St. John’s Prep)
Luke Prokopis (St. John’s Prep)
Arvind Rajarajan (Lexington)
Evan Saptari (Lexington)
Lochlan Seth (Newton North)
Bennett Stout (Duxbury)
Timothy Vargas (Duxbury)
HONORABLE MENTION
Oscar Andren (Haverhill)
Winston Chan (Brookline)
Rishi Dasari (Acton-Boxboro)
Ben DiPesa (Scituate)
Luke Free (St. John’s Prep)
Luke Grief (Wakefield)
Neema Khosravani (Mansfield)
Joe Krattenmaker (Hopkinton)
Charlie Lankow (Cohasset)
Saunak Manna (Westford Academy)
Jay Raj (Mystic Valley)
Charles Schepens (Swampscott)
Parker Schultz (Hingham)
Ronak Wakhlu (Lexington)
Ethan Warhaftig (Hingham)
Julian Wong (Belmont)
ALL-SCHOLASTICS
LUCAS BIKKESBAKKER
CONCORD-CARLISLE
The Dual County League Player of the Year went 16-1 playing at first singles during the season, giving him a career record of 41-9. The senior was a mainstay for Concord-Carlisle which went 14-4 and advanced to the Div. 1 state finals. He will play tennis and double major in economics and political science at Holy Cross.
KIRAN BHATIA
BROOKLINE
The junior was 20-1 at first doubles and also won his only singles matches in helping his team advance to the Div. 1 state semifinals. For his career, Bhatia has a doubles record of 52-2. The two-time Bay State Conference All-Star was awarded the 2022 Jason Schreiber Award for Most Influential Freshman Athlete on the boys tennis team.
RAVIN BHATIA
BROOKLINE
A two-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic and Bay State Conference All-Star, Bhatia went 20-1 for a Brookline team that advanced to the Final Four in Div. 1. An excellent student with a 4.0 unweighted GPA, Bhatia’s long term goals are to study political science and journalism.
TUCKER CATALANO
DUXBURY
The senior doubles specialist capped off a perfect career by going 21-0 including a deciding match victory in the Div. 1 state semifinal. Catalano ended his career by posting a 60-0 record. An excellent student, Catalano maintained a GPA of 4.05 or higher in each of his four years of high school. He will attend Connecticut College.
PETER CHEN
WESTON
The all-Dual County League performer earned his second straight All-Scholastic berth after posting a 13-0 record during the regular season, improving his career mark to 31-0. Chen competed in the inaugural USTA Massachusetts High School State Individual tournament, advancing to the second round.
JOHN DEANGELIS
ST. JOHN’S PREP
The No. 1 player for the Div. 1 state champions was 18-3 on the season and reached the quarterfinals of the USTA Massachusetts High School State Individual tournament. The MVP of the Catholic Conference, the sophomore has lost just four matches in his career. He is a member of the Spanish National Honor Society.
DILLON DENNY-BROWN
BEDFORD
The junior led Bedford to a 14-6 season and a berth in the Div. 3 state finals. Highly touted with a 7.2 Universal Tennis Rating, Denny-Brown reached the Round of 16 at the USTA Massachusetts High School State Individuals. His eventual aspirations are to play Div. 3 college tennis or Div. 1 at the club level.
DEVEN DEVAIAH
BROOKLINE
The No. 1 singles player for the perennial state tennis power helped Brookline reach the Div. 1 state semifinals. A former Boston Herald All-Scholastic, Devaiah has an unweighted 4.0 GPA in all honors and advanced classes. One of the top ranked players in the state, Devaiah is involved in USTA tennis.
JOHN DICKENS
MILTON
The junior was nearly perfect during the regular season, going 15-0 and losing just one set in the process. The two-time Bay State Conference All-Star was MVP of the league’s Herget Division and team MVP for the second time. He has a career record of 48-3. An honor roll student, Dickens was the recipient of the Williams College Book Award in May.
MAX DING
WESTON
The senior was Dual County League Player of the Year after posting an 18-4 record at first singles for the Div. 3 state champions. A four-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic, Ding is a member of the National Honor Society and earned the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy for proficiency in Latin. Ding will major in applied mathematics and finance at Washington University in St. Louis.
