Boston, MA
Cerullo: Young Red Sox deserve buy-in from fans, ownership
Even if it’s not always apparent in the standings, you can tell there’s something different about this Red Sox team.
Tossed into the deep end by ownership and written off by a jaded fanbase that’s learned to expect mediocrity, the Red Sox have survived one injury after another to keep their heads above water when almost any other team in their position would have drowned.
Now, after being tethered to .500 for more than a month, the Red Sox entered Tuesday having won five of their last six games. They’ve picked up huge series wins against the Phillies and Yankees, owners of MLB’s two best records, and finally appear to be building momentum after months of being stuck in the mud.
Can the Red Sox keep it up? We’ll see, but at this point it’s clear this group has a level of youth, athleticism and camaraderie that’s been sorely lacking the past few years.
Even if it’s not quite championship-ready, this club has proven itself worthy of investment from both fans and ownership.
The fact that the Red Sox are in this position is pretty remarkable. This past offseason the Red Sox did almost nothing to bolster the big league roster, instead focusing on acquiring young depth and getting more out of the players they already had. It was a huge gamble, one that looked doomed to fail after two of their most notable offseason acquisitions — starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and second baseman Vaughn Grissom — had their seasons derailed due to injury before Opening Day.
Incredibly, the club’s faith in its young talent appears to be paying off.
After years of starts and stops, Tanner Houck has made the leap and emerged as a genuine ace. The former first-round pick is on track to become an All-Star for the first time, and Kutter Crawford has also taken a big step towards establishing himself as a dependable workhorse. Those two, plus Brayan Bello, who is undeniably talented but whose season has been a disappointment so far, all look like they can be rotation anchors for years to come. Plus, the bullpen is probably as deep and formidable as it’s been since the 2018 playoffs.
The kids are coming to play everywhere else on the diamond too. Ceddanne Rafaela has immediately established himself as a Gold Glove-caliber defender and David Hamilton’s recent emergence has helped further stabilize the shortstop position in the wake of Trevor Story’s season-ending injury. Those two, plus fellow rookie outfielder Wilyer Abreu, have been a revelation.
Boston’s young veterans have also taken a step forward. Jarren Duran has been one of the most impactful outfielders in the league, and the fact that he isn’t even among the top 20 All-Star vote-getters is outrageous. Connor Wong is batting .332 and has been one of the best all-around catchers in the league. Triston Casas had gotten off to a great start and should return from injury within the next two weeks. Rafael Devers, still only 27 himself, is on pace to easily clear 30 home runs for the fourth time in his career and has been much improved defensively.
These guys can play. They just need more help.
The question of whether the Red Sox should buy or sell at the trade deadline has loomed over the season since the beginning, and while selling would better fit the club’s recent pattern of behavior, you can make a case the Red Sox should buy, one that gets stronger with each passing win.
For one, the competitive landscape of the American League has changed. The AL East is no longer a five-team gauntlet and the Red Sox aren’t just an average team that’s badly outgunned by four serious contenders. The Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Rays aren’t what they were, and even if the Red Sox probably won’t catch the Yankees or Orioles, they should at least be good enough to finish third.
Considering what a mess the AL West has been, that just might be good enough to make the playoffs as the third Wild Card.
Maybe that doesn’t sound very ambitious, but after back-to-back last-place finishes there’s value in showing meaningful progress. Plus, this isn’t like the NBA or NFL where the best teams in the playoffs usually advance. Crazy things can happen in baseball, and if the Red Sox get in who knows what could happen?
Look no further than the Phillies, who made the playoffs as the third Wild Card two years ago and reached the World Series, or last year’s Diamondbacks, who snuck into the postseason with 84 wins and made the Fall Classic as well.
The other factor worth considering is the Red Sox have reached a different point in their rebuild. A young big league core has already been established, and top prospects like Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and Kyle Teel could soon be knocking at the door. Boston will have the No. 12 overall pick in this summer’s draft, and while the club could benefit long-term from continuing to sell off pending free agents for controllable young talent, there’s also a long-term benefit in re-establishing a winning culture.
That way when those young players do reach the big leagues, they won’t be stepping into a clubhouse that just talks about winning, but one that expects it and already understands what it takes.
With Banner 18 secured and the Boston Celtics’ historic season officially in the books, all eyes now turn to the Red Sox. Could this be a summer to remember or another season of discontent? Time will tell, but this group has proven it deserves people’s support, and if the front office signals its belief, fans will undoubtedly line up behind them as well.
Brockton’s Moyzilla food truck offers up Asian comfort food on the go
Moyzilla is a jewel of MA food trucks. Founded by Jon Moy — son of Brockton culinary royalty — it offers Asian comfort food from Brockton to Boston.
Looking for a new marketplace to shop at this spring? You’re in luck – Boston is home to one of the best public markets in the country, according to USA TODAY 10BEST Readers’ Choice Awards.
The annual 10BEST awards highlight the best in travel, food and lifestyle, and winners are chosen by a public voting poll after being nominated by industry experts. In the 2026 food awards, highlighting the top food tours, food cruises, farmers markets and more from across the country, Boston Public Market ranked third in the best public market category.
Here’s what to know before you go to Boston’s top-ranked public market.
Why Boston Public Market ranked third
A year-round indoor marketplace in Downtown Boston, Boston Public Market celebrates the bounty New England has to offer with fresh groceries, prepared meals, crafts and specialty items from over 30 local artisans and food producers, with a focus on seasonal items.
Along with browsing through groceries and goods, guests are invited to join the public market for a variety of special events, including trivia, live music, magic shows and face painting.
