Mets vs Red Sox Match Player Stats from July 12, 2026, tell the story of a game that changed in the ninth inning. Boston trailed 2-0 with three outs left, tied the game on a bases-loaded walk and Jarren Duran single, then took a 3-2 lead in the 10th on Anthony Seigler’s sacrifice fly.

The Red Sox finished the comeback at Citi Field to complete a three-game sweep of New York. The win also closed a 9-0 road trip and extended Boston’s winning streak to nine games. It was Boston’s first win of the season in a game it trailed after eight innings, ending an 0-43 run in that situation.

Match Overview

Boston entered the afternoon at 45-48, while New York was 40-56. The Mets controlled most of the game behind Zach Thornton, but Boston stayed close enough to turn the result around after Thornton left.

Boston finished with only four hits, two fewer than New York. The difference came late, when walks, a Mets fielding error, productive outs, and Duran’s tying hit gave Boston enough offense to erase the deficit.

Pre-Match Context

Boston arrived at the series finale with eight straight wins. The Red Sox had already swept the Angels and White Sox on the road, then won the first two games at Citi Field 6-2 and 4-0. A victory Sunday would complete a third straight sweep.

New York entered at 40-56 and had scored only two runs in the first two games of the series. The Mets sent rookie left-hander Zach Thornton to the mound with a 0-1 record and 4.35 ERA. Boston countered with Payton Tolle, who entered at 5-6 with a 3.14 ERA.

Boston also recalled Brayan Bello from Triple-A Worcester on the morning of the game. That move became important when Tolle’s outing ended after 3 2/3 innings, leaving Bello to handle the middle portion of the game.

Inning-by-Inning Score

New York scored first and held Boston scoreless for eight innings. The Red Sox did all of their scoring in the final two frames.

The line finished at three runs, four hits and no errors for Boston, compared with two runs, six hits and two errors for New York.

Inning-by-Inning Game Breakdown

First Through Third Innings

The Mets moved ahead in the bottom of the first. A.J. Ewing doubled and Francisco Lindor followed with an RBI double off Tolle, bringing Ewing home for a 1-0 lead.

Tolle prevented the inning from growing and then worked through the next two frames without allowing another run. He also missed bats throughout his start, recording seven strikeouts despite pitching only 3 2/3 innings.

Thornton gave Boston little room to respond. The Red Sox did not score in the first three innings, allowing New York’s early run to hold up.

Fourth Through Sixth Innings

Brayan Bello replaced Tolle in the fourth and handled the bulk of Boston’s middle-inning work. The Mets added their second run in the sixth when Lindor hit a solo home run off Bello.

That homer made it 2-0 and gave Lindor both of New York’s RBIs. It was his second extra-base hit of the afternoon after the first-inning double.

The Mets also lost a potential scoring chance in the sixth when catcher Connor Wong threw out Juan Soto. Boston entered the seventh down by two, but Bello kept the margin from increasing.

Seventh Through Ninth Innings

Thornton completed seven scoreless innings with Boston still stuck on two hits. Luke Weaver followed with a scoreless eighth, sending the Mets into the ninth with a 2-0 lead.

Ceddanne Rafaela opened the ninth with a single against Devin Williams. Romy Gonzalez then hit a ground ball that could have produced outs, but Lindor committed a fielding error. Boston suddenly had multiple runners aboard with nobody out.

Williams later walked Andruw Monasterio with the bases loaded, forcing in Boston’s first run. Duran then singled to bring home Rafaela and tie the game 2-2. Williams prevented further damage, but Boston had forced extra innings.

10th Inning

Masataka Yoshida began the 10th as Boston’s automatic runner at second base. Connor Wong moved him to third with a sacrifice bunt against Brooks Raley.

Seigler followed with a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Yoshida to score the go-ahead run without Boston needing another hit.

Garrett Whitlock took the bottom of the inning. He kept the automatic runner from scoring and retired Bo Bichette for the final out, giving Boston the 3-2 win and Whitlock his second save.

Team Stats Comparison

The Mets vs Red Sox Match Player Stats show an unusual offensive split. New York produced more hits and more extra-base hits, but Boston created more free baserunners and did not commit an error.