MIKA GARBER
MARBLEHEAD
Garber battled through a hamstring injury to post a 15-2 record and helped the Magicians advance to the second round of the Div. 2 state tournament. The three-time Northeastern Conference MVP ended his career with a 60-9 mark, all coming at first singles. A high honors student with a 4.2 GPA, Garber will attend the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he will study computer science and play club tennis.
BORIS KOUZMINOV
ST. JOHN’S PREP
The sophomore stepped up at first doubles, losing just one match as St. John’s Prep rolled to the Div. 1 state title. A high honors student, Kouzminov wants to become a professional in the field of dentistry. In the offseason, Kouzminov trains at Montoya Tennis.
CONNOR LIONA
WESTFORD ACADEMY
The winner of the first USTA Massachusetts High School State Individual tournament, Liona went 14-3 and earned MVP honors in the Dual County League. The three-time team captain ended his career with a 43-15 mark, all coming at first singles. A member of the National Honor Society, Liona will play college tennis at Sacred Heart University.
JACK PROKOPIS
ST. JOHN’S PREP
The Catholic Conference All-Star posted a 20-2 mark in helping his Eagles win the Div. 1 title. A three-time league all-star, Prokopis has a career record of 56-9. He is a member of both the National Honor Society and Spanish Honor Society and received an Academic Excellence Award in Religious Studies.
LUKE PROKOPIS
ST. JOHN’S PREP
Prokopis was outstanding at first doubles, posting a 20-1 record for an undefeated St. John’s Prep squad. The three-time Catholic Conference All-Star has an overall record of 54-6. A member of the National Honor Society and World Language Honor Society, Prokopis carries a 4.43 GPA.
EVAN SAPTARI
LEXINGTON
A Middlesex League All-Star, the sophomore went 16-3 at first doubles as Lexington advanced to the Div. 1 state semifinals. The two-time honor roll student lists guitar, fishing, running, and skiing as his hobbies. Saptari trains in the offseason at the Thoreau Club.
LOCHLAN SETH
NEWTON NORTH
The senior standout was one of the top players in the state, losing just one match during the season. The MVP of the Bay State Conference was a finalist at the USTA Massachusetts High School State Individuals. Ranked among the top three in New England and top-100 nationally, Seth will continue his tennis career at Colgate University.
BENJAMIN STOUT
DUXBURY
One of the premier doubles specialists in the state, Stout was undefeated at first doubles in helping Duxbury go 20-2 and advance to the Div. 2 state team finals. The junior trains in the offseason at the Weymouth Club.
TIMOTHY VARGAS
DUXBURY
The MVP of the Patriot League as well as a league Scholar Award recipient, the junior played first singles for the eventual Div. 2 state finalists. An honor roll student, Vargas was a semifinalist at the USTA Massachusetts High School State Individuals and also won an L4 USTA clay court tournament.
LEAGUE ALL-STARS
BAY STATE CONFERENCE
John Dickens, Ethan Tran (Milton); Jack Rixner, Jack Wexler (Needham); Deven Devaiah, Winson Chan, Dhevin Nahata, Kiran Bhatia, Ravin Bhatia (Brookline); Lochlan Seth, Johnny Wastcoat, Warren Feldman (Newton North); Arthas Goutham, Griffin Jordan (Wellesley); Michael Boland, Stephen Jung (Walpole); Nadav Fuxman (Natick); Jordan Cohen (Framingham)
MVP: John Dickens, Lochlan Seth
CAPE AND ISLANDS
ATLANTIC DIVISION: Zak Potter, Caleb Dubin, Otis Forrester, Kyle Levy, Tommy Flynn, Kert Kleeman (Martha’s Vineyard); Eric Arabadzhiev, Brennan Riley, Michael Higginbotham. Connor O’Reilly (Barnstable); Soren Jones Carlson, Salvi Cacciola (Nauset); Ryan Casey, Roman Pavluzhenko (Monomoy)
