Boston, MA
Boston Herald boys wrestling All-Scholastics and league All-Stars
Alexander Bajoras (St. John’s Prep)
Nate Blanchette (Central Catholic)
Michael Boulanger (Milford)
Thomas Brown (Chelmsford)
Luke Connolly (Bishop Fenwick/Northeast)
Jayden D’Ambrosio (St. John’s Prep)
Vinny DeMaio (Methuen)
Nick Desisto (Tewksbury)
Dominic Gangi (Methuen)
Cole Glynn (Central Catholic)
Cyrus Jones (Sharon)
Emmett Logan (Lowell)
Charlie Lussier (Whitman-Hanson)
Brent Von Magnus (Bridgewater-Raynham)
Yandel Morales (Andover)
Brent Nicolosi (Haverhill)
Jonah Paulino (Monty Tech)
Mason Pellegri (Milton)
Peter Rincan (Billerica)
James Tildsley (Shawsheen)
Sidney Tildsley (Shawsheen)
Michael Toppan (Gloucester)
ALEXANDER BAJORAS
ST. JOHN’S PREP
The junior heavyweight was the Div. 1 North sectional, then took second at the Div. 1 State, All-State and New England tournaments. A two-time Div. 1 State finalist, Bajoras was seventh in the All-States as a sophomore. The NHSCA All-American is an honor roll student who also plays football and competes in spring track. In the offseason, Bajoras trains at Smitty’s Wrestling Barn.
NATE BLANCHETTE
CENTRAL CATHOLIC
The senior went undefeated on the season, winning all 48 matches, including the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State, All-State and New England titles. The Merrimack Valley Conference Wrestler of the Year ended his career with an 188-3 record, three New England titles and two All-State titles. Blanchette will continue his wrestling career at Rutgers.
MICHAEL BOULANGER
MILFORD
The Div. 2 Central and Div. 2 State champion at 138 pounds, the junior went on to post a 36-3 record on the season. An All-State finalist and New England place-winner, the Hockomock League MVP earned his 100th career win on Jan. 10. A member of the National Honor Society and Spanish National Honor Society, Boulanger has a career record of 130-23.
THOMAS BROWN
CHELMSFORD
Unstoppable in the heavyweight class, the junior standout went 55-0 with 52 of those victories coming via pin. Brown won the Div. 1 Central/West sectional, Div. 1 State, All-State and New England title. Brown went on to take a third at the Nationals, earning All-American honors in the process once again. A three-time sectional, state and All-State champion, Brown has a career mark of 161-3 with 138 pins.
LUKE CONNOLLY
BISHOP FENWICK/NORTHEAST
Wrestling between 157 and 165 pounds during the season, Connolly was 20-0 in dual meets and posted an overall record of 41-2, giving him a career mark of 131-12. A two-time State Vocational and North Sectional champion, Connolly is a member of the National Honor Society. A three-sport captain, Connolly will play football at RPI.
JAYDEN D’AMBROSIO
ST. JOHN’S PREP
The 157-pound senior went 61-0, winning the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State, All-State and New England titles. In three years at the varsity level, D’Ambrosio amassed an overall record of 160-10. The honor roll student will continue his wrestling career at Edinboro University.
VINNY DEMAIO
METHUEN
An all-Merrimack Valley Conference performer, the sophomore was 48-4 and advanced to the 157-pound finals at the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State, All-State and New Englands. A three-time state-place finisher, DeMaio has a career mark of 130-16. A four-time honor roll student with a 4.0 GPA, DeMaio was second team all-MVC in football. In the offseason, DeMaio trains at Doughboy Wrestling Club.
NICK DESISTO
TEWKSBURY
The sophomore was rock-solid at 113 pounds, winning the Div. 3 Sectional and Div. 3 State titles. He placed second at both the All-State and New Englands, ending the season with a 46-5 record. The three-time sectional champion has a career record of 106-17. A member of the football team, Desisto is an honor roll student.
DOMINIC GANGI
METHUEN
The 113-pound senior was the Div. 1 North Sectional, Div. 1 State and All-State champion while placing in the New Englands. A first-team all-Merrimack Valley Conference performer, Gangi surpassed the 100-win mark this past season. A 2023 NHSCA Junior All-American, Gangi trains in the offseason at Doughboy Wrestling Club.
COLE GLYNN
CENTRAL CATHOLIC
The 106-pound junior was the Div. 1 State and All-State champion on his way to a 49-win season. A high honors student, Glynn is a two-time State and All-State place-winner. A member of the varsity soccer team, Glynn works out at Smitty’s Wrestling Barn in the offseason.
