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At midseason, the Boston Red Sox are offering something different this year — hope

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At midseason, the Boston Red Sox are offering something different this year — hope


BOSTON — The Red Sox ended the season’s first half with a thud.

All isn’t lost, of course. Boston shouldn’t be judged solely on one rancid sample against the San Diego Padres.

A perfect June weather night at Fenway Park was about the only highlight after the top of the fifth inning on Friday. San Diego unleashed a stunning barrage to key a 9-2 victory. Each of the first nine Padres who came to the plate reached safely and scored.

There have been more good evenings than bad for the Red Sox to this point. They sat at 43-38 entering Saturday’s second half — a far cry from any last-place predictions in the American League East. Boston is also within striking distance of a wildcard berth, entering the day just a half game behind the Kansas City Royals for the third spot.

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“We’re in the mix to make it to the playoffs,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We have a good baseball team that can do a lot of good things.

“There’s other stuff where we have to get better, but at the same time I’m very pleased with the way we went about our business in the first part of the season and the way some guys progressed.”

More: New team, new role, new home — how Hendricken alum Michael King has handled it all

One of the standouts from the last time Boston reached the postseason was in the building. Xander Bogaerts was honored with a video tribute after the first inning and treated to a warm standing ovation. The former Red Sox shortstop stepped out of the visiting dugout and tipped his cap, currently an injured member of the Padres offering thanks to his former home.

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Bogaerts delivered one of the last truly worthwhile swings this ballpark has seen in recent years. His two-run homer against Gerrit Cole in the 2021 wildcard matchup sent an electric shock through the grandstands. The Red Sox dismissed the New York Yankees, blitzed the Tampa Bay Rays and had the Houston Astros on the ropes before falling in the A.L. Championship Series.

Since then? Disappointment. Underperformance on the field and a lack of boldness in the front office. John Henry’s organizational pivot to less aggressiveness in free agency and former chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom’s inability to chart a definitive course at the last two trade deadlines has created festering frustration here.

How will Craig Breslow fare a month from now? The crowd on this particular night was short of a sellout, and more than a few San Diego fans were able to purchase their tickets of choice in the field boxes. It’s a scene that’s repeated itself when the Yankees, Chicago Cubs, Philadelphia Phillies or any other big-market franchise has visited town, and it needs to be stopped.

More: These overachieving Red Sox are making a fan out of John Rooke. How about you?

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That only happens by creating a real reason to believe in the home team. Per Cot’s Contracts, Breslow has more than $19 million in available Competitive Balance Tax space before he incurs any penalties. Boston should have the finances and prospect capital to buy if it makes the long-overdue choice to do so.

“We’ve shown we can play really good baseball,” Red Sox catcher Connor Wong said. “We’ve got to keep defending and keep pushing.

“It’s a long season. Anything can happen.”

Masataka Yoshida and Rob Refsnyder are the only current position players seeing regular time who are over 30 years old. A tight race into September and October could be invaluable for further developing younger options like Wong, Jarren Duran, David Hamilton, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and others. Refusing to support them and selling off pieces — with Cora already in the last year of his contract, no less — would send a rather different, more discouraging message.

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Nick Pivetta cruised through his first four innings before getting crunched in the fifth. His earned-run average is up to 4.52, and that’s all too common in a rotation that’s taking on a bit of water. Brayan Bello has rocketed to a 5.55 ERA in what to this point has been a disappointing 2024 season and Kutter Crawford seems to have hit a wall — a 5.97 ERA in his last six starts and a 4.54 ERA through his last 12.

That’s obviously a primary area the Red Sox should look to reinforce. A right-handed bat to offer some balance in the lineup wouldn’t hurt either. As for shedding veteran pieces like Pivetta, Kenley Jansen, Chris Martin and Tyler O’Neill, consider this: you’re not losing them for “nothing” in free agency if they can somehow help you reestablish credibility as a franchise genuinely trying to play deep into the fall every year.

“I do believe — I truly believe — there are going to be meaningful games here in September,” Cora said.

Let’s hope. We’ve waited long enough. One bad night shouldn’t spoil the hope of what could be to come over the next month — and, maybe, the next four.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

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On X: @BillKoch



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Boston, MA

Travelers thankful for mostly smooth sailing at Logan Airport

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Travelers thankful for mostly smooth sailing at Logan Airport


Travelers flying into and out of Logan Airport Friday seemed extra thankful for a smooth travel experience. 

The Dumont family from the Boston area was all smiles as they made their way through the airport early Friday night with two little ones and multiple suitcases. 