MVP: Zak Potter
LIGHTHOUSE DIVISION: Ben Catalano, Connor Hall, Garret Wilson, Ayden Naydenov (Cape Cod Academy); Henry Kathawala, Sam Iller, Fuller Holland (Nantucket); Colby Hall, Robert Muhov, Frandisco Garcia Raya, Thomas Nutbrown (Sturgis); Jack Flynn (Rising Tide); Ben Kowal (St. John Paul II)
MVP: Ben Catalano
CAPE ANN LEAGUE
Max Clarke, Henry Stinson (Hamilton-Wenham); Roman Ton (North Reading); Dan Levin, Shea McCarthy, Russell Kasdon, Shlok Kudrimoti, Slate Lopilato, Kurt Rothermund, Matt Reinold (Lynnfield)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Dan Levin, Max Clarke, Henry Stinson
CATHOLIC CENTRAL LEAGUE
Max Comey, Kaya Yuceler, James Mallon, Nakul Bhatia, Casey Fennell (Bishop Feehan); Brian Ward, Thomas Clavell, Nicholas Hutchens, Noah Yetman (Bishop Stang); Sean Caldwell, Luke Nanopoulos, Gabriel Aljalian (Arlington Catholic); Steve Nason, Thomas Shea (St. Mary’s); Cole Schroeder (Bishop Fenwick)
MVP: Sean Caldwell
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
John DeAngelis, Jack Prokopis, Luke Free, Luke Porkopis, Boris Kouzminov, Mark McDuffee, Alex Melville (St. John’s Prep); Chris Curran, Andrew Garofoli, Ethan Holson, Ryan Berns (BC High); Agam Kukreja, Andrew D’Angelo, Aarav Jain, Lukas Pannenborg (St. John’s Shrewsbury); Cam Peterson, Tripp Carven (Xaverian); Andrew Spagnuolo (Catholic Memorial); Nam Dinh, Matteo Peledge (Malden Catholic)
MVP: John DeAngelis
COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
CO-ED: Jess Campo, Isobel Callahan, Chloe Callahan, JC Luna, Brody Adkins, Aiden Gibson, Ethan King, Marc Taboucherani (Fellowship Academy); Annabel Senechiame, Julio Kuchuminski, Avery Dube, Sydney Geoffroy, Norah Rondeau, Abigail Honan, Luiggi Ferreira, Giovanni De Oliveira, Samuel Lucena (Greater Lowell); Katherine Xu (Mystic Valley); Riley Olsen, Khianna Ducharme (Nashoba Tech); Matt Cipriano, Victor Phan (Saugus/Northeast); Jasmine Johansen, Sarah Johansen, Ethan Hines, Faith Martin, Trevor Engel (Shawsheen)
DUAL COUNTY LEAGUE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Max Ding, Peter Chen (Weston), Lucas Bikkesbakker (Concord-Carlisle); Connor Liona, Saunak Manna (Westford Academy); Marti Sarquella, Rishi Dasari (Acton Boxboro); Dillon Denny-Brown (Bedford); Toby Kylberger (Wayland)
ALL-STARS: Jeremy Gu, Spencer Goss, Logan Cox (Bedford); Jeffrey Zhang, Josh Proctor, Henrique Abecasis (Wayland); Magnus Sterritt (Weston); Ethan Tran, Luis Bullock Gonzalez (Boston Latin); Nikolas Joannidis (Waltham); Benjamin Ostrovsky, T.J. Fahey, Pedro Nachbin (Concord-Carlisle); Siddhant Ganeshawaran (Acton-Boxboro)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Max Ding, Lucas Bikkesbakker
GREATER BOSTON LEAGUE
Damian Mangino, Ethan Cross, Emmett Easton (Somerville); Mogos Ghile, Archer Ou, Illyes Ouldsaada, Steven Luong (Malden); Axil Ortiz, Victor Bun, Andy Ly (Lynn Classical); Edward Salazar, Eric Salazar (Lynn English); Leo Mantenuto (Medford); Bryant Jiminez (Everett); Nicolas Aguiar (Revere)
MVP: Damian Mangino
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE
Neema Khosravani, Nikhil Nain (Mansfield); Kyle Neuendorf, Tyler Rocchio, Luke Hinton, Brady Rosen (Attleboro); Bharat Ramanathan (Canton); Luca Meyer, Raj Jetty (Foxboro); Jay Gorgas (Franklin); Arjun Kollu, Luke Bailer (King Philip); Quinn DiFiore (North Attleboro); Nick Westerbeke (Oliver Ames); Alex Budovalcev, Sava Kassev, Matthew Lally, Isaac Chen, Jacob Slavsky (Sharon)
MVP: Neema Khosravani
MAYFLOWER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Connor Kennedy, Michael Larivee (Diman); Brett Brophy, Ajani Bunting (Wareham); Sam Van Saun, Jack Keane, Luke Coelho (Westport)