CYRUS JONES
SHARON
Jones had a terrific sophomore season for the Eagles, posting a 43-3 record at 150 pounds with 32 of the victories coming via pin. The Div. 2 Central Sectional champion was the runner-up at the Div. 2 State and All-State tournaments. The Marshfield Holiday Tournament champion and an honor roll student, Jones was the MVP in the Davenport Division of the Hockomock League.
EMMETT LOGAN
LOWELL
The 126-pound sophomore was a model of consistency, reaching the finals of the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State and All-State tournaments, while placing sixth at the New Englands. Logan also won the Wayland Holiday and Timberlane Tournaments, ending the season with a 51-8 record, including 41 pins. A two-time sectional, state and All-State finalist, Logan has 105 wins in his career. In the offseason, Logan trains at Doughboy Wrestling Club in Lowell.
CHARLIE LUSSIER
WHITMAN-HANSON
A two-time Patriot League MVP, the 120-pound junior was the Div. 2 State champion and went on to take second in both the All-State and New England tournaments. A 2023 New England place-winner, Lussier is a member of the National Honor Society. In the offseason, Lussier trains at both the Metrowest and CBC wrestling clubs.
BRENT VON MAGNUS
BRIDGEWATER-RAYNHAM
The 132-pound junior won the Div. 2 South sectional and Div. 2 State titles, placed second in the All-States and sixth at the New Englands. For his career, Von Magnus is a two-time state champion and a three-time All-State place-finisher. An honor roll student, Von Magnus trains at Metrowest United Wrestling.
YANDEL MORALES
ANDOVER
A two-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic, the sophomore captured the 126-pound title at the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State and All-State title, while taking a second at the New Englands. The Outstanding Wrestler at the Woburn Invitational, Morales ended the season with a 54-5. record. A two-time Sectional, State and All-State champion, Morales has a career record of 151-12.
BRENT NICOLOSI
HAVERHILL
Nicolosi had a great senior season at 165 pounds, winning the Lowell Holidays, The Div. 1 North Sectionals, Div. 1 State, All-State and New England titles. A two-time state champion and a three-time state place-winner, the NHSCA All-American ended his career with 208 wins. In the offseason, Nicolosi trains at Smitty’s Barn.
JONAH PAULINO
MONTY TECH
The 132-pound senior turned in an impressive 49-1 season. Paulino captured the Lowell Holiday title, the Div. 1 Central/West Sectional, Div. 1 State and All-State title, then took second at the New Englands. A four-time state champion and three-time New England place-finisher, Paulino ended his career with a 144-4 record. In the offseason, Paulino trains at Doughboy Wrestling.
MASON PELLEGRI
MILTON
The senior captain went 52-1 on the season, winning the Wayland Holiday, Bob Gay Invitational and George Bossi Lowell Holiday titles. Pellegri was equally as good in the postseason, capturing the Div. 2 Central Sectional, Div. 2 State and All-State titles, while taking a third at the New Englands. Pellegri ended his career with school records for wins (147) and pins (108). A member of the National Honor Society, Pellegri will wrestle at Harvard and major in both business and engineering.
PETER RINCAN
BILLERICA
The 120-pound sophomore was the Div. 2 North sectional, Div. 2 State and All-State champion, then took third in the New Englands to finish off a 55-1 season. As a freshman at Bedford High in New Hampshire, Rincan was a perfect 53-0 and won the New England title. Rincan trains in the offseason at Prophecy RTC.
JAMES TILDSLEY
SHAWSHEEN
A three-time Boston Herald All-Scholastic, the sophomore was a perfect 57-0, winning the Div. 1 North, Div. 1 State, All-State and New England titles. A three-time Lowell Holiday Champion, Tildsley was voted the Outstanding Wrestler at the All-State meet. He was an all-Commonwealth Athletic Conference linebacker for a Shawsheen team which went 11-1.
SIDNEY TILDSLEY
SHAWSHEEN
The junior is well on his way to becoming one of the most decorated wrestlers in state history. The 138-pounder captured his third straight Div. 1 North Sectional, Div. 1 State and All-State title to go along with his third George Bossi Lowell Holiday title. A three-time NHSCA All-American, Tildsley has a career record of 181-2. He was also the MVP of the CAC in football, earning All-Scholastic honors in the process.
MICHAEL TOPPAN
GLOUCESTER
The Northeastern Conference Wrestler of the Year, the 190-pound senior was the Div. 3 North, Div. 3 State and All-State champion, while placing sixth in the New Englands on his way to a 54-5 season. A two-time New England place-winner, Toppan ended his career with a stellar 181-29 record. A two-time track captain and honor roll student, Toppan will wrestle and study Construction Management at Roger Williams University .
