Drayage Brokersin Boston, MA

BOSTON -- The Red Sox completed a homestand that had everything but a satisfying finale. But even a 3-1 loss to the Giants on getaway Thursday couldn’t take anything away from the club’s satisfaction with going 4-2 on its second homestand after going 3-7 on the first one.

Manager Alex Cora’s club hits the road with an 18-14 record, and has handled an unusual rash of injuries (14 players are currently on the injured list) better than anyone could have expected.

“It was a great homestand,” said Cora. “It wasn’t better [than the last one], it was great. We played great. We pitched well. We played clean baseball. Sweeping at this level is very hard. So now we have Minnesota. We’ll try to do the same thing on the road.”

Now it’s back on the road, where the Sox are a sturdy 11-5. Boston will get a big test on this trip with a three-game set against the Twins -- winners of 10 in a row -- and a two-game series against the powerhouse Braves, owners of the best record in baseball at 20-9.

“Yeah, obviously we want to compete against the best all the time,” said Red Sox outfielder Tyler O’Neill. “Minnesota obviously had a good year last year and they’ve got a lot of talent over there. We’re ready for a dogfight.”

Here are some storylines to watch on the trip.

The return of Grissom The Red Sox have been excited about Vaughn Grissom since the day they acquired him in December for Chris Sale. But it has been slow going for the second baseman, who came to Spring Training with a sore right hamstring, then developed a groin injury and started the season on the injured list.

Grissom was supposed to debut on Tuesday against the Giants, but an untimely case of the flu left him out of the series. Grissom was working out at Fenway Park on Thursday and is expected to be activated for Friday night’s opener at Target Field.

Aside from getting a promising player in action for the first time, the fact that the Sox have lacked production from second base through the first month of the season makes it a bigger deal.

Here are where the Red Sox rank among MLB’s 30 teams in key offensive categories at second base:

• Average (.171, 29th) • Walks (4, 29th) • Strikeouts (36, 5th) • OBP (.194, 30th) • Slugging (.265, 28th) • OPS (.459, 30th)

A reunion with Sale On Tuesday night, in the opener of the two-game series in Atlanta, Sale is the likely starter for the Braves.

Not only will there be the subplot of the Sale-Grissom matchup, but this will be Sale’s first time facing the team with which he spent the last seven seasons, too much of which was spent on the IL.

However, Sale will always mean a lot to the Red Sox given his impact on the team’s World Series title in 2018 and the way his leadership and competitiveness helped the rest of the pitching staff.

Sale is always fired up, but facing the team that traded him as he entered the final year of his contract will ratchet him up a little more. The lefty is off to a solid start in Atlanta, going 4-1 with a 3.44 ERA.

This will mark the first time most of Boston’s roster will get to face Sale, and the matchups with Rafael Devers should be particularly intriguing. Rob Refsnyder (2-for-8, three walks) is the only Sox player with more than five career at-bats against Sale.

Can the rotation keep it up? Boston’s rotation continues to be one of the biggest early-season surprises in the game. As the Red Sox hit the road, their starting pitchers lead the Majors with a 2.03 ERA.

Making it all the more impressive is that Lucas Giolito (who won’t pitch in 2024), Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock are all on the injured list. Reinforcements are on the way, however. Pivetta made a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Thursday and could start one of the two games in Atlanta.

Bello has a rehab start scheduled for May 8 and should return for the next homestand. Whitlock remains in a holding pattern until the symptoms in his left oblique completely subside. He has at least been throwing off flat ground.

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers have no plans for a team watch party Thursday.

But most of them will be tuned in when the Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs play Game 6 of the Eastern Conference First Round at Scotiabank Arena (8 p.m. ET; CBC, TVAS, SN, NESN, TBS, MAX).

Boston has a 3-2 lead in the best-of-7 series, the winner getting the Panthers in the next round.

Florida coach Paul Maurice plans to take the usual spot on the couch in his Fort Lauderdale home and take it all in.

“I won’t be doing anything else. I’ll even watch the commercials,” Maurice said following practice Thursday. “We have cats, so we all have spots on the couch we’re allowed to take. We watch hockey every single night, or at least, it’s on every night. Sometimes I don’t like it very much and I’ll ignore it.’’

Maurice said he would try to enjoy the spectacle as much as possible.

On Friday, he plans on watching the game again as part of his preparation for what comes next.