“Even TSA was zip right through,” said Kelly Dumont. “The Atlanta airport was easy this morning. It was not busy at all.”  

The Bergeron family from Rockland shared a similar story. 

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“Our flight to Denver was very smooth. Everything was smooth,” Renee Bergeron, said.

Bergeron says she booked her trip months ago in January, but during the government shutdown she was concerned their flight to and from Denevr might not happen.

“We were a little hesitant, worried, but luckily everything opened back up in time,” she said.

Wednesday was a busy day on the roads on the eve of the holiday.

“There’s a little bit of that ya know with the shutdown recently, but it was actually really smooth,” A.B Delevaux from Boston said,

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Heavy snowfall across the Great Lakes Region made travel a little hectic for others across the country.  As of Friday night, nearly 90 flights were canceled into or out of the United States and more than 3,400 flights were delayed, according to FlightAware.

Delevaux says when it comes to flying on a holiday, many are willing to sacrifice.

“You’ll do anything for them and that’s including travel, so if a flight is the quickest way, I believe people are still gonna take that chance,” Delevaux said.

As of late Friday night, FlightAware reported no cancellations into and out of the country from Logan Airport,  but there were nearly 150 delays.  

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Today in History: November 28, Boston nightclub fire kills 492 people

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Today in History: November 28, Boston nightclub fire kills 492 people


Today is Friday, Nov. 28, the 332nd day of 2025. There are 33 days left in the year. Today is Thanksgiving in the United States.

Today in history:

On Nov. 28, 1942, fire engulfed the Cocoanut Grove nightclub in Boston, killing 492 people in the deadliest nightclub blaze ever.

Also on this date:

In 1520, Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean after passing through the South American strait that now bears his name.



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Starting 5: Ingram wins it, Shai lifts OKC, Boston cools Detroit

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Starting 5: Ingram wins it, Shai lifts OKC, Boston cools Detroit


Winner, winner, turkey dinner.

Brandon Ingram called game to lift Toronto to 4-0 on the second-to-last night of Emirates NBA Cup Group Play.


5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀

Feasting: OKC & Toronto extend win streaks to stay unbeaten in Cup Play

More Streaks: Boston snaps Detroit’s historic heater, Herro lifts Miami to another dub

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Setting The Stage: Three wins create three “win-and-in” Group Play finales on Friday

Roundup: Houston & Memphis pull off late rallies to cap a hectic 9-game slate

Season Of Giving: 20 years of NBA Cares and holiday support across the league


BUT FIRST..

Friday Finale: After a day off to celebrate Thanksgiving, the NBA returns on Friday with an 11-game slate to close Emirates NBA Cup Group Play. 

That includes a Prime doubleheader as the Bucks visit the Knicks (7:30 ET), before the Lakers welcome the Mavs (10 ET).

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1. BEAST STREAKS: OKC IMPROVES TO 18-1, INGRAM CALLS GAME

The Thunder entered Wednesday not only eyeing a crucial Group Play win, but one of the best starts in NBA history.

Standing in their way: Anthony Edwards and the Wolves, eager to avenge last year’s West Finals loss and cut into OKC’s push for more hardware.

But when Minnesota made its run, the champs responded.

Thunder 113, Wolves 105 (West A): Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put on an MVP performance (40 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) to give OKC control, but the Wolves never went away and an Edwards 3 with 1:02 left made it a one-point game.

Twenty-four seconds later, Chet Holmgren (12 pts, 9 reb) answered with a lead-extending triple, and SGA sealed it at the line as OKC never allowed another bucket – closing on an 8-1 run to earn its 10th straight win, improving to 18-1 and 3-0 in Group Play. | Recap

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  • “We knew they were going to fight, give us a challenge,” said SGA postgame. “It took us making plays on both ends of the floor down the stretch to come out with a W – and we did so.”

All-Time Open: The Thunder are just the fifth team ever to start a season 18-1 or better and the second in three decades, joining the 2015-16 Warriors – who finished with the best record in NBA history (73-9).

  • The Other 3? The 1993-94 Rockets, ‘90-91 Blazers and the ‘69-70 Knicks. Houston and New York both won the NBA title that season
  • OKC Identity: It’s Shai’s 16th 30-piece of the season and OKC’s 11th time holding an opponent to 105 points or fewer – both the most in the NBA
  • Elite Execution: Amid the 10-0 run, SGA is averaging 32.0 ppg on 58.2% shooting, while the Thunder are allowing just 101.1 ppg with a +20.9 point differential
  • Where They Stand: Ant led Minnesota (31 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast, 5 3s), which is eliminated from Cup contention, while OKC can clinch West A with a win over Phoenix on Friday (9:30 ET, League Pass)

Having already clinched East Group A, the red-hot Raptors eyed a 4-0 Group Play finish to boost their odds of homecourt advantage in the Quarterfinals.

