Skip to content
BOSTON – Red Sox rookie Triston Casas has never doubted himself, and neither has manager Alex Cora.
“He’s in a great position,” Cora said after Casas hit four in a doubleheader and hit two home runs against Max Scherzer in the night game to help the Red Sox beat the Mets 8-6 and salvage a breakup. “I know a lot of people were against him early on but those are the big leagues. You don’t come here and dominate.”
A first-round draft pick in 2018, Casas batted a .194 batting average in September last season and was still under .200 this year as of June 13. Since then, he’s hitting a .341 batting average with seven homers and 16 RBIs in 27 games.
“He really gets his money’s worth,” said Red Sox left-hander James Paxton (6-2). “It’s fun to watch.”
Casas had his first multi-homer game of his career, and Yu Chang and Jarren Duran also hit a homer against Scherzer (8-4); It’s the first time since his 2021 season debut that the three-time Cy Young winner has allowed four homers in a game.
Masataka Yoshida scored three in the night game and Justin Turner hit a home run to give the Red Sox an 8-3 lead. Pete Alonso had four hits that day, including a triple in the ninth inning in the night game as New York hit three and cut the deficit to 8-6 before Kenley Jansen caught pinch-hitter Daniel Vogelbach with a pop-up on the sidewall at left to end Boston’s three-game losing streak and make his 21st save.
Brandon Nimmo and Vogelbach each hit a two-run home run for the Mets before rain hit Friday night when the series opener was halted in the fourth inning. After picking up steam there on Saturday afternoon, the teams traded runs and New York won the day’s game 5-4, earning their fourth win in five games.
A significant portion of the two sold-out crowds cheered on the crowd, trying to drown out the “Let’s Go Red Sox!” Chants with shouts of “Let’s Go Mets!” Unable to sort things out, both sides joined in a familiar chant that leveled the last few Yankees.
They saw Boston take a 2-0 lead as Duran and Casas led the first and second innings with home runs. The Mets took the lead when Jeff McNeil hit a three-run Little League home run and hit a single when Red Sox catcher Jorge Alfaro threw a ball into deep midfield.
With runners in second and third place, McNeil scored a single to score both runners and then moved towards second place when Duran missed the cutoff man on a throw home. Alfaro grabbed the throw at the plate and then a second later sailed into the middle where he eluded Duran and rolled towards the warning lane. McNeil scored easily.
NOT COMPLETELY DOUBLE-HEADED
game on Friday night was stopped at the end of the fourth inning when torrential rain began with an out, a 2-1 count on Alex Verdugo and the Mets leading 4-3. New York made it 5-3 after the game restarted as Alonso scored twice and Brett Baty’s one-off. Boston reduced the deficit to 5-4 when Casas tripled a ball that slipped past right fielder Mark Canha and then hit with a sacrificial flight.
Grant Hartwig (3-1) started the resumed game and threw two scoreless innings for the win before David Robertson hit the ninth inning for his 14th save.
Friday night’s starter, Kutter Crawford (4-5), conceded the defeat for Boston.
TRAINING ROOM
meads: 2B Luis Guillorme limped off the field and left the first game after stumbling backwards in the sixth game trying to set up Rafael Devers’ tough grounder. He was placed on the injured list and infielder Danny Mendick was recalled by Triple-A Syracuse to replace him.
Red Sox: RHP Brayan Bello has been placed on the paternity list.
NEXT
Carlos Carrasco (3-3) should be in the starting XI in Sunday’s Mets finals. The Red Sox have not announced a starter.