“I will watch it casually,’’ Maurice said. “I usually pick the team that is leading the series and really focus on them, but I will watch it tomorrow morning early on my computer and cut pieces of the game, get video. And I have two full-time video guys -- one has Boston, one has Toronto. And they are doing the same for us, right?’’

As for the players, several said they plan on tuning in for obvious reasons.

Forward Evan Rodrigues says it is hard for him to watch a game on a school night, but once his kids head off to bed, his focus will turn toward Toronto.

“I am going to be on Dad duty as usual,’’ Rodrigues said. “This is our opponent in the next round, so it will be fun to watch and see who we are going to play. As a hockey player, you are always picking things up from watching a game. I watch them very carefully. A game is never just on for me. I am dialed in on it.”

Forward Kyle Okposo, who is in his first postseason since 2016 with the New York Islanders, said he is excited to tune in.

“It makes it a little bit different when you know that is who you will playing in the next round,” Okposo said. “I think you watch the game a little differently, less as a fan and more about preparation, but I have been watching every night. But this will be a different viewing experience than Dallas and Vegas last night.”

Of course, with all the games Florida has played against Toronto and Boston over the past couple of seasons -- in the regular season and the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs -- there probably is not much the Panthers can learn from watching Game 6.

That does not mean they will not be paying attention, anyway.

“I know I will start watching the game, but I do not know if I will be able to make it to the end,” defenseman Gustav Forsling said. “Depends on how my son is tonight, but this is a game I would watch more closely than another. We are very familiar with both teams. There will not be any surprises.”

In the first round last season, Florida upset Boston in seven games. The Panthers then played the Maple Leafs in the second round, winning in five.

Forward Ryan Lomberg says he has no interest in spending his night watching those two play.

“I have seen enough of those two teams,” Lomberg said. “I am sure it is going to be an entertaining game, but I am not going to get anything out of it. The plan is to have a nice dinner with the family, get to bed early and get some good rest. Have to get ready for whomever it is.”

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Boston Bruins coach Jim Montgomery had a night to sleep on his team's 2-1 overtime loss to Toronto in Game 5 of their first-round Stanley Cup playoff series on Tuesday -- and remained in a foul mood about it by Wednesday.

"I'm still pissed off from last night, to be honest," Montgomery said after the Bruins' optional practice. "I don't understand and don't accept our play last night. I'm going to be pissed off until the puck drops [in Game 6]."

The Bruins entered Tuesday's game with a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series and could have eliminated the Leafs with a victory on home ice. Instead, Boston is headed back to Toronto for Game 6 on Thursday knowing the Leafs have life again.

Montgomery brought his group in prior to the trip for a meeting where the Bruins went over a lackluster Game 5 performance that included a costly, poor start and a general failure to match the Leafs' urgency.

Boston allowed Toronto defenseman Jake McCabe to open the scoring in a first period where the Bruins were outshot 11-2. Even though Trent Frederic capitalized on a fortuitous bounce to tie the score at 1-1 through 20 minutes, Boston was on its heels in Game 5 more than they had been throughout the series. Matthew Knies' overtime winner just 2:26 into the extra frame was a dagger Montgomery couldn't shake.

"We wanted to review the game and where we went wrong," said Montgomery. "We started talking about where we need to get better. Some of that's physical. Some of it is mental. Some of it is staying in the moment. I don't think we did a good enough job staying in the moment last night. That's what we're looking for [in our] next game."

Montgomery also took heat for altering his lineup in Game 5. Rather than sticking with what previously worked, Montgomery inserted Matt Grzelcyk for Kevin Shattenkirk on the blue line -- and watched Grzelcyk be victimized by John Tavares' foot speed setting up Knies' winner in overtime.

"There are a lot of discussions that go on, but in the end, I end up making decisions that I was really confident were best for the Boston Bruins," said Montgomery. "And when it doesn't work out, I understand it'll be second-guessed and third-guessed and fourth-guessed. I understand that it comes with the territory. Just like when you make changes, and it works out. It's the same thing. But I'm comfortable with the decisions I made and why I made them, and the criticism that comes with it."

The Bruins' missed opportunity to polish off the Leafs puts them in uncomfortably familiar territory. Last spring, Boston was the league's reigning Presidents Trophy winner and jumped out to a 3-1 series lead over the eighth-seeded Florida Panthers. The Bruins failed to close out the Panthers in three straight tries and unraveled entirely with a stunning first-round playoff exit.