Boston Public Market is located at 100 Hanover St. on the Rose Fitzgerald Kennedy Greenway, directly above the Haymarket MBTA station. Hours are 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday and Tuesday or 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday.
What other markets made the list?
Here is USA TODAY’s full ranking of the top 10 public markets in the country:
- Reading Terminal Market – Philadelphia, PA
- Milwaukee Public Market – Milwaukee, WI
- Boston Public Market – Boston, MA
- Eastern Market – Detroit, MI
- West Side Market – Cleveland, OH
- Essex Market – New York City, NY
- Lancaster Central Market – Lancaster, PA
- Midtown Global Market – Minneapolis, MN
- Grand Central Market – Los Angeles, CA
- North Market Downtown – Columbus, OH
The Green Line B branch trains will not run between Kenmore and Boston College through April 30, according to the MBTA.
The nine-day outage will allow T officials to work on several infrastructure improvements and maintenance, the installation of Green Line Train Protection System (GLTPS) infrastructure, replacement of 130-year-old wooden overhead catenary wire “trough” near the Green Line portals and more.
The MBTA announced free, accessible shuttle buses between the two stops, Kenmore and Boston College during the outage. The buses will not stop at Griggs Street, Allston Street, and Packard’s Corner due to “accessibility issues,” T officials said.
During the weekend of April 25 and 26, the outage will extend through Copley, and shuttle buses will skip Griggs Street, Allston Street, and Packard’s Corner during the same weekend.
Throughout the shutdown all Green Line frequency will be reduced between Copley and Government center.
The MBTA urged riders to use the Orange Line at Back Bay during the outage. The agency also noted riders can transfer to Copley from Back Bay, an approximately five-minute walk.
The route 57 bus will also be free from April 22 through 24 and April 27 through 30 for alternate service between Kenmore and Packard’s Corner, the MBTA stated. During the April 25 and 26 weekend, the T noted the bus will not be a good alternate with not Green Line service at Kenmore.
During the shutdown, riders taking shuttle buses should budget extra travel time, the T said.
“For example, a rider travelling to Park Street from Boston College should budget at least an additional 10 minutes of travel in additional to their regular commute,” the MBTA stated.
More information is available on-site through transit ambassadors and T staff, virtually through T-Alerts or following the MBTA on X @MBTA, or via the mbta.com/GreenLine.
Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe combined for 59 points, and the Philadelphia 76ers looked like a completely different team against the Boston Celtics in Game 2.
And unlike Game 1, the Sixers’ defense also showed up, holding Boston to 43 second-half points and 39 percent shooting for the game in a 111-97 road win to tie this Eastern Conference first-round series at 1-1.
Edgecombe scored a team-high 30 points on 12-for-20 shooting, and Maxey added 29 points and nine assists. The Sixers’ backcourt duo combined to shoot 11-for-22 from 3-point range. The Sixers were 19-for-39 from 3 after going 4 of 23 from that distance in Game 1.
Boston was led by Jaylen Brown’s game-high 36 points, but Jayson Tatum was the only other Celtics player who scored in double figures with 19. Boston shot 13-for-50 from 3-point range.
Here are some takeaways with Game 3 set for Friday in Philadelphia.
Celtics offense falls flat
The Celtics knew to expect a different effort from the 76ers.
One adjustment from Philadelphia likely didn’t take Boston by surprise. After taking just 23 3-pointers in Game 1, the 76ers sought out more long balls in Game 2.
Maxey called his own number more often. Edgecombe was aggressive from the start. As a team, the 76ers played with more freedom, firing plenty of shots that they might have turned down in the series opener. Philadelphia made plenty of those looks while shooting 48.7 percent from behind the arc.
Still, the Celtics would have been all right if they had played their usual offensive game. Instead, their offense was their biggest issue. They shot just 39.3 percent on field goal attempts. They missed 37 of 50 3-point attempts. They committed an atypical 13 turnovers.
Trying to come back in the fourth quarter, they had too many empty offensive possessions. Jaylen Brown got blocked while trying to beat the shot clock buzzer and picked up an offensive foul while hitting Maxey in the face. Jayson Tatum missed a contested pull-up 3-pointer early in the shot clock on one possession and threw away a pass on another. Derrick White was left wide open in the left corner but couldn’t find the bottom of the net. The 76ers left the door open early in the fourth quarter by missing several shots, including a couple of layups, but the Celtics couldn’t fully capitalize. Eventually, Maxey sank a series of baskets to create more separation for Philadelphia, and the Celtics largely went away down the stretch. — Jay King, Celtics beat writer
Sixers bounce back in Boston
This is the way the 76ers have to play if they want to extend this series as far as possible.
Maxey and Edgecombe have to dominate their guard matchups, which is exactly what they did in Tuesday night’s Game 2. Paul George needs to be a deterrent to Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. He doesn’t have to eclipse them, because that would be difficult. But he does have to give them a bit of pause. Most of all, the 76ers have to play the focused brand of basketball they exhibited in Game 2 rather than the sloppy and slapstick kind of hoops they played in Game 1.
The Celtics are such a good team that the above equates to near-perfect basketball. But that’s the task the Sixers are facing, particularly without star center Joel Embiid. On Tuesday night, this was a team up to the task. They were focused. They executed on both ends of the floor. They got much better play from their role players. Maxey and Edgecombe were absolutely dominant.
Overall, on both ends of the floor, this is the best game the 76ers have played in months. And they got it at just the right time. Now we have a 1-1 series heading back to Philadelphia. — Tony Jones, Sixers beat writer
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