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There’s something different about these Red Sox.
Over the past few years games like Monday night rarely had a happy ending, and when the Red Sox blew a late lead and allowed five runs with two outs in the top of the seventh, a disappointing loss felt inevitable. But rather than roll over, the Red Sox fought back, and with the NBA champions looking on the young ballclub pulled out arguably its signature win of the season.
Trailing by four runs entering the bottom of the eighth, the Red Sox rallied late to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-6 on a walk-off single by Jarren Duran. Along the way David Hamilton hit a two-run home run and Romy Gonzalez hit a game-tying two-run single in the eighth, and in the bottom of the ninth Ceddanne Rafaela drew an error and advanced into scoring position on a balk, setting the stage for Duran’s heroics.
“That was my first walk-off so I’d have to put it at the top,” said Duran when asked where the win ranked this season. “I think that was a really good team win. We went down and we fought back, we never gave up and I’m so proud of this team, we did everything right today and we just kept it really simple and kept it rolling.”
Coming into the day the Red Sox already had plenty of momentum with nine wins in their last 11 games, and Monday got off to a special start when the Boston Celtics visited the clubhouse shortly before first pitch, showing off the Larry O’Brien Trophy and talking up their crosstown counterparts.
The Celtics threw out the ceremonial first pitch and appeared several times on the jumbotron in the late innings to help rally the crowd, and following the game several Red Sox players said the Celtics’ involvement was awesome and inspiring.
“It’s crazy to see like, you get lost in the fact that we cheer for the Celtics but you don’t see them cheering for you because they’re doing their job and we’re doing our job,” Duran said. “To see them come over here and say hi, know your name, ‘oh we’re big fans,’ guys were like ‘woah you guys watch us?’”
“It was incredible, just with the Celtics being here and celebrating their finals win, it was amazing,” Gonzalez said. “I’ve never really been a part of something like this so hopefully we can keep this thing rolling.”
Yet between meeting the Celtics and the thrilling finale, the game started off as a straightforward pitchers duel.
Tanner Houck, who at this point is looking like an All-Star lock, was outstanding. The right-hander retired the first nine men he faced and sent the Blue Jays down 1-2-3 in four separate innings. He allowed an RBI single to Justin Turner in the fourth but escaped without further incident after drawing an inning-ending double play, and in the sixth he picked up two quick outs before escaping another jam. The Blue Jays loaded the bases with a hit by pitch, a Guerrero double and a Turner walk, but Houck forced George Springer to fly out to end the threat.
At that point the Red Sox led 2-1 thanks to mammoth two-run home run by Rafael Devers in the fourth, who smashed a slow Chris Bassitt curveball 443 feet into the right field bleachers. But in the top of the seventh Toronto got the leadoff man on after catcher Reese McGuire was called for catcher’s interference, and that soon proved costly.
Houck got a strikeout and drew a groundout to bring up two outs again, but the groundout also moved Addison Barger into scoring position, and Kevin Kiermaier capitalized by delivering a game-tying RBI single. That forced Houck from the game, and in his place manager Alex Cora summoned Isaiah Campbell, who had been called up from Triple-A hours earlier.
Campbell’s return to the majors did not go as planned.
The right-hander quickly allowed the go-ahead RBI single to Spencer Horwitz, and then Guerrero crushed the first pitch he saw clear over the Green Monster, a 471-foot rocket that according to Statcast was the fourth longest home run hit in the majors this season.
That was a three-run shot, and in the blink of an eye Toronto led 6-2. Houck was now on the hook for the loss despite having allowed three runs over 6.2 strong innings.
Not helping matters was Boston’s punchless offensive performance against Toronto starter Chris Bassitt. The veteran righty allowed two runs over seven innings, giving up five hits and one walk while striking out two, and outside of Devers’ home run Boston only managed four singles.
Fortunately Toronto’s bullpen has been among the worst in baseball this season, and once Bassitt was gone the Red Sox made their push.
Trailing by four in the eighth, Duran skied an infield popup that the Blue Jays infield lost and allowed to fall in for what was ruled a double. Then Hamilton ripped a two-run home run to right-field, cutting the deficit in half and making it 6-4 Blue Jays. Then Devers singled and Tyler O’Neill doubled to put the tying run in scoring position, and the Blue Jays intentionally walked Rob Refsnyder to load the bases.