MVP: Sam Van Saun
MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE
Oscar Andren (Haverhill); Nik Narina, Akarsh Janarthanan, Conor Rea, Sam Gomer, Peter Doan, Kian Keyhan, Hridai Dharan (Andover)
MVP: Oscar Andren
MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
LIBERTY: Ronak Wakhlu, Neil Keltcher, Ronnie Prasad, Sritan Devineni, Evan Saptari, Arvind Rajarajan, Darius Jin (Lexington); Sam Song, Jeff Chen, Thomas Andrews, Raffi Parseghian, Max Griffin, Carl Stredicke (Winchester); Omkar Adhiya, Elia Kikuchi, Yuta Kikuchi, Henry Ruderman, Leo Fritsch (Arlington); Charlie Osborn, Julian Wong, Ben Miller, Henry Moriarty (Belmont); Luke Zannino, Pip Balas (Reading); Anik Patel (Woburn)
FREEDOM: Sohan Shah, Aditya Pathak, Andrew Perl, Abhay Jhunett, Krish Soni (Burlington); Luke Greif, Trevor Vellieux, Kevin DeGray (Wakefield); Anvi Ganghu, Said Karani, Ryan Weinstein (Wilmington); Daniel Teittinen, Nathan Chow (Melrose); Nash Goldstein (Watertown); Anubhau Thapaliya (Stoneham)
MVP: Ronak Wakhlu, Julian Wong, Luke Greif
NORTHEASTERN CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Julian Flacke, Lucas Bereaud, Charles Schepens (Swampscott); Jayden Janock, Leo Winocour, Mika Garber, Etan Farfel (Marblehead); Andre Payano Sosa, Shane Widtfeldt (Gloucester)
DUNN: TJ Kelly, Anthony Vizy, Ty Cooper (Marblehead); Nick Custer, Trevor Talebian, Sam Schepens (Swampscott); Anders Littman (Gloucester); Kai Hird, Jack Eaton (Masconomet); Luca Pasquarello (Beverly)
LYNCH: Jack Osburn, Nick Cirelli, Nathaniel Derosier (Winthrop); Finn Hangar, Rylan Workman, Eden McClain (Salem)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Charles Schepens
PATRIOT LEAGUE
KEENAN: Tim Vargas, Peter Burnham, Taylor Bettencourt, Bennett Stout, Tucker Catalano (Duxbury); Parker Schultz, Ethan Warhaftig, Travis Rugg (Hingham); Will Bergendahl, Danny Stephenson (Plymouth North); Tristan Baker (Whitman-Hanson); Dylan Cicone (Silver Lake)
MVP: Tim Vargas
FISHER: Ben DiPesa, Shea Tinkham, Cooper McDonald, Jack Dalicandro (Scituate); Tom Duan, Philip Wang, Ian Ronan (North Quincy); Daniel Lyons, Charlie Ruggiero (Plymouth South); Alex Fredette (Hanover); Henry Wilde (Quincy); Jason DeBella (Pembroke)
MVP: Ben DiPesa
SOUTH COAST CONFERENCE
Will Horton, Nathan Belmore, Ethan Clark, Ryan Abreau (Apponequet); Zach Costa, Jacksson Souza, Max Petit (Somerset Berkley); Abhi Patel (Seekonk); Jacob Hadley, Peter LeGassic (Old Rochester); David Anghinetti (Dighton-Rehoboth); Coby Yin, Kole Pinto (Fairhaven); Owen Borges (Case)
MVP: Will Horton
SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
Banks Beckwith (Bridgewater-Raynham); Luke Bloom-Glover, Shreyas Rathod, Owen Nielson, Charles Camisa, Isaiah Beckwith, Stephen Wei (Dartmouth); Will Rumsey (Durfee)
MVP: Luke Bloom-Glover
SOUTH SHORE LEAGUE
SULLIVAN: Connor McNaughton (Middleboro); Evan Petit, Aidan Gilmartin, Luca Moretti-Fuli, Matt Alabiso, Ben Garland (Norwell); Kaden Gestel, Nick Mesheau, Mo Asad, Lucas Cavicchi (Rockland); Andrew Emmel, Andrew Chanya, Kallen Kestenbaum (Sandwich)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Andrew Emmel
TOBIN: Nathan Ludlam, Will Wildfire (Abington); Eamon Maxwell, Charlie Lankow, Blaise Bastille, Tyler Henry (Cohasset); Colin Burdge, James Benners, Andrew Kelley (Mashpee)
PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Charlie Lankow
TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE
