The Boston Red Sox secured a 6-2 victory over the New York Mets at Citi Field, despite experiencing significant travel delays that pushed back the start of their game. The first pitch, originally scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Eastern, was delayed by 35 minutes, beginning instead at 7:50 p.m.
The team’s journey to Queens was marked by a series of mechanical problems with their chartered Delta plane. These issues began on Thursday afternoon after the Red Sox had completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, extending their winning streak to seven games and bringing them within 1 1/2 games of the third American League wild-card spot.
Travel Troubles and Delays
The travel ordeal for the Red Sox started on Thursday when they boarded their flight at Chicago Midway International Airport. An initial delay was attributed to potential weather conditions, but soon a mechanical issue with a tow cart was identified. This problem resulted in the team waiting for over six hours on the plane, ultimately leading to the decision to postpone their flight to New York until Friday morning.
Team officials, including head of team travel Mark Cacciatore, worked to rebook hotel rooms for the 26-man roster, coaches, and support staff, as well as broadcasters, in downtown Chicago. The team eventually arrived at their hotels around 2 a.m. on Friday.
On Friday morning, the Red Sox returned to Midway and re-boarded their chartered Delta flight. However, another mechanical issue arose: a lightbulb in the cockpit was not functioning. This second delay kept the team at the gate for an additional four hours.
Interim manager Chad Tracy, who has experience with challenging travel from his seven seasons as a minor-league manager, noted the team’s resilience. Pitcher Sonny Gray, known for his meticulous pre-start routine, was observed pacing during the delays. Relief pitcher Payton Tolle described the situation as frustrating but also something the team tried to make light of.
During the second delay, Tracy shared positive news with the team: center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela had been named an American League All-Star replacement. Rafaela expressed happiness and emotion upon hearing the news. The team was provided with bagels, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and chicken wings as the delays continued.
The Red Sox had previously experienced mechanical issues with a Delta flight on June 25, when they arrived in Denver at 5 a.m. for a scheduled four-game series against the New York Yankees. They went on to sweep that series.
Arrival and Game Performance
The mechanical issue on Friday was eventually resolved around 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET, and the Red Sox’s flight departed. Red Sox officials coordinated with the Mets to manage the game delay, as neither team wanted to schedule a Saturday doubleheader. The flight was initially routed to Newark International Airport but was rerouted to LaGuardia Airport due to the ongoing delays. LaGuardia is approximately 2 1/2 miles from Citi Field.
The team landed at LaGuardia around 4:30 p.m. ET and traveled directly to Citi Field by bus. Despite the arduous travel day, the Red Sox quickly took a 2-0 lead in the first inning. Anthony Seigler and Wilyer Abreu contributed home runs, and starting pitcher Sonny Gray delivered six strong innings, allowing only one run.
The game was broadcast exclusively on the Apple TV app as part of “Friday Night Baseball,” with Sonny Gray pitching for the Red Sox against Nolan McLean for the Mets. The Red Sox’s next scheduled game on Apple TV is on Friday, July 24, when they will face the Toronto Blue Jays.
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Source: nytimes.com
