Boston, MA
Red Sox’ Alex Bregman heads to Boston for child’s birth after ‘amazing night’
TAMPA — “See you Friday.”
Those were Alex Bregman‘s parting words Tuesday night after his career-high five-hit game. He homered twice and drove in four runs to lead the Red Sox to a 7-4 victory over the Rays here at George M. Steinbrenner Field.
His wife Reagan will give birth to their second child Wednesday in Boston. So he will be on paternity leave Wednesday, for the rubber game of this three-game series. He will rejoin the Red Sox on Friday when the team returns home to play the White Sox.
“He has a few things the upcoming days family-wise so to have a great day like this is kind of the beginning of a great week for him,” manager Alex Cora said.
Bregman has had 10 career four-hit games in the majors. But this was his first five-hit game since when?
“I don’t know. Maybe high school,” Bregman said. “It felt good. Been at four a few times. But it felt good. More importantly, it felt good to win.”
Bregman went deep to the opposite field twice. He lifted a 366-foot home run to right-center field in the third inning, putting the Red Sox ahead 4-1. He did it again in the seventh inning with a 403-foot blast.
“Just good at-bats, execution. He always has a plan,” Cora said. “He was very calm today in the batter’s box. Didn’t chase. I know it’s killing him right now — he hasn’t walked in a while against a righty. But he’s swinging at the right ones. He’s been very patient. Swinging less today, that really helped. And he had an amazing night.”
Bregman said he and Boston’s three hitting coaches have been working hard on adjustments.
“We just looked at some mechanical things and even after my first at-bat, we made a little bit of a change in the dugout before my second at-bat,” Bregman said. “And just talking with them, working through some things mechanically. And whether it’s timing or some different posture positions or how I’m loading, it paid off today big time. I’m super thankful for all three of them.”
Nick Sogard will take Bregman’s spot on the 26-man roster Wednesday while the third baseman is on paternity leave.
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The FIFA World Cup is coming to Massachusetts, and when it comes to having a place for people to hang out together, there will be a free fan zone where everyone can celebrate the big event.
Seven World Cup matches will take place at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA this summer, and the first one is right around the corner, to be played on June 13, with Scotland taking on Haiti.
Fan Zones are a public space to watch the game for people who don’t have tickets to the actual game. Held in public places, they broadcast the mach on giant screens to offer an immersive experience to watch the game, according to FIFA>
“At the heart of FIFA Fan Festival Boston, (a) Cultural Showcase will ignite the stage with a vibrant celebration of the spirit, creativity, and cultural heartbeat of Boston and communities across the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,” FIFA said.
Where will the fan zone be located when the World Cup games start in just 11 days?
Where is the World Cup fan zone going to be in Massachusetts?
The official FIFA Fan Festival for the 2026 World Cup in Boston will be located at Boston City Hall Plaza at 1 City Hall Sq. Boston, MA.
“The festival will run daily from June 12 through June 27, offering live match broadcasts, cultural showcases, food vendors, and entertainment,” according to FIFA.
The fan zone will open between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and will stay open until after dark, between 8:30 p.m. and 12:30 a.m. according to reports.
Activities at the fan zone
Here are some of the offerings at the fan zone in Boston, according to the FIFA website:
- Live broadcasts: Giant outdoor screens that broadcast tournament matches in high-definition.
- Entertainment & music: Live concerts, DJ sets, and performances celebrating global culture.
- Interactive activations: Skills challenges, mini-pitches, inflatable games, and sponsor booths.
- Food & merch: International food stalls, local beverage offerings, and official tournament merchandise.
How to go to the fan zone
While the game is free, you do need to register in advance.
“You can select which days and matches you plan to attend through the FIFA World Cup Boston 2026 website or the Meet Boston events page. Up to six people can register on a single application,” the World Cup Boston website says.
So you’re saying there’s a chance? Despite an abysmal start to the 2026 season, the Boston Red Sox remain in the mix for a playoff spot. At least according to FanGraphs, who gives the club a 27.1% chance of reaching the postseason.
Boston’s likely path to October means winning the wild card. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 26.1% chance of winning an American League wild card. The team currently sits threes games back of the third and final wild card, despite a record of 25-33.
Don’t look for a division title this year in Beantown. FanGraphs gives the Red Sox a 1% chance of winning the AL East. Which makes sense, since the team currently sits in last place, 11.5 games behind the first-place Tampa Bay Rays.
But SI’s Tom Verducci and Will Laws thinks Boston has a much tougher chance of making the playoffs. In their deep dive of the postseason, the pair came up with what they call the “Line of Doom.” According to their research, a team that starts “no better than 23–31 and your season is almost over only one-third of the way through the schedule.” Here’s why.
“In the wild card era (since 1995), only one team made the postseason starting with less than 22 wins in the first 54 games, the 2005 Astros (20–34). Of the 231 teams to start 23–31 or worse, only seven made the playoffs—once every 33 times,” Verducci and Laws note.
“Since the postseason field expanded in 2022, 31 teams began 23–31 or worse. Only one, the 2024 Mets (22–32), made the playoffs. That leaves such slow starters with a 1 in 31 chance—virtually the same as the larger sample size,” the pair add.
“The fact is one-third of the season does a good job separating pretenders from contenders. And as the calendar flips to June, understand that the playoff spots won’t change very much. In the four seasons with 12 playoff spots up for grabs, teams in playoff position when May ended kept a playoff spot 73% of the time—35 of 48 teams,” Verducci and Laws conclude.
So what does this have to do with the Red Sox, you ask? It’s Boston’s record after 54 games: 23-31. The “Line of Doom.”
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