New York’s pitching allowed only one earned run. Boston’s other two runs were affected by the ninth-inning error and the automatic runner rule in the 10th.

Boston pitching also recorded 14 strikeouts and issued only one walk across 10 innings. That limited New York’s chances to add insurance runs after taking the early lead.

Key Numbers That Decided the Game

Boston went into the ninth with only two hits and no runs. The situation changed when Rafaela reached with a single and Lindor’s error prevented New York from recording the outs it needed.

The four-to-one edge in walks also mattered. Monasterio’s ninth-inning walk came with the bases loaded and directly produced Boston’s first run.

Boston then scored the winning run without a hit in the 10th. Wong’s sacrifice bunt advanced Yoshida, and Seigler’s sacrifice fly completed the sequence. Boston used two productive outs to turn the automatic runner into the deciding run.

The Red Sox also became 1-43 in games they had trailed after eight innings in 2026. The previous 43 such games had all ended in losses.

Boston Red Sox Full Box Score

Boston’s lineup did not produce much traffic through eight innings. Rafaela, Monasterio, Duran and Wong supplied the team’s four hits, while late substitutions helped shape the winning rally.

Red Sox Batting

Monasterio had Boston’s only extra-base hit, a double. Durbin and Wong recorded sacrifice bunts, while Seigler had the sacrifice fly that produced the winning run.

Red Sox Pitching

Tolle and Bello covered the first eight innings. Chapman then worked a scoreless ninth before Boston took the lead, which put him in position for the win. Whitlock closed the 10th.

New York Mets Full Box Score

Lindor drove in both Mets runs and accounted for two of their six hits. Ewing, Tyrone Taylor, Luis Torrens and Jared Young supplied the other four.

Mets Batting

New York had four extra-base hits. Ewing, Lindor and Taylor doubled, while Lindor added the sixth-inning home run. The Mets also committed two errors, one by Wagaman and one by Lindor.

Mets Pitching

Thornton left with a 2-0 lead after seven innings. Weaver protected it through the eighth, but Williams was charged with the blown save in the ninth. Raley took the loss after the automatic runner scored in the 10th.

Top Performers

Brayan Bello

Bello was recalled from Triple-A on the morning of the game and entered after Tolle recorded 11 outs. He covered the next 4 1/3 innings, which allowed Boston to reach the ninth without using several additional relievers. 

Lindor’s sixth-inning home run was the only run Bello allowed. He did not issue a walk and struck out five. His appearance carried Boston from the fourth into the eighth, keeping the deficit at two runs while the Red Sox lineup remained scoreless.

Jarren Duran

Duran’s only hit came when Boston needed a run to extend the game. With New York still ahead 2-1 in the ninth, he singled off Williams and brought Rafaela home with the tying run. The hit followed Monasterio’s bases-loaded walk, so Boston turned one extended inning into two runs after being shut out through eight. 

Williams recovered and stranded the remaining runners, but Duran’s single removed New York’s lead and gave Boston a chance to use its bullpen and automatic runner in extra innings.

Anthony Seigler

Seigler did not record a hit, but his final plate appearance produced Boston’s third run. Yoshida started the 10th at second and moved to third on Wong’s bunt. Seigler then lifted a sacrifice fly against Raley, allowing Yoshida to score. 

The play gave Boston its first lead of the afternoon. Because the run came through the automatic runner and two productive outs, Boston finished the inning without a hit. Whitlock then protected the one-run advantage in the bottom half.

Zach Thornton

Thornton gave the Mets seven scoreless innings in his third major league start. Boston managed only two hits against him and did not score before he left the game. It was also the first time Thornton had completed seven innings in either the majors or minors since May 13, 2025. 

New York held a 2-0 lead when his outing ended, putting him in line for his first major league win. The ninth-inning rally against Williams erased that decision and left Thornton with a no-decision.

Francisco Lindor

Lindor produced all of New York’s scoring. His first-inning double drove in Ewing, and his solo home run in the sixth gave the Mets a 2-0 advantage. He finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. His ninth inning also included the fielding error on Gonzalez’s ground ball that allowed Boston’s rally to continue with no outs recorded on the play. 