Following a raucous pitching change that featured a lengthy appearance by the Celtics on the big board, pinch hitter Romy Gonzalez stepped to the plate and hit the first pitch he saw from Blue Jays reliever Zach Pop for a two-run single, tying the game at 6-6.
Kenley Jansen came on and shut the Blue Jays down in the top of the ninth, getting a hand from catcher Tyler Heineman after the recent Triple-A call-up caught pinch runner Steward Berroa stealing, and from there Rafaela and Duran took care of the rest to send the fans home happy.
Following the game Cora said the win was the team’s biggest of the season, and that the crowd atmosphere was probably the best he’s seen at Fenway Park since 2021.
“Today was loud, they were locked in, they stayed all the way to the end and I think it was a great night at Fenway,” Cora said. “I know the boys had fun today.”
The Red Sox (43-36) now have a chance to clinch their fifth straight series victory, while Toronto (35-42) has now lost seven straight and is sinking deeper into the AL East abyss. Brayan Bello (7-4, 4.83) is slated to take the mound against Toronto’s Kevin Gausman (5-6, 4.24).
Two people were stabbed following an alleged bar brawl in Southie over the weekend.
According to a police report, officers arrived at Tom English’s around 10:30 p.m., Friday for a report of a fight. When they arrived on the scene, a victim told police that he was sucker punched during a fight and pointed out a person who was the “main aggressor” throughout the incident.
The suspect was pat frisked by police, but the report said they did not find any weapons. “The suspect stated that he was jumped [by the party of the victim,” the report said. “The suspect refused to cooperate any further after repeated attempts by officers to get his version of events.”
Both the suspect and victim declined EMS.
Then about an hour later, three more victims arrived at a nearby police station to report that two of them had been stabbed in the fight at Tom English. One of the unnamed victims said that the fight started after the suspect kept moving coins he put down to play pool. The suspect, according to one of the other victims, told them to meet him outside.
All parties were kicked out by a bouncer and “a large brawl ensued,” the report said. The victims told police that that suspect brandished a knife and the victims said they “fled the scene on foot fearing for their lives.”
In the report, police noted that they saw wounds on two of the victims. EMS was called to treat them.
BPD did not confirm whether the suspect was arrested.
Reports of fireworks led Boston Police to recover a firearm Monday night in Mattapan.
Officers responded to the area around Callender Street at about 10 p.m. for a call of shots fire, but a supervisor alerted them that individuals were shooting off fireworks.
When police got to the scene, they said they saw a group of people standing near a car that had several packages of fireworks. As officers approached, one man started to sprint towards Blue Hill Ave., throwing a jacket off as he ran, according to BPD.
Multiple officers responded to detain the suspect and a pat frisk of the jacket uncovered a ghost gun with 7 rounds in the magazine, police said.
Kahnari White, 24, of Mattapan was charged with carrying a loaded firearm without a license, carrying a firearm without a license, possession of a firearm without an FID card, and possession of a large capacity feeding device.
While the foot pursuit and arrest of White unfolded, police said the group standing with the fireworks began to become “hostile and threatening to an officer who remained with them on scene.”
One person allegedly continued to threaten an officer and bumped him on the chest as more officers arrived.
“Multiple de-escalation tactics were attempted, but the suspect continued to threaten officers,” Boston police said in a statement.
Eventually, officers were able to detain Sean Galvez, 40, of Quincy. Galvez was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and assault and battery on a police officer.
Both suspects are expected to be arraigned at Dorchester District Court.
A 22-year-old from Dorchester was arrested on gun charges after police said they approached the suspect for drinking in public Monday night.
Officers saw a group on Draper St. drinking publicly around 8:30 p.m., and when they approached them, one individual started to walk away.
“When officers advised the male that he could not be drinking alcohol in public, he fled on foot,” Boston Police said in a statement. “A foot pursuit ensued, and officers stopped the suspect.”
Police recovered a Smith and Wesson M&P Bodyguard .380 with nine rounds in the magazine during a pat frisk and said that the serial number on the gun was defaced.
Denilson Pires was arrested and charged with carrying a firearm without a license, possession of ammunition without an FID card, and defacing a firearm serial number.
He is expected to be arraigned at Dorchester District Court.