Joe Krattenmaker, Rishit Shekhar, Ilian Grace, Sooraj Sambasivam, Kais Guessab (Hopkinton); Dominik Dwyer, Kevin Bojkov (Dedham); Max Glick, Dalai Xu, Yair Elman, Harrison DePaola (Dover-Sherborn); Warren Churchill, Alec Bormann, Nathan DePaola, Fisher Roberts (Medfield); Gunther Guleserian, Andrew Easton (Westwood); Sam Tavassoli Hojati, Matthew Weise (Norton); Partha Jammalamadaka (Norwood); Alex Menard, Tommy Stotz (Medway)
MVP: Joe Krattenmaker, Dominik Dwyer
Boston, MA
Boston police officials dominate the list of highest-paid city workers in 2025 – The Boston Globe
That was more than what every other city department spent on overtime combined, though it was a slight drop from the $103 million the police department spent on overtime in 2024.
High overtime spending inside the police department has long been controversial and a source of frustration for police-reform advocates. Last year’s nine-figure total comes as Mayor Michelle Wu warns of a challenging budget season to come for the city, which is grappling with inflation and the possibility of more federal funding cuts.
In a December letter, Wu told the city council that she instructed city department heads to find ways to cut 2 percent of their budgets in the next fiscal year. She also imposed a delay on new hires. Boston Public Schools Superintendent Mary Skipper has also proposed cutting somewhere between 300 and 400 positions next fiscal year due to budget constraints.
Overall, the city spent about $2.5 billion on employee salaries in 2025, up around 1.5 percent from $2.4 billion in 2024. The city employs roughly 21,000 workers, according to a public dashboard.
In a statement, Emma Pettit, a spokesperson for Wu’s office, attributed the payroll increase to raises, and in some cases, employees receiving retroactive pay, that were part of contracts the city negotiated with its various labor unions.
“We’re grateful to our city employees for their hard work to hold Boston to the highest standard for delivering city services,” Pettit said.
When Wu won her first mayoral race in November 2021, all of the city’s 44 union contracts had expired. Since then, Wu’s office has negotiated new agreements with all of them, and last year, agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, the city’s largest police union.
But as the city heads back to the bargaining table to negotiate extensions or new contracts with others, city leaders should keep cost at the forefront of those conversations, said Steve Poftak, president of the Boston Municipal Research Bureau, a business-backed budget watchdog group.
“As budgets tighten, I’m hopeful that it increases the scrutiny on these collective bargaining agreements,” Poftak said.
The top earner on the city’s payroll last year was Boston Police Captain Timothy Connolly. In addition to his $194,000 base salary, Connolly took home nearly $230,000 in overtime, about $26,000 in undefined “other pay,” and roughly $49,000 as part of a higher-education bonus, for a total of $498,145 in compensation.
Skipper, as BPS superintendent, was the 55th-highest earner among city workers, coming behind 54 members of the police department. She made a total of $378,000 in 2025.
Nearly 300 city employees made more than $300,000 last year. In contrast, Wu made $207,000, though her salary increased to $250,000 this year. More than 1,700 city employees made more than the mayor in 2025.
Larry Calderone, president of the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, argued that the high overtime costs in the police department are, in part, a result of understaffing.
The department is short roughly 400 rank-and-file police officers, Calderone said, meaning the department has to pay its staff to work overtime and fill vacant shifts. The average salary for an officer in the BPPA is roughly $195,000, Calderone said.