Boston has done well this time around as the road team, taking both Game 3 and 4 in Toronto that put the Leafs on the ropes. Toronto has lost six consecutive postseason games on home ice and was booed by its own crowd after a dismal two-period effort in Game 4 on Saturday. A seventh consecutive defeat in their building on Thursday would spell the end of another disappointing Leafs postseason.

That's why Toronto coach Sheldon Keefe stressed the importance of his team keeping Thursday's game in perspective, focusing on what they could build from rather than worrying about the venue.

"Quite honestly, [being home again] means nothing," he said. "We have to approach the game no differently than we have on the road in terms of our plan and what's required. We don't have to impress anyone. We don't have to do this or that, we have to win a game."

Toronto made a significant lineup change of its own Tuesday, starting Joseph Woll for the first time in this series over Ilya Samsonov. Woll was excellent in making 28 stops and projects to get the call again in Thursday's critical matchup. Less clear is whether the Leafs will have forward Auston Matthews back in the lineup.

Matthews missed the third period of Game 4 and all of Game 5 with what the Leafs have deemed a "lingering" illness. He skated Tuesday and again Wednesday, but Keefe provided no update on whether he would be available to play in Game 6. Max Domi took over Matthews' top-line spot in Tuesday's win with good success (one assist, 85.7 faceoff win percentage) and would center there again if Matthews can't go.

Boston had better news on Brandon Carlo, who was absent from their bench in overtime Tuesday. Montgomery confirmed the blueliner will be "good to go" in Game 6.

However the Bruins' lineup comes together, the Leafs are preparing for another hard-fought bout Thursday to keep their season alive. But now, Toronto has a blueprint in mind for success.

"We're still in a battle," said Keefe. "That certainly has not changed. We've gotten the opponent's attention here now. So, tomorrow is going to be an even tougher night, but there's one way to go about it. And that's how we've played in our last two road game [wins]. That's playoff hockey. That's what's required, and we have to bring that to the ice tomorrow."

The Boston Bruins and Toronto Maple Leafs will play Game 7 of the Eastern Conference First Round at TD Garden in Boston on Saturday (8 p.m.; ABC, ESPN+, SN, TVAS, CBC).

Toronto pushed the series to the limit by winning Game 6 at home 2-1 on Thursday.

“If someone told us at the start of the season that we’d be [in] Game 7 at home against Toronto, we’d take that all day,” Bruins captain Brad Marchand said. “So it doesn’t matter how you get there. We’re there. Gotta show up.”

It is the fourth straight series the teams have played against each other that will be decided in seven games. Boston has won the previous three (2013, 2018, 2019).

The winner will advance to the Eastern Conference Second Round and play the Florida Panthers, who defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in five games in their best-of-7 first-round series.

The Bruins (47-20-15), the No. 2 seed from the Atlantic Division, or Maple Leafs (46-26-10), the No. 3 seed, would start the series on the road against the Panthers (52-24-6), the No. 1 seed.

“In my mind, we just played two Game 7s," Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. "It’s an elimination game. ... It feels like what we’ve just gone through where every single play matters. You expect it to be tight. At the end of the day, all we’ve earned is another game on the schedule. As good as this feels and as proud of the group as you are for the effort they’ve put forth and the results they’ve gotten and how they’ve performed in these couple games to earn this next game, all we’ve done is earned that one. So for the first time now we will go into Boston and everything is all the same in terms of both teams facing elimination.”

Boston is 15-15 in Game 7 in its history, including 14-10 at home. The Bruins lost at home to the Panthers 4-3 in overtime in Game 7 of the first round last season and have lost their past three Game 7s.

“There’s always optimism. There’s the opportunity to play in a Game 7,” Bruins coach Jim Montgomery said. “You grew up all your life wanting … to be a part of it. We have a chance to be a part of it. We’re gonna be in front of our great crowd. It’s extremely loud. And we’ve got to go in there and we’ve got to dig in.”

Marchand is 6-5 in Game 7 with seven points (three goals, four assists). Forward Pat Maroon is 4-3 with a goal and an assist. Forwards Charlie Coyle, Jake DeBrusk, James van Riemsdyk and David Pastrnak and defenseman Charlie McAvoy each is 2-3.

Goalie Jeremy Swayman lost each of his two Game 7s, allowing seven goals on 62 shots (3.34 goals-against average, .887 save percentage). Linus Ullmark has not played in a Game 7.

“We’re expecting their best. And we’re expecting our best. And that’s what makes Game 7 so fun and special,” Swayman said.

Montgomery is 0-2 in Game 7.

