Red Sox’ – Cade Civalli gave up one hit in seven innings with a career-high 13 strikeouts as the Washington Nationals beat the Boston Red Sox 8-1 on Tuesday night, snapping Boston’s five-game winning streak. The game also turned into a four-man ejection after Civalli yel
BOSTON — The Red Sox had momentum, the kind that turns into a roll. Then Tuesday night, the Washington Nationals punched through it early, and by the fourth inning the game had already started to break apart.
Cade Civalli dominated on the mound. allowing one hit over seven innings and posting a career-high 13 strikeouts as the Nationals beat Boston 8-1 to snap Boston’s five-game winning streak. The loss also came with another jolt: a tense fourth-inning moment that spilled into a full benches-clearing confrontation.
After Civalli struck out Red Sox first baseman Willson Contreras. Civalli yelled at him. and that exchange triggered the scuffle that drew both dugouts in. Contreras and Red Sox interim manager Chris Tracy were ejected, along with Nate Eaton. Civalli’s counterpart in the chaos—Nationals pitcher Miles Mikolas—was also ejected.
Civalli’s line reflected how little Boston could sustain anything clean. He (5-4) threw 100 pitches and gave up one unearned run in the first inning. That run came when third baseman Curtis Mead bobbled Contreras’ grounder, allowing Anthony Seigler to score.
Boston did manage to tie things briefly. In the fifth, James Wood hit an RBI single to make it 1-1. Wood’s production carried them later, too: he added an RBI double in the eighth to drive in the eighth run for Washington.
Washington’s lead started to feel comfortable by the late innings. In the seventh, Luis García Jr. delivered a two-run double after Keibert Ruiz’s RBI single made it 3-1. Then in the eighth. CJ Abrams led off with a home run to right-center field as part of a four-run frame. Ruiz added a double as Washington widened the gap to 8-1.
By the end, Wood accounted for three of the Nationals’ 12 hits, while the Red Sox couldn’t piece together enough to keep their streak alive.
Boston’s pitching also took an early hit—right after the fourth inning. Starting pitcher Connelly Early left the game with left elbow discomfort. Early finished with five strikeouts, while giving up three hits and walking two. Reliever Greg Weissert (0-2) followed for 1 2/3 innings, ending with two earned runs, a hit, a walk, and a strikeout.
Now, both teams move on to Wednesday’s matchup with different starters. LHP Andrew Alvarez (1-1, 3.44 ERA) will start for Washington, while LHP Payton Tolle (4-5, 2.78) is set to pitch for Boston.
Red Sox Nationals Cade Civalli Willson Contreras Chris Tracy Nate Eaton Miles Mikolas Connelly Early Greg Weissert James Wood CJ Abrams Luis García Jr. Keibert Ruiz
13 strikeouts and still only 8-1 like that’s not even that wild lol.
The benches-clearing thing felt like it came outta nowhere. Like one yell and then suddenly everyone’s gone? Also didn’t think the Nationals had that much sauce.
Wait so Civalli yelled at Contreras AFTER striking him out and that’s what caused the whole ejection parade? Seems like a manager should’ve been able to calm it down, but baseball gonna baseball I guess. Early left with elbow discomfort too which is probably why Boston fell apart… not that it’s all on that.
I swear this is why I don’t watch Boston anymore, they get momentum and then poof, streak ends. And that Mead bobble in the first was like the domino that started everything. Also Wood had an RBI single and then later another RBI double so of course he’s the hero now. Meanwhile they’re already talking about next starters like nothing happened, smh.