The Red Sox’s Wacky Plane Adventure: How They Still Won the Game

Published July 10, 2026, 07:43 PM ET in New York

The Big News

The Boston Red Sox (a baseball team) had a rough trip to New York, but they still managed to win! Here’s the simple version:

• They are on a seven-game winning streak (they’ve won seven games in a row!).
• They beat the New York Mets (another team) 6‑2 on Friday.
• Their temporary coach (called the interim manager), Chad Tracy, said the team will arrive at the stadium a bit later than usual for Saturday’s game — but this time, no plane delays!

Important Point: The Red Sox shook off travel troubles and won anyway. That shows great teamwork!

What Happened on the Trip? (ELI5 Timeline)

The team was supposed to fly from Chicago to New York on Thursday night after winning a game against the Chicago White Sox. But the plane had not one, but two breakdowns.

Here is the step‑by‑step story:

1. Thursday night: After beating the White Sox 2‑1, the team boarded their plane. Player Peyton Tolle said the "tug" broke. A tug is a small vehicle that pulls big airplanes around on the ground.
2. Stuck on the runway: The plane sat on the tarmac (the ground area for airplanes) until after midnight. Then the players went to sleep in Chicago hotels.
3. Friday morning: They got back on the plane, but it was delayed again! Tracy said there were problems with "switches or light bulbs in the cockpit" (the front part where pilots control the plane).
4. Friday afternoon: They finally took off just before 3:00 p.m. and landed at LaGuardia Airport around 4:30 p.m. The 2‑mile drive to Citi Field (the stadium) was easy even in traffic.

Because of these issues, they were stuck for almost 24 hours. They arrived at the stadium at 5:05 p.m. Friday, and the game started 36 minutes late at 7:51 p.m.

Important Point: This was the second big plane problem in only two weeks!

How Did the Players Pass the Time?

When you’re stuck for a day, you need to have fun:

• Ceddanne Rafaela (the center fielder—a player who catches balls in the middle of the outfield) said they listened to music and played cards.
• Peyton Tolle (a pitcher—the player who throws the ball) ate about five doughnuts! Most teammates ate burritos.
• Tolle said: "We tried to make light of the situation, we tried to have fun with it. But there was some frustration building, for sure. At one point, we kind of just looked at each other laughing because it was just ridiculous."
• Garrett Whitlock (a reliever—a pitcher who comes in later) said it felt like "travel ball days" (like when kids travel for tournaments): "Show and go. Go out there and play, have fun."

While on the plane, Tracy used the loudspeaker to tell everyone that Rafaela had been chosen for the AL All‑Star team (a special group of the best players in their league). Cool surprise!

The Game: Beating the Mets

Even though they were tired, the Red Sox played great baseball:

• Masataka Yoshida hit a "two‑run double" (a hit that let two teammates score) in the first inning (the first part of the game) before the pitcher even started.
• Sonny Gray (the starting pitcher) threw for six solid innings. He allowed only:
  • 1 run (a point for the other team)
  • 5 hits (times the other team hit the ball)
  • He struck out 3 batters (made them miss) and threw 91 pitches (throws).
• Gray said: "I don’t think anyone’s probably experienced that before. It was wild, for sure." He also said they were "in that thing together from the time the game was over [Thursday] in Chicago."

The final score: Red Sox 6, Mets 2.

Why a Later "Show" on Saturday?

Baseball slang: a "show" is the time players must report to the stadium. Saturday’s game starts at 4:10 p.m. ET.

Tracy said: "We’ll definitely probably have a little bit of a later show. Just out of necessity to let people rest, we’ll do it."

Important Point: The later report time is simply to let the tired players sleep more after their crazy trip.

This Isn’t the First Time!

Two weeks earlier, on June 24, their flight from Denver to Boston turned around after 30 minutes because of another mechanical issue. They got home at dawn on June 25 but still beat the New York Yankees 6‑3 later that day. That started a hot streak: they’ve won 12 of their last 14 games (a 12‑2 surge).

Rafaela said before the game: "I think it’s some adversity for us. The message I sent to the guys was we have great momentum right now. That has to be our focus." (Adversity = tough luck; momentum = good winning vibes.)

Summary

The Boston Red Sox faced a nearly 24‑hour travel nightmare because their plane broke twice. They waited on the tarmac, slept in hotels, ate snacks, played cards, and kept smiling. They finally reached New York and beat the Mets 6‑2 for their seventh straight win. To recover, they’ll show up later to Saturday’s game. This is the second plane delay in two weeks, yet the team keeps winning. They show us that when life gives you lemons, you can still hit a home run!

FAQ

Q1: What is an "interim manager"?
A: It’s a temporary coach or boss of the team. Chad Tracy is filling in for the regular manager.

Q2: What does "tug" mean at an airport?
A: A tug is a small vehicle that pulls large airplanes around on the ground before takeoff.

Q3: Why did the Red Sox have a "later show" for Saturday?
A: Because the players were super tired from the long delay, the team decided to let them rest more and arrive at the stadium later than normal.

Q4: What does "seventh straight win" mean?
A: It means the team won seven games in a row without losing any in between.

Q5: What is the "AL All‑Star team"?
A: AL stands for American League, one of the two big groups in baseball. The All‑Star team is a special selection of the best players who get to play in a fun exhibition game.