BPD responded to 252 incidents in the 24-hour period ending at 10 a.m. Tuesday, according to the department’s incident log. Those included one robbery, six aggravated assaults, one residential burglary, seven larcenies from a vehicle, 15 miscellaneous larcenies, and five auto thefts.
All of the below-named defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
— Francis Haugh, 248 Albany St., Boston. Assault with a dangerous weapon.
— Ismann Nuuh, 421 Old Colony Ave., South Boston. Warrant arrest.
— Michael Buckley, 37 Washington St., Newburyport. Warrant arrest.
— Misty Lottmann, 1 Davis Sq., Somerville. Possession of a Class B drug.
— Michael Nicholls, 39 Boylston St., Boston. Threat to commit a crime.
— Yeson Silvestre, 48-52 Glenville Ave., Brighton. Unlicensed operation of a motor vehicle.
— Galvester Johnson, 123 Hamilton St., Dorchester. Assault with a dangerous weapon on a person 60 or older.
— Nilton Cardoso, 112 George St., Boston. Uninsured motor vehicle.
— Edgar Aguilar, 29 North St., Newtonville. Possession of a Class C drug.
— Jorge Guillermo Cruz Ortiz, 24 Heard St., Chelsea. Unregistered motor vehicle.
— Askia Lelaind, 47 Chestnut St., Springfield. Larceny under $1,200.
— Tewshawn Hector-Coleman, 111 Woodbine Rd., Stoughton. Warrant.
— Frammy Llaveria, 55 Vallar St., East Boston. Unarmed robbery.
— Eric Hale, 780 Albany St., Boston. Unregistered hawker & peddler ordinance.
“I know we’re used to rushing, but this is a mind game. So we want to slow down and think,” Shaheed said. “Don’t move off of impulse.”
It’s a message that extends far beyond the chess board.
Organizers of Boston’s new Chess for Peace program are using one of history’s oldest board games to teach kids important life skills, including strategic thinking and conflict resolution. Their goals are to reduce youth violence and address the negative impacts of technology.
The program offers free chess classes Sunday afternoons in the basement of the Madison Park High School gym in Roxbury. It’s affiliated with a Boston Public Schools initiative that also includes basketball, boxing, yoga, rugby, and more, an effort to support families and keep students engaged throughout the week.
The 6-WON-7 program, which has grown significantly over the past couple years, is about to mark its 100th Sunday, said Cory McCarthy, director of student support at Boston Public Schools. School administrators launched the program partly in response to reports about unruly teenagers causing chaos at the South Bay shopping center and elsewhere on weekends, McCarthy said.
“School should feel like a community,” he said. “It’s the forgotten piece in the academic journey. It’s a safety issue. It’s violence prevention, it’s youth development, it’s all part of student wellness.”
While violent crime has decreased overall, youth violence remains a concern in Boston, largely concentrated among small groups of teenagers and sometimes fueled by gang affiliations. Social media often plays a role, experts say, with kids posting threats or bragging about crimes they’ve committed.
As technology shortens our attention spans, encourages rash decision-making and limits in-person interactions, playing chess can be a robust kind of antidote, said Renee Callender, a retired Boston police detective who spearheaded the program.
“It’s more than just a game. It actually mirrors life,” she said. “In the game of chess, like life, every action comes with consequences.”
During more than three decades on the police force, Callender saw firsthand how cycles of violence start and end. She also founded a nonprofit called Promoting Conflict Resolution, Inc.

She said the idea for the program came from watching a youth chess tournament on TV; she was impressed by how poised and attentive the players looked. Maybe this could help kids in Boston stay out of trouble, she thought.
“It’s not only about how to play but how to lose,” she said. “How to gracefully lose. How to be humble.”
Indeed, it’s all fun and games until your king is in check.
Jacquami eventually lost to his opponent, 7-year-old Filip Rancic, who said his winning strategy involved steadily advancing his pieces toward the middle of the board.
“Sometimes he wins, sometimes he loses. So that’s good for him,” said Filip’s dad, Milan Rancic.
“They need to learn to be patient enough to develop a strategy, and obviously avoid a tantrum when they lose — pretty much everything we want our kids to learn,” he added.
During the class, three sets of players sat across from each other at classroom desks, with Shaheed monitoring their games and offering instruction. Sometimes the clink of plastic chess pieces was the only sound in the room.