With several large events approaching, including a Boston-based fan fest around this summer’s World Cup matches and the return of a fleet of tall ships to Boston Harbor, Calderone said most of the members of his union are likely to be working the maximum allowable 90 hours a week.
“We just don’t have the bodies on the street,” he said.
The Boston Police Department and the Boston Police Superior Officers Federation — the union that represents the department’s sergeants, captains, and lieutenants — did not immediately return requests for comment Monday.
Jamarhl Crawford, an activist and former member of the Boston Police Reform Task Force, said while high spending on overtime is not new for the police department, it’s a pressing problem the city should tackle.
The police and fire departments are “essential components of the city and society in general … [and] folks should be getting a fair wage. But it also has to be within fiscal responsibility,” Crawford said.
“In another 10 years,” he continued, “with pensions and everything else, this type of thing can bankrupt the city.”
Niki Griswold can be reached at niki.griswold@globe.com. Follow her @nikigriswold. Yoohyun Jung can be reached at y.jung@globe.com.
Boston, MA
Red Sox rotation contender strikes out four in dominant outing
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Johan Oviedo’s first outing of the spring last week didn’t go great, as the right-hander walked three over 1 2/3 innings in a performance manager Alex Cora described as “erratic.”
His second outing on Monday went much better.
Oviedo was dominant in Monday’s 7-6 win over the Toronto Blue Jays in Dunedin, striking out four over three scoreless innings while holding Toronto to two hits and no walks. He was also highly efficient, throwing 25 of his 31 pitches for strikes while drawing five whiffs.
After allowing a leadoff single to George Springer out of the gate, Oviedo got a strikeout and a double play to quickly get out of the first. He followed that by pitching around a harmless one-out single in the second before sending the Blue Jays down 1-2-3 to finish his outing in the third.
Viewed as the likely top candidate to earn Boston’s No. 5 rotation spot heading into camp, Oviedo clearly helped out his cause with the brilliant showing. He will be in line to make his next start on Saturday.
Gonzales smokes one
Justin Gonzales, a hulking 6-foot-7 outfielder and Boston’s No. 6 prospect according to MLB Pipeline’s latest rankings, made the trip up to Dunedin with the big league club and showed off his power in breathtaking fashion.
In the top of the ninth inning the 19-year-old scorched a single that was measured at 117.3 mph off the bat. According to MLB researcher Sarah Langs’ Daily Statcast leaders, that is the second hardest exit velocity recorded by any player so far this spring. The only ball hit harder was Kansas City Royals’ slugger Jac Caglianone’s 120.2 mph double on Feb. 26.
Franklin Arias, a 20-year-old infielder and Boston’s consensus No. 2 prospect, also made the trip and got the start at shortstop. He went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts at the plate but helped turn a double play to end the bottom of the first.
Big day for Gasper
Monday’s lineup consisted largely of players who are likely to start the season in the minor leagues, but even with that being the case, Mickey Gasper made a strong impression.
The Red Sox catcher and utility player led the offense by going 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBI. Gasper had an RBI single in the top of the third and followed that by crushing a two-run home run with two outs in the top of the fifth.
Nathan Hickey (1 for 2) also had a two-run home run to put the Red Sox ahead for good in the top of the eighth, Allan Castro (2 for 3, stolen base) hit a game-tying solo shot in the sixth, Max Ferguson (1 for 2, walk) had an RBI double and Braiden Ward went 2 for 3 with a stolen base.
Watson struggles
Ryan Watson, a Rule 5 pick looking to make the Red Sox roster as a rookie, had a tough outing on Monday. The right-hander allowed four runs over 2/3 of an inning on one hit, two walks and a hit by pitch.
Watson led off the inning with a lineout before allowing a single, hit by pitch and a walk to load the bases. He then drew a run-scoring groundout before walking another batter to reload the bases. At that point manager Alex Cora lifted the rookie and all three inherited runners came around to score when minor leaguer Patrick Halligan allowed a grand slam to Blue Jays third baseman Addison Barger.