Toronto is 12-14 in Game 7, including 5-11 on the road. The Maple Leafs lost their most recent Game 7, 2-1 against the Lightning at home in the first round in 2022, and have lost their past five Game 7s.

Defenseman Joel Edmundson is 5-0 in 5 Game 7, and forward Ryan Reaves is 4-1. Center Auston Matthews, forwards Mitch Marner and William Nylander and defenseman Morgan Rielly each is 0-4. Center John Tavares is 0-3.

Goalies Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll have never played in a Game 7. Martin Jones, who played 22 games for the Maple Leafs during the regular season but has not appeared in the playoffs, is 3-0 in Game 7 with a 1.82 GAA, .931 save percentage and one shutout.

Keefe is 0-2 in Game 7s.

There were three Game 7s in the 2023 first round, with the road team winning two of them.

“This is why we play hockey. That’s the beauty of the sport," Pastrnak said. "Game 7s. Work the whole season so we have the advantage of being home. We’re gonna get home and get ready for Game 7.”

NHL.com staff writer Amalie Benjamin and independent correspondent Dave McCarthy contributed to this report

BOSTON -- There’s only so much room that frustration can build before reaching a breaking point. Jorge Soler put that metaphor to the test on Wednesday night at Fenway Park.

After hitting a Statcast-projected 110.7 mph rocket directly into the glove of Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers in the fifth inning, Soler raised his bat above his head and forcefully brought it down over his right thigh for a clean break.

The lineout represented the hardest contact in the Giants’ 6-2 loss to the Red Sox and the ensuing snap of the bat, a physical embodiment of the frustration San Francisco has felt on offense to begin the season.

“Look at today, he had some really good swings, he’s got nothing to show for it," manger Bob Melvin said. "So there's kind of a breaking point, right? Where you get frustrated and need to take it out. I think at times you want to get upset, because you're not getting the results that we want. And it's been basically going on all year.”

Despite the 0-2 start to their three-game set at Fenway, it hasn’t been all bad for the Giants’ offense -- in fact they’ve been riding right around the middle of the pack for much of the season. Entering Wednesday, the team ranked 15th in MLB in average (.241), 19th in OPS (.683) and 20th in OBP (.308). The issue lies in the fact that they know they’re equipped with the tools to be better.

Take Soler for example: The Giants signed the slugger to a three-year deal in February, eager to fill the everyday designated hitter slot with a player who notched 36 homers and hit .250 with a 128 OPS+ with the Marlins in 2023. Or Matt Chapman, who was signed in March after trailing only the Yankees’ Aaron Judge among qualified hitters with a 56.2% hard-hit rate last season. Soler and Chapman are hitting .211 and .223 respectively, with just 22 RBIs between the two offseason acquisitions.

The keys to success are here, the Giants are just waiting for them to fall into place.

“From time to time, you mix up the order. But these are the guys we have and all these guys have track records,” Melvin said. “It does not look good in the first month, but stay with it, we're gonna hit a hot streak at some point in time. We have the ability to be a lot better offensive team than we are right now.”

Soler also accounted for the game’s second hardest hit ball, a 107.6 mph lineout in the third. All but one of the Giants’ seven hard-hit balls on Wednesday were outs, except for a 106.4 mph home run off the bat of Tom Murphy to put San Francisco on the board.

Mike Yazstremski gave the Giants their second run with some small ball in the fourth -- perfectly placing a soft bunt down the third-base line to allow Michael Conforto to score.

“There were some good swings today, really the last couple of games … the last one at home too,” Melvin said. “It's frustrating, yet it’s about results and we're not getting the results yet. So we get one swing from Murph gives us a lead, we give it right. Yaz does a good job, Devers back at third, drops a bunt down.

“But we're just not stringing enough together to put pressure on teams and then we either go down quickly, or we're behind in counts, and we're just not getting in good counts to hit at this point.”

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The Giants were 1-for-4 with runners in scoring position and left four men on base on Wednesday. The only base traffic on the visitors’ side came in the fourth inning, when San Francisco strung together a walk, a double and Yazstremski’s RBI single. Tuesday’s opener yielded similar results, with the Giants recording back-to-back hits just once, in the ninth inning. On Thursday, they’ll have a chance to turn the tide in the series finale before heading to Philadelphia for the second leg of a three-city road trip.

“We know it's a long season. And we know that we have a lot of baseball ahead of us,” Chapman said. “So we just got to keep grinding and make little adjustments here and there and we'll get it rolling.”