“I think I got checkmate,” exclaimed Henry Lee, 10, bouncing excitedly in his chair.
Shaheed inspected the board and confirmed — checkmate, indeed.
“Good game,” Lee said, reaching out to shake hands with his opponent, 11-year-old Jesus Beltran.
“Can you believe you just lost to a 10-year-old?” he asked, grinning.
Beltran laughed, rolled his eyes and started setting up the board again; he had won the previous match. In addition to chess, the boys play soccer together. They agreed their friendship can easily withstand some light-hearted competition.

A few turns into the next game, Lee made a move he instantly regretted.
“Can I have that turn back?” he asked Beltran, who smiled and shook his head no.
“So often, they’re focused on just one piece,” said Rhodes Pierre, another instructor with the program. “I tell them to examine the entire board.”
Pierre, who grew up in Mattapan, has experienced firsthand the impacts of violence. His older brother was shot and killed in 1994 near their childhood home, about two weeks after he inadvertently witnessed another daytime shooting nearby. The case was later linked to a neighborhood drug gang, according to news reports at the time.
Pierre said he started playing chess in college and quickly came to appreciate the life skills it teaches.
“Giving people another outlet to express themselves without having to revert to violence, that’s a good thing,” he said. “Making people sit down and think. It’s a better avenue than what we have right now.”

While sprinkling in the basics of chess strategy, Shaheed sends a similar message.
“It’s about seeing the moves behind the moves,” he told the class. “It takes paying attention, hearing your own self think. Most games are won or lost because of focus.”
It’s something he personally learned the hard way, Shaheed said.
Now 45, he spent much of his youth caught in a cycle of poverty, crime, incarceration, and mental illness. From foster care and psychiatric institutions to jails and prison, he ended up playing a lot of chess.
The game took on a central role in his life, an overarching metaphor that changed the way he approached decision-making, Shaheed said. Especially when he found himself in a hostile environment, he would think about the moves available to him and their potential consequences. That finally helped him leave the streets behind and forge a new path.
“The easy money, it wasn’t working. It was almost like a setup — nothing made sense anymore,” he said. “I needed a better move.”

He still plays chess regularly with various partners he’s befriended around Boston. He said he hopes younger generations will find some of the same benefits he’s experienced.
“Chess is a game of distress, tribulations, defeat, obstacles, resistance, competition, sorrow, and conquest,” Shaheed wrote in his recently published book, “Games Over: The Real Story About Chess and Life.”
“And that’s what life is all about — overcoming barriers and making progress.”
Lea Skene can be reached at lea.skene@globe.com. Follow her on X @lea_skene.
Boston Marathon
In our “Why I’m Running” series, Boston Marathon athletes share what’s inspiring them to make the 26.2-mile trek from Hopkinton to Boston. Looking for more race day content? Sign up for Boston.com’s pop-up Boston Marathon newsletter.
Name: Brian Wishart
Age: 42
City/State: Marblehead, Mass.
I am running as the Chief of the Pediatric Rehabilitation Medicine division at Spaulding Rehab to help support the hospital and adaptive sports programs.
At Spaulding Rehabilitation, we have a full team that is really incredible at what they do. Each staff member, from the physicians, therapists, nurses, case managers, social workers, to the front desk and care assistants, are incredible.
We work everyday in inpatient, in the clinic, in the therapy gym, and doing research to bring these types of outcomes to all our patients. Though we see wonderful outcomes, there is always work to be done.
One of our goals is to really integrate the amazing research being done at Spaulding into clinical care.
Every kid should have access to the best, most cutting edge treatments, and we aim to do that here, regardless of where the kids come from or what resources they have themselves.
We also want to make sure we are thinking about some of those less flashy innovations in terms of how we are educating or empowering our patients, or how we are supporting and helping them cope with a new reality.
Pediatric care is resource intensive, from needing a lot of expertise to just needing multiple sizes of each piece of equipment.
I am working to raise funds and support to really think broadly and expansively about what we are doing and how we provide care everyday for every patient.
That may mean bringing meaningful research to the clinical setting or ensuring there are enough child life specialists available with the resources they need to make these children comfortable in the hospital.
It is a privilege what I get to do every day and I thank you all sincerely for any support!
Editor’s note: This entry may have been lightly edited for clarity or grammar.
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