With 0.6 seconds left on Wednesday, Brandon Ingram delivered for Jurassic Park.

Raptors 97, Pacers 95 (East A): Tied at 95, Jakob Poeltl blocked Indy’s attempted winner, setting up Ingram’s (26 pts, 8 reb) heroic jumper to complete Toronto’s perfect Group Play and grab its fifth clutch win in its 9-game W streak – now the hottest in the East. | Recap

  • “Just wanted to be super aggressive, and get into my spots,” Ingram said of his game-winner, with the moment reminding him of last shots he’s “seen on TV.”
  • Pitching In: Scottie Barnes (24 pts, 10 reb) and Immanuel Quickley (15 pts, 6 ast) supported Ingram, while season highs from T.J. McConnell (16 pts, 7 reb) led Indy
  • Historically Hot: This is just the fifth time in team history that Toronto has had a win streak as substantial as 9 games
  • “We’re going to need this crowd big,” Ingram said postgame, with the win and Detroit’s loss ensuring the Knockout Round visits The North

2. MORE STREAKS: CELTICS COOL PISTONS, HEAT WIN AGAIN

A historic stretch of 14 games and 28 days of perfect results all culminated in 15 pivotal seconds Wednesday night.

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That’s when Boston’s defense took control.

Celtics 117, Pistons 114 (East B): Derrick White (27 pts) closed with 11 4th-quarter points on three of a season-high six 3s, and forced one of two key turnovers in the final 15 seconds as Boston stood tall in a wild finish to snap Detroit’s 13-game win streak. | Recap

  • C’s Keys: Jaylen Brown (33 pts, 10 reb, 5 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk) set the tone in all aspects as Boston’s defense held Detroit to its 2nd-lowest field goal percentage (39.8) of the season
  • All-Out Cade: Cunningham (42 pts, 8 reb, 5 ast) led all scorers, nearly willing the Pistons to OT by drawing a 3-shot foul, but couldn’t hit the game-tying free throw 
  • “I couldn’t be more proud of the group,” said Pistons coach J.B. Bickerstaff on Detroit’s franchise-record-tying win streak coming to an end. “Win or loss.”
  • Winner Take All: The Pistons (2-1) meet the Magic on Friday (7:30 ET, LP) to decide East B, while Boston is eliminated despite the victory

ICYMI: Tyler Herro is back – and the Heat can’t stop stacking dubs.

Heat 106, Bucks 103 (East C): After scoring 24 and the game-winner in his season debut on Monday, Herro led Miami again with 29 points and 7 dimes as the Heat held on to edge out Ryan Rollins (26 pts) and the Bucks, extending their win streak to six games. | Recap

  • Spo’s 800th: With the win, Erik Spoelstra became the 9th-fastest coach to reach 800 career victories and just the 17th all-time
  • Eyeing Its Ticket: Miami finishes 3-1 in Group Play and will clinch East C if the Bucks beat the Knicks on Friday (more on that below ⬇️)

3. SETTING THE STAGE: 3 WINS CREATE 3 ‘WIN-AND-IN’ FRIDAY FINALES

While Orlando and Detroit entered Wednesday already locked in for an East B winner-take-all duel on Friday, three more teams earned group-clinching opportunities with victories last night.

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Suns 112, Kings 100 (West A): In the Thanksgiving spirit, Mark Williams was eating (21 pts, 16 reb, 9-12 FG), while Collin Gillespie matched him with 21 points along with 9 helpers to power Phoenix to a wire-to-wire win, improving to 3-0 in West A. | Recap

  • Suns Shining: Devin Booker added 19 points and 6 assists as the Suns improved to 9-2 in their last 11 – a stretch in which they rank 3rd in DefRtg
  • Winner Take All: Up next for Phoenix? OKC, also 3-0, in a Friday showdown to decide the group (9:30, League Pass)

The Blazers simply needed a win to punch their ticket to the Knockout Round.

De’Aaron Fox and the Spurs had other ideas.