Coming up next
The Red Sox will host Team Puerto Rico in an exhibition at JetBlue Park on Tuesday night ahead of the World Baseball Classic. Left-hander Jake Bennett will get the start for the Red Sox, and Zack Kelly, Tyler Uberstine, Tyler Samaniego and Vinny Nittoli are all scheduled to pitch for Boston too. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on NESN+, NESN 360 and WEEI 93.7 FM.
Boston, MA
Monster effort from Neemias Queta helps pave the way for Celtics in win over 76ers – The Boston Globe
Queta has been a revelation for the Celtics this season and helped them improbably surge into second place in the Eastern Conference. But it is unlikely he or his team envisioned nights like Sunday, when he crafted the best game of his career to propel Boston to a 114-98 win over the 76ers at TD Garden, its 11th in 13 games.
The 26-year-old center finished with 27 points and 17 rebounds and received ‘MVP’ chants several times in the fourth quarter.
“I thought he’s had great ownership and responsibility to what it calls for to be a starting center for the Celtics, and he’s got to continue to get better,” Mazzulla said. “He works at it. He cares. So, it’s a credit to him.”
The Celtics, who entered the night averaging 17.1 second-chance points per game, poured in 30 Sunday, with Queta leading the charge. With 76ers center Andre Drummond often playing up and trying to congest the lanes for Boston’s talented ballhandlers, Queta forcefully and quickly found space around the rim.
“We just gave him the ball and trusted him to make the right decision every time, and he was able to get it going,” forward Jaylen Brown said. “He had some nice up-and-unders in the seam and stuff like that that helped propel us to a win.”
Brown added 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 8 assists for Boston.
Tyrese Maxey had 33 points to lead the 76ers, but they did not come easily. The All-Star guard played 43 minutes and made just 12 of 34 shots. Philadelphia was without star center Joel Embiid (oblique).
“He didn’t have a ton of layups, didn’t have a ton of free throws,” Mazzulla said of Maxey. “I thought he obviously missed some good shots, but when you have the ball as much as he did, I thought we did a really good job just being disciplined, defending without fouling, keeping him out of transition.”
The Celtics improved to 40-20, with just 22 games remaining in the regular season. After the game, there was a visible reminder of what could be on the way.
Star forward Jayson Tatum, who could be nearing a return from last May’s Achilles injury, sat at his locker and laughed and joked with team staffers. He also posted the latest clip from the NBC docuseries about his comeback on his social media accounts.
For now, of course, the Celtics continue to plow forward without him. On Sunday, Boston quickly wiped away an early 10-point deficit behind Queta. He registered five offensive rebounds in the opening period, and flashed an unusual amount of offensive creativity during his dominant second quarter.
During one stretch, he danced through the lane for a basket, converted a putback, then dazzled the crowd by trailing a fast break, taking a pass from Brown, and converting an acrobatic scoop shot that gave Boston a 40-35 lead.
“We don’t want him to get too carried away with some of those,” Brown said, smiling. “But he was converting them tonight and it looked good.”
Queta reminded everyone that much of his value comes from his defensive work when he swatted a Kelly Oubre Jr. shot out of bounds, and he received a rare standing ovation when he checked out moments later.
Finally, after a well-executed two-for-one opportunity, Brown found Baylor Scheierman, who played with a splint on his broken left thumb, in the right corner; he hit a buzzer-beating 3-pointer that gave Boston a 62-50 lead at the break. Scheierman gave a high thumbs-up with his bandaged digit.
The Celtics led by 16 early in the third quarter, but the 76ers continued to push back. Three-pointers in the final minute by Quentin Grimes and Maxey made it 89-83 at the start of the fourth.
The 76ers trailed by 6 with four minutes left in the fourth quarter but missed their next five shots, any one of which could have put real pressure on Boston.
With 2:56 left, Queta converted a layup as he was fouled, stretching the lead back to 105-97. He received ‘MVP’ chants for the second time in the quarter when he went to the foul line. Then, with 1:56 left, he put an exclamation point on his memorable night by grabbing yet another offensive rebound and throwing down a two-handed dunk that made it 109-98.
“I thought Neemi matched and exceeded the [76ers] physicality,” Mazzulla said.
Adam Himmelsbach can be reached at adam.himmelsbach@globe.com. Follow him @adamhimmelsbach.
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