Alex Cora took the time to commend Michael Fulmer after the Boston Red Sox’s victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night, despite Fulmer not contributing to the win. However, Fulmer consuming a few innings during a one-sided defeat to kick off the series Monday at George M. Steinbrenner Field preserved some bullpen arms, and they proved crucial with little margin for mistake in a 1-0 win to finish the three-game series. Greg Weissert, Garrett Whitlock, and Justin Slaten collectively pitched 4 1/3 shutout innings in relief, allowing only one hit and striking out nine batters from the Rays. “It was fantastic,” Weissert mentioned to reporters regarding the bullpen’s performance, according to NESN. “Everyone performed their roles from start to finish, and it’s great to see the bullpen come in and secure the win.” The bullpen faced just one crisis, which occurred in the bottom of the fifth inning. Weissert replaced starting pitcher Sean Newcomb with two runners on and two outs, and the right-hander struck out Yandy Díaz to conclude the inning. Weissert threw one additional scoreless inning before allowing Whitlock to take over, who was the standout among the three relievers the Red Sox employed. Whitlock fanned the side on 11 pitches in the seventh and navigated around a two-out single by Díaz for a flawless eighth. He tallied four strikeouts over two innings and delivered 21 out of his 24 pitches as strikes. Whitlock, similar to Weissert, played at the minor league stadium while in the New York Yankees farm system and may be the most crucial arm in the bullpen aside from Aroldis Chapman. He demonstrated this on Wednesday by effectively pitching several critical innings. It is significant. He has faced challenges in the past three, I believe, and hasn’t been effective. “Many foul balls,” Cora informed reporters, according to NESN. “Yet today, it was charged with energy.” I made a joke with (Rob Refsnyder), saying, ‘Weissert and Whitlock likely played here in this stadium while with the Yankees.’ Thus, they felt quite at ease on the mound. Cora subsequently handed it over to Justin Slaten to finish up. Building on the performances of the two relievers before him, Slaten threw a flawless 1-2-3 ninth inning to secure his second save of the season. You enter the game one after another like that; it’s as if to say, ‘That guy fulfilled his role.’ “It’s time to fulfill my duties,’ and it keeps going,” Weissert remarked. “I believe everyone gets excited when it occurs.”
The trio’s performance was not only dominant but also timely, as the Red Sox had been leaning heavily on their bullpen in recent outings. The ability to close out a tight game without any major hiccups was a clear indicator of how crucial depth and execution in the bullpen can be over a long season.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora emphasized that games like this are won with consistency in the small details, especially on the mound. “It takes everyone,” Cora said. “From Newcomb giving us what he could early on, to Weissert stepping into a big moment, and Whitlock and Slaten being absolutely locked in—it’s all connected. That’s what wins you close games.”
Sean Newcomb, the starter, also played a key role even if his outing was short-lived. He worked through 4 2/3 innings, allowing just a few hits and keeping the Rays off the board before passing the baton to the bullpen. While he didn’t qualify for the win, his effort in keeping the game close set the table for the relief corps to take over.
“That’s a team effort,” Newcomb said postgame. “You know you’ve got guys behind you who can come in and dominate like they did. I was just focused on keeping us in it and letting the rest of the staff do their thing.”
The offensive side was quiet, but it didn’t matter. One early run was all it took, and the pitching staff made sure it stood up. That run came on a solo shot by Jarren Duran in the third inning, a laser to right-center that gave the Red Sox the edge they needed.
“Jarren gave us that spark,” Cora added. “Sometimes it takes just one swing and a whole lot of shutdown innings to win a ballgame.”
The win not only gave the Red Sox a much-needed bounce-back after the lopsided loss on Monday but also allowed them to leave Tampa Bay on a high note heading into the weekend.
Whitlock’s resurgence was particularly encouraging for the Red Sox coaching staff. After a rocky stretch where he struggled to put hitters away and left too many pitches over the plate, his sharp, strike-heavy outing on Wednesday was a reminder of just how effective he can be when everything clicks.
“He was electric,” catcher Reese McGuire said. “You could feel the energy on every pitch. He was attacking, hitting spots, and just overwhelming hitters.”
As for Slaten, the rookie reliever continues to build trust with each outing. With two saves under his belt already, he’s proving he can handle the pressure situations when called upon.
“I just stay ready,” Slaten said. “I watch what the guys ahead of me are doing, I stay loose, and when it’s my turn, I just go in and compete.”
With Aroldis Chapman still the anchor of the bullpen, the emergence of arms like Whitlock, Weissert, and Slaten adds important layers of reliability to the pitching staff. As the season unfolds, their ability to shut the door late in games could make all the difference in close matchups.
The Red Sox now shift their attention to their upcoming series, hoping to build momentum off the strong pitching performance and continue stacking wins. If Wednesday’s bullpen effort was any indication, they may be turning a corner at just the right time.