Spurs 115, Blazers 102 (West C): With San Antonio up 2 at the half, Fox caught fire, pouring in 23 of his 37 points in the final two quarters, as the Spurs outscored Portland 59-48 to avoid elimination, despite Deni Avdija’s big night (37 pts, 6 reb, 8 ast). | Recap

  • Deciding Duel: Both at 2-1, the Spurs now face the Nuggets on Friday to decide West C (9:30 ET, LP)

Knicks 129, Hornets 101 (East C): For the first time in the play-by-play era, all five Knicks starters had 10+ points at the half, as New York jumped out to a 72-47 lead and didn’t look back to improve to 2-1 in Group Play, eliminating Charlotte (0-3). | Recap

  • NY5: Led by Jalen Brunson (33 pts, 14-28 FG) and Josh Hart (22 pts, 7 ast), the Knicks’ starting 5 combined for a season-high 111 of their 129 points
  • Win & In: New York can claim East C with a victory over Milwaukee on Friday (7:30 ET, Prime), while a Bucks victory would hand the group to Miami


4. ROUNDUP: HOUSTON & MEMPHIS RALLY FOR LATE DUBS

Trailing by as many as 14 points in the 3rd quarter, Houston flipped a switch.

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Rockets 104, Warriors 100 (West C): The Rockets outscored the Warriors 57-41 in the 2nd half on the strength of Reed Sheppard’s career night (31 pts, 9 reb, 5 ast), leading Alperen Sengun (16 pts, 6 reb, 6 ast) and five Rockets in double-digits to victory. | Recap

  • Dubs Check: Jimmy Butler III led the Bay with 21 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, with Steph (14 pts, 7 reb, 5 ast) exiting in the final minute with quad pain

Grizzlies 133, Pelicans 128 (OT, West C): Vince Williams Jr. was feeling extra generous on Thanksgiving eve, dishing out a career-high 17 assists, while Jaren Jackson Jr. (27 pts, 5 3s), Jaylen Wells (25 pts, 5 3s) and Zach Edey (21 pts, 15 reb) all scored season-highs to rally the Grizz past the Pels in OT. | Recap

  • Epic Finish: Memphis chipped away at a 17-point deficit before its 15-7 4th-quarter run forced Zion Williamson (17 pts, 5 reb, 4 ast) to extend the game with 0.9 left
  • But overtime was all Grizz, as Jackson (5 pts) and Wells (4 pts) single-handedly outscored NOLA 9-3 to complete the comeback, improving to 2-1 in Group Play
  • Pacing The Pels: Jose Alvarado (24 pts, 6 3s) led eight Pelicans in double figures
  • What It Means: The Grizzlies’ win eliminated the Wolves, Kings, Warriors and Rockets. Memphis contends for the West Wild Card on Friday, facing the Clippers (10 ET, LP)

5. SEASON OF GIVING: 20 YEARS OF NBA CARES

For 20 years, NBA Cares has helped bring people around the world together through the game of basketball.

Established in 2005 to unite the league’s community efforts and amplify positive impact of teams and players off the court, NBA Cares has continued to drive change on key issues facing fans and communities.

Now, as we head into the winter holidays, we also head into one of the key moments on the NBA Cares calendar: the NBA Cares Season of Giving.

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  • “It’s been 20 years of meaningful impact, and that’s what we’re most proud of,” said Kathy Behrens, the NBA’s President of Social Responsibility and Player Programs
  • “[The] commitment to community that’s existed in our league from the very beginning, and will no doubt live on for decades to come, is truly I think what makes the NBA so special.”

Designed to brighten the winter holidays for children and families across the globe, the NBA Cares Season of Giving will reach thousands of children, families and those in need through hundreds of local events.

  • All 30 teams will host local events across the country, with players, legends, coaches and teams – both NBA & affiliate league – engaging communities through education, health, wellness & hands-on service
  • OKC’s Isaiah Hartenstein served meals for Thanksgiving, the Pistons donated food and household essentials for Season of Giving
  • Philly’s Tyrese Maxey hosted his annual Turkey Giveaway, distributing 3,000 holiday meals, while Dylan Harper helped lead the Spurs annual Turkey Drive
  • The Wolves held their annual Holiday Shopping Event, surprising young fans with a shopping spree alongside players, while the Hawks packed 1 million meals at State Farm Arena
  • Cleveland’s Jarrett Allen brought holiday cheer to Open Doors Academy students and Houston’s Jabari Smith surprised residents from the Julia C. Hester Community Center with a Thanksgiving meal
  • The Knicks hosted a fall dinner that served 250 families affiliated with the NYC Department of Homeless Services
  • And for the 28th year, the Pacers provided warm meals and winter essentials inside Gainbridge Fieldhouse for Hoosiers in need

Join the NBA Family in making a difference this holiday season. Visit NBACares.com to learn how you can help, and follow #NBACares on social as the NBA family highlights charitable efforts from now through Dec. 31.

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