Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are getting in on the "Heated Rivalry" craze ... 'cause the team is hosting a night celebrating the book that inspired the hit TV show!!

Boston shared the news in a release on Thursday, promising fans it will bring "the passion and electric chemistry of Shane Hollander and Ilya Rozanov's story into a setting that knows a thing or two about unforgettable rivalries."

"Join us and Harlequin in the city where Ilya rules the ice for a summer night that's anything but ordinary."

Wilyer Abreu had one of the weirdest moments of the spring Tuesday … and walked away holding basically a souvenir.

The Boston Red Sox’s two-time Gold Glove winner stepped to the plate in the fourth inning of a spring training game against the Pirates. After taking the first pitch, he barely flinched at the next -- a harmless little check swing -- and somehow his bat decided it had seen enough.

Abreu barely offered at the off-speed pitch ... and somehow the lumber snapped clean in half. We’re not talking about a foul tip gone wrong or a shattered barrel on a heater inside, either -- but all that was left in his hands was the knob.

To make Abreu’s situation worse … the ump even called it a strike after the wood crossed the plate.

The Chicago White Sox just heaped praise on Pope Leo XIV ... after he blessed their timeline with some Cubs shade!!

The head of the Catholic Church threw a quick quip at the North Siders on Wednesday while at the Vatican ... when he responded to a fan who shouted "Go Cubs" at him.

"Han perdido!" he fired back. "They lost!"

Sad news out of Red Sox Nation ... longtime outfielder Mike Greenwell died on Thursday, the MLB team announced, following a courageous fight with thyroid cancer.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of Red Sox Hall of Famer Mike Greenwell," the Sox said on X this afternoon.

"'The Gator” spent his entire career in a Red Sox uniform and was a beloved fixture of Fenway and Fort Myers. He gave so much to Lee County and Sox Nation. We send our love to the Greenwell family."

Greenwell played 12 seasons in the majors -- all for the Red Sox -- after being selected by the organization in the third round of the 1982 draft. He made his Big League debut in 1985.

After playing sparingly his first few seasons, Greenwell had a fantastic 1988 season, earning his first All-Star nod (he also made the ASG in '89) and finishing second in the A.L. MVP race behind slugger Jose Canseco ... all while securing his role as the team's left fielder.

Greenwell had 192 hits, 22 home runs, and drove in 119 runs in '88 ... his best season as a pro.

Mike retired in 1996 ... after a great career in which he had 1400 hits, 275 doubles, 387 triples, 130 home runs,  and 726 RBIs. He also walked 460 times and had a batting average of .303.

Sadly, in August, Greenwell told a local news station in Florida -- where he was living post-baseball career -- that he'd been diagnosed with medullary thyroid cancer, a rare form of cancer.

New York Yankees pitcher Cam Schlittler was a menace to everyone in Boston red on Thursday night ... not only did he dominate the Sox in a Wild Card elimination game, he later trolled one of the team's most stunning fans.

The Yanks rookie hit the comment section of Red Sox fan Lucy Burdge's viral X post after mowing down the Red Sox in the do-or-die tilt at Yankee Stadium ... and he dropped a trolling line.

While Burdge wrote "Sox in 3" ahead of first pitch of the big game ... Schlittler responded, "Not this year."

New York Yankees star Jazz Chisholm was not in the best of moods Tuesday night after being left out of the lineup in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series ... but the secret medicine to get out of that funk?? Beating the crap out of someone in "MLB: The Show!!!"

Chisholm shared his remedy following the Yanks' 4-3 win in Game 2 ... which sets up a winner-takes-all scenario for Thursday.

Jazz -- who crossed the plate as the go-ahead run in the 8th inning -- was asked how he got over the disappointment of Tuesday's loss ... and he said all it took was firing up the console.

Yankees star Jazz Chisholm wasn't hiding his frustrations after his name was left out of the starting nine for New York's AL Wild Card opener -- turning his back to reporters when he was asked about the move during his postgame media session.

Yanks manager Aaron Boone had fans scratching their heads after the 27-year-old wasn't slotted in at second base during their Game 1 loss to the Boston Red Sox ... with Amed Rosario getting the nod against lefty Garrett Crochet.

When asked if he was surprised by the decision ... Chisholm said, "I guess yeah," as he rummaged through his locker.

Jarren Duran appeared to clash once more with a smack-talking fan on Tuesday night ... and like one his previous, infamous instances with hecklers, it seemed he used some foul language to issue a clap back.

The Red Sox star looked like he got into it with a Boston supporter right after he struck out with the bases loaded in the bottom of the eighth inning of his team's home game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Footage from the Fenway Park broadcast shows that as he was headed to his dugout, someone yelled at him. In response, Duran appeared to scream back, "F*** you, p***y."

Alex Cora had himself an All-Star break he'll remember for the foreseeable future ... 'cause the Red Sox manager was in attendance for the Coldplay concert on Wednesday in Boston -- the same show where an alleged affair was put on display for the world to see!

Cora met with media members on Friday just ahead of his team's series opener against the Chicago Cubs, and he was asked how he enjoyed his past few off days.

He cracked a wry smile and said, "It was good," before he revealed, "I was actually in the Wednesday [Coldplay] concert."

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner have been on great terms for a long while now ... so it should be no surprise they took in a ballgame together with the kids.

The former husband and wife made a return to the big screen together, so to speak ... when they were shown on the jumbotron of the Red Sox game Friday night with two of their three children. