Ceddanne Rafaela's first career grand slam wins roller-coaster Red Sox game

Gabrielle Starr, Boston Herald on Jul 28, 2026

Published in Baseball

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A game can turn in the blink of an eye.

The Red Sox felt that keenly throughout Monday night’s 4-2 series-opening victory over the Athletics in Sacramento.

The pendulum swung from panic – Curtis Mead leaving his Red Sox debut after getting hit on the hand by a pitch in the fourth inning – to pandemonium when Ceddanne Rafaela’s first career grand slam gave the Red Sox an enduring lead.

The Red Sox later announced a left wrist contusion for Mead, and that X-rays were negative.

Payton Tolle worked around traffic throughout his 5 1/3 innings. The A’s only two runs came via a solo homers by Tyler Soderstrom in the bottom of the first and catcher Jonah Heim in the sixth.

Tolle yielded five hits, one walk and struck out seven. He threw 90 pitches, though only 59 for strikes.

“I wouldn’t say he was as sharp as he’s normally been, but the good thing the velocity was there, throwing hard,” interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters of Tolle. “They drove some counts up on him, but overall he threw the ball well and navigated the lineup well. I thought he threw the ball well.”

Athletics starter Jack Perkins opened the game with a leadoff walk to Masataka Yoshida, but took a no-hitter into the sixth before Connor Wong broke it up with a leadoff double.

Perkins managed to record two quick outs, the latter advancing Wong to third, but his night was over when he walked Willson Contreras to put runners on the corners.

Lefty José Suarez issued a bases-loading walk to Wilyer Abreu, and up came Rafaela. He watched two balls go by, then turned a Suarez slider into his first-ever slam. Rafaela initially seemed to think he’d flown out to end the inning, rather than given his team the lead.

“I walways want to be in those moments,” Rafaela told NESN’s Jahmai Webster on the field postgame. “I thought it was an out … but it had enough to go out.”

It was an otherwise quiet night at the plate for the Red Sox, who tallied five hits, four walks and only struck out six times, but were 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position and left five men on base.

The Boston bullpen was as lockdown as ever, and leads the majors in ERA. Slaten quickly recorded the last two outs of the sixth. Lefty Jovani Moran and righty Garrett Whitlock pitched a perfect inning apiece.

Then came veteran closer Aroldis Chapman for the bottom of the ninth. Shortstop Andruw Monasterio was unable to glove left-fielder Colby Thomas’ leadoff single, but Chapman recovered with a strikeout for third baseman Tommy White.

A’s star and reigning American League Rookie of the Year Nick Kurtz came in to pinch-hit for Jeff McNeil. Kurtz, recently returned from a thumb injury, worked the count full, then fouled off four pitches. He reached on a fielder’s choice on the 10th pitch, and a fielding error by second baseman Anthony Seigler allowed Thomas to advance to second.

Chapman again recovered from an infield miscue, and struck out the next two batters, centerfielder Henry Bolte and second baseman Alika Williams.

The Red Sox are 55-50, including 18-2 in their last 20 games. They are 18-3 in July, and on a 10-game road win streak.

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