BOSTON (AP) — All-Star Garrett Crochet pitched a three-hitter with nine strikeouts for his first career shutout and complete game, leading the Boston Red Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 on Saturday for their ninth straight victory.

Carlos Narváez drove in the lone run for the Red Sox, who matched their longest winning streak since April 2021.

The 26-year-old Crochet (10-4), a second-time All-Star, opted not to pitch in the game on Tuesday in Atlanta so he could rest his arm for the second part of the season. He didn’t walk a batter in his 100-pitch gem.

The Rays have lost 10 of 13 and are 2-7 on a 10-game road trip.

Boston goes for the four-game series sweep Sunday.

Wearing their yellow alternate jerseys, the Red Sox scored in the fourth when rookie Roman Anthony doubled to right and scored when Narváez singled under shortstop Taylor Wells’ glove.

Shane Baz (8-5) was the tough-luck loser, giving up the run in 6 1/3 innings with five hits, three strikeouts and two walks.

Key moment

With runners on the corners and the Rays trailing 1-0 in the sixth, Ha-Seong Kim attempted a suicide squeeze. First baseman Abraham Toro charged and made a throw falling to the ground to catcher Narváez, who tagged Walls’ arm just before his hand touched the plate. The Rays challenged but the call stood.

Key stat

Boston’s Ceddanne Rafaela’s streak of recording an RBI in seven straight games and scoring a run in eight was snapped. The last Red Sox player to have both an RBI and score in seven straight was Hall of Famer Ted Williams in 1942.

Up next

Rays RHP Ryan Pepiot (6-6, 3.32 ERA) is scheduled to face Red Sox RHP Brayan Bello (4-3, 3.42) in the series finale Sunday.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

By – Kenny Varner

The Vanderbilt Commodores enter the 2025 season with something rare for this program—hope. With a solid core of returning players and a quality transfer portal class, this year’s team looks to be more talented and experienced than the version that finished 7-6 a year ago. That winning season included a 6-6 regular season and a bowl victory over Georgia Tech, marking a significant step forward for a program that has spent much of the last decade near the bottom of the SEC standings.

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Last season, Vanderbilt surprised the college football world by pushing some of the SEC’s best teams to the brink. They shocked Alabama, pushed Missouri into double overtime, and kept things close against a high-powered Texas team, losing by just three points. However, consistency remained elusive. The Commodores also suffered a baffling loss to 3-9 Georgia State and dropped four of their final five regular-season games before salvaging the year with a bowl win.

Heading into this season, there’s cautious optimism surrounding the offense, especially with the return of quarterback Diego Pavia. A steady and reliable presence under center, Pavia isn’t flashy, but he protects the ball and plays smart. He posted a stellar 20-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio last season, a stat line that any coach would love to build around. Though Vanderbilt’s offense was far from explosive—averaging just 318 yards per game—it was remarkably disciplined, committing the fewest turnovers in the nation.

The challenge this season will be whether that low-turnover efficiency is sustainable. Overachieving on third downs and avoiding giveaways helped mask some of the offense’s shortcomings. With four new starters on the offensive line, including transfers Jordan White from Liberty and Bryce Henderson from South Dakota, chemistry and pass protection will be crucial early on. Unfortunately, on paper, this unit still rates among the SEC’s weaker offensive lines.

Sedrick Alexander returns as the lead running back and hopes for more room to operate behind the reshuffled line. One key weapon in the passing game is tight end Eli Towers, who serves as a reliable safety valve for Pavia. On the outside, junior receiver Junior Sherrill brings speed and versatility, while Mississippi State transfer Trent Hudson could make an immediate impact. He previously played with Pavia at New Mexico State, and that existing connection may help smooth his transition.

Defensively, Vanderbilt returns eight starters, most notably in the front seven. The Commodores were stout against the run in 2024, thanks in large part to the massive presence of Glenn Seabrooks (340 pounds) and Yilan Ouatarra (311 pounds) on the defensive line. The linebacker trio of Bryan Longwell, Langston Patterson, and Nick Randall also returns, bringing experience and toughness. While the defense was more “bend but don’t break,” the pass rush was average and will need to improve to keep the team competitive against high-powered SEC offenses.

Looking ahead, the schedule is no cakewalk. Road trips to Texas, Tennessee, and Alabama (who will surely be seeking revenge) make for a daunting slate. Home matchups against LSU and Missouri only add to the challenge. For Vanderbilt to return to a bowl game, they’ll need to pull off at least one major upset and once again find a way to play disciplined, mistake-free football.

This team is deeper and more talented than last year’s group, but replicating or improving upon last season’s success will take near-perfect execution and a little bit of luck.

Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike has praised the expansion move of the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) with more teams to be added over the next five years.

Following the addition of the Golden State Valkyries this season, teams from Toronto and Oregon will join for the 2026 campaign while Cleveland will have a team in 2028, followed by Detroit in 2029 and Philadelphia will get started in 2030.

Earlier in July, the WNBA Commissioner, Cathy Engelbert stated that the historic expansion is a reflection of the league’s extraordinary momentum, the depth of talents and the surging demand for investment in women’s basketball.

After breaking into the top women’s basketball league in 2012 as the overall no. 1 draft pick with the Los Angeles Sparks

The 2016 WNBA MVP told RG.org: “I think anybody who’s a part of the WNBA, who’s a fan of the WNBA wants to see expansion. I’m grateful to see it grow.

“I’m grateful to be a part of it as it is growing and here is to more expansion. We are going to have more teams next year too.”

Philadelphia has never had a WNBA franchise but Cleveland and Detroit did have WNBA franchises and did not succeed financially. 

Cleveland Rockers was active between 1997 and 2003 while the team from Detroit lasted for 11 years before moving to Tusla in 2009.