Boston later scored twice in the inning. Lindor’s afternoon therefore included both of New York’s run-producing hits and the error that extended Boston’s tying rally.

Starting Lineups

Both teams started left-handed pitchers. Boston used Seigler at second base and Duran as the designated hitter, while New York kept Bichette out of the starting lineup because of leg and ankle soreness.

The confirmed lineups also reflected injuries on the Mets roster, with Bichette available from the bench rather than starting. He later pinch-hit in the bottom of the 10th.

Injury Report

Several players were unavailable or limited entering the game. Boston had rotation and lineup pieces on the injured list, while the Mets were without Marcus Semien and had Bichette limited to bench duty.

Bichette had been out of the starting lineup throughout the series but remained available as a pinch hitter. He appeared in the 10th and made the final out against Whitlock.

Semien began a Double-A rehabilitation assignment the same day. Boston’s Early, Suarez and Anthony remained on the injured list entering the All-Star break.

Season Series and Head-to-Head History

Boston swept all three games at Citi Field in the 2026 regular-season series. The three wins also moved the Red Sox’s all-time regular-season record against the Mets to 28-19.

The regular-season matchup dates back to interleague play in 1997. Their most important historical meeting remains the 1986 World Series, when New York defeated Boston four games to three.

Division Standings Entering the Game

Because MLB uses divisions rather than conferences, Boston’s position is shown in the AL East and New York’s in the NL East. These records reflect the standings before first pitch on July 12.

AL East

Boston was also only a half-game outside an AL Wild Card position despite sitting 11 games behind Tampa Bay in the division.

NL East

New York entered the game fifth in the NL East and 15 games behind Atlanta. The loss moved the Mets to 40-57 going into the All-Star break.

Broadcast Information

The Sunday afternoon game was available on separate local television feeds in Boston and New York.

NESN and WEEI-FM 93.7 were listed for Boston coverage, while WPIX carried the New York television broadcast.

Conclusion

Boston left Citi Field in a very different position from the one it occupied before its road trip began. The Red Sox entered the All-Star break at 46-48 after nine straight road wins and had moved within half a game of an American League Wild Card place. Their next scheduled action was a July 17 day-night doubleheader against Tampa Bay at Fenway Park.

New York reached the break at 40-57 and remained fifth in the NL East. The Mets had received the type of starting pitching needed to protect a lead, but the late inning changed the outcome before Thornton could secure his first major league victory. New York’s next scheduled game was July 16 at Philadelphia, giving the club several days before beginning the second half against a division opponent.

For more match updates, read: New York Yankees vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Mets vs Red Sox game on July 12, 2026?

The Red Sox won 3-2 in 10 innings. Boston scored twice in the ninth to tie the game before Anthony Seigler’s sacrifice fly produced the winning run.

What were the key Mets vs Red Sox Match Player Stats?

Zach Thornton threw seven scoreless innings, Francisco Lindor went 2-for-4 with two RBIs, and Brayan Bello worked 4 1/3 innings with five strikeouts for Boston.

Who hit a home run in the Mets vs Red Sox game?

Francisco Lindor hit the game’s only home run. His solo shot off Brayan Bello in the sixth inning gave New York a 2-0 lead.

How did the Red Sox tie the game in the ninth inning?

Boston scored on Andruw Monasterio’s bases-loaded walk and Jarren Duran’s RBI single after Francisco Lindor’s fielding error helped extend the inning.

Who were the winning and losing pitchers?

Aroldis Chapman earned the win after a scoreless ninth inning. Brooks Raley took the loss, while Garrett Whitlock recorded the save in the 10th.

Did the Red Sox sweep the Mets in the 2026 series?

Yes. Boston won all three games at Citi Field, taking the series by scores of 6-2, 4-0 and 3-2.

Where was the July 12 Mets vs Red Sox game played?

The game was played at Citi Field in Flushing, New York. It began at 1:40 p.m. ET and drew an announced crowd of 37,638.