LEAGUE ALL-STARS
BAY STATE CONFERENCE
Michael Nigro, Thomas Nguyen (Braintree); Jamie Evarts, Gabriel Thomas (Brookline); Dan Sullivan, Philip Watson, Kizen Semprum, Ben Lincoln, Adriana DeGroat (Framingham); Mason Pellegri, Kenny Hiraldo (Milton); Michael Mortarelli, Matthew Pini, Joseph Linton, Jake Ashman, Mike Whalen (Natick); Alex Rutley (Needham); Jon Jauregui (Newton North); Logan Murphy (Walpole); Jonah Ginsberg, Oliver Knight (Wellesley); Michael Brooks, Kevin Mackin, Jake Thompson, Naheem Ridore (Weymouth)
MVP: Mason Pellegri, Gabriel Thomas
BOSTON CITY LEAGUE
Samuel Guan, Nomar Kelly, Brian Lau, Anjue Liang (Latin Academy/O’Bryant)
CAPE ANN LEAGUE
Nathan Barstow, Jakob Hulett, James Fodera, Jason Kouyoumdjian, David Glynn, Gavin Iby (Lynnfield/North Reading); Miles Darling (Essex Tech/Masconomet); Trevor Kamuda, James Cordro, Aidan Burrier (Pentucket/Newburyport); Amir Alami, Nolan Merrill, Douglas Aylward, Lucas Bistany (Triton)
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Miles Darling, Douglas Aylward
CATHOLIC CONFERENCE
Braedon Goes, Jimmy Lally, Will LaValley, Ryan DeSouza, Jayden D’Ambrosio, Vincent Bilotti, Rani Haddad, Marc Pineiro, Alex Bajoras (St. John’s Prep); Issac Sydnor, Jack Gill, Rik Orup, Kazuki Goode, Jackson Carlo (Catholic Memorial); Elijah Cincotti, Jake Scanzillo, Matt Thorley, Peter Foley (BC High); Theodore Cardarelli, Jonathan McMahon, Landan Gray, Noah Miles (St. John’s Shrewsbury); Nate Sayers, George McAteer (Xaverian); Marcus Rojas (Malden Catholic)
MVP: Jayden D’Ambrosio
COMMONWEALTH ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Antoine Jackman, Garrett Ayotte, Gabriel Stickney (Greater Lowell); Dante Graziano, Dante Giusti, Brayton Carbone, Aiden Pimentel, Caleb Caceres, Sidney Tildsley, James Tildsley, Jake Metcalf, Ryan Murphy, Dominic Chaffee (Shawsheen); Anthony Midolo, Aiden Fogarty, Matheus Binda, Logan Hauck (Whittier); Jackson Cody, Ray Kochanski, Luke Connolly, Anthony Nichols (Northeast Metro Tech/Bishop Fenwick); Joshua Matos, Justin Toglia, Kaelib Reynolds, Michael Pena (Greater Lawrence)
MVP: Sidney Tildsley, Luke Connolly
DUAL COUNTY LEAGUE
THORPE: Penn Boger, Eddie Myles, Miles Mattaliano, Kian Amouzgar (Concord-Carlisle); James Snape, Eric Power, Quinn Bowles, Ronan Miller, Alex Greene-Barrios, Graeme Dierks, Henry Seo (Boston Latin); Elijah Colon, Nate Garozzo (Lincoln-Sudbury); Nathan Tobe, Nathan Hartunian (Wayland)
FOLEY: Drew Unger, Oliver Weiss, Dylan Kadish, Alex Rhein, Vincent Flemming, Nick Genin (Newton South); Anthony Ohanian, Josh Shin (Weston); Theodore Santos, James Agostino, Joey Agostino (Waltham); Nathaniel McCullagh (Cambridge); Eric Kantorovich, Andrew Livshin (Bedford/Acton-Boxboro)
MVP: Kian Amouzgar, Julia Vuckovic, Dylan Kadish, Suvi Talvitie
HOCKOMOCK LEAGUE
Cyrus Jones, Nick Varvak, Meghan Wiebe, Ashmith Yeruva (Sharon); Michael Boulanger, Aidan Baum, Tony Dew, Derek Marcolini, Robby Lyons, Owen Matthews (Milford); Adam Addeche (Foxboro); William Buffington, Kingston DeCosta, Ethan Harris, Elijah Prophete, John Mandeville, Michael Leskoski, Gabriel Leskoski (Taunton); Riley Carlucci, Jack Sauer (Franklin); Colby Cloutier (King Philip); Max Kupferman, Ruairi Ritson (Canton); Jaden Mendes (North Attleboro); Willer Rossow (Oliver Ames)
MVP: Cyrus Jones, Michael Boulanger
MAYFLOWER ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
Griffin Machie, Luis Garcia, Brennan Chisholm, Ryan Moitoso, Josh Hoskins, Brady Benfeito, Johnathan Borges, Malakai Risotti (Bristol Aggie/Dighton-Rehoboth); Matthew Keefe, Drew Daley, Daniel Keefe, Jacob Bettencourt, Colby Grenon, Nathan Hicks, Jack Ramondetta (Bristol-Plymouth); Giovanni Viola, Charles Graham, Jason Comeau (South Shore); Mason Green, Brandon Allen, Anthony Gagne, Jack Disharoon, Jace Silva (Tri-County); Jason Dorce (Southeastern)
MVP: Jacob Bettencourt, Luis Garcia
MERRIMACK VALLEY CONFERENCE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Brent Nicolosi, Cale Wood, Michael Morris, Shea Morris, Matthew Harrold (Haverhill); Jose Bethel, Thomas Brown (Chelmsford); Nate Blanchette, Cole Glynn, Caden Smith (Central Catholic); Jack Lightfoot, Nicholas Desisto, Manny Mengata (Tewksbury); Vincent Demaio, Joseph Bolduc, Dominic Gangi (Methuen); Peter Rincan (Billerica); Yandel Morales, Nicholas Archambault (Andover); Emmett Logan, Hussein Alobaidi, Chris Dubey (Lowell)
WRESTLER OF THE YEAR: Thomas Brown, Nate Blanchette, Brent Nicolosi
MIDDLESEX LEAGUE
ALL-CONFERENCE: Aryav Pimrale (Lexington); Jack Shea, Mikey Thomas, Jonny Moraes (Melrose); Aydin Lamb, Sean Callanan, Joe Lamonica, Jaden Fullerton, Zach Arria (Wakefield); Andre Sweet (Belmont); William Merkle (Reading); Dan Carreira, Brady Bekkenhuis (Arlington); Tommy Dicker (Watertown); Mohamed Said (Wilmington)
MVP: Aydin Lamb, Brady Bekkenhuis
PATRIOT LEAGUE
ALL-STARS
Noah Price, Jack Mahoney, Freddie Mahoney, Phoenix Soares, Cole Bonner, Matt Walsh, Jack Johnson, Will Marani, Jonny Radzevich, Noah Edwards (Duxbury); Conlan Geary, Matt Costello, Anthony Mann, Emma Leonido (Hanover); Aidan Chan, Jakub Wozny, Tucker Burke, Mia Dineen (Hingham); Liam Dillon (Marshfield), Nate Rosas, Decklan McDevitt, Logan Schipper (Pembroke); Max Sturtevant (Plymouth North); Brendan Nunley (Plymouth South); Edwin Vino, Nathan Doyle, Matthew Nellany (Quincy/North Quincy); Connor McLaughlin, David Murphy, Paul Cheverie (Scituate); Jacob Opachinski, Robert Lewis, Justin Vincenti, Talan Rondeau (Silver Lake); Charlie Lussier, PJ Katz (Whitman-Hanson)
MVP: Charlie Lussier, Anthony Mann
SOUTHEAST CONFERENCE
Olivia Polansky, Kennedie Davis, Lucas Santos, Brent Von Magnus, Jack Alves, Brenton Allain, Luke Driscoll, Fletcher Rinke, Jackson Rinke (Bridgewater-Raynham); Toril Patel, Walter Rodrigues, Aman Khalil, Jailen Jackson (Brockton); Seth Chuon, Kayden Chaney, Thomas Louisme, Josh Yentz (Durfee); Anthony Bojorquez, Anderson Dinis, Tayel Guzman, Prince Wright (New Bedford)
MVP: Brent Von Magnus, Aman Khalil
SOUTH SHORE LEAGUE
Josh Gonsalves, Iain Lindvall, Matt Patterson, Leo Pike, Ken Mentee, Tristian Sybertz (Middleboro); Mike Shannon, Dean Livermore, Ollie Buckley, Cooper Richards, Matt Badia (Cohasset); Luke Steele, Liam Hallet, William Fitzgerald-Klemp (Sandwich); Coleson Tully, Aaron Reed, Elena Thomas, Jack Reed, Michael Brennan (Carver); Keegan Butler (Rockland)
MVP: Matt Patterson
TRI-VALLEY LEAGUE
Logan Costello, Kevin Ozulumba, Adrian Guzman, Anton Puhach, Cam Antoniuk, Cauan Amaral, Matt Terry (Ashland); Landry Fitzgerald, Tyler Campbell (Bellingham); Manuel Garcia, Ryan Talon-Kelly, Matthew Garcia (Dedham); Baly Mikhail, Zak Robinson, Henry McElligott, Quinn Polny (Holliston); Aaron Butkus (Hopkinton); Dillan Mueller (Norton); TJ Wyman, Jared Tinlin, Nate Hsu (Norwood)
MVP: Anton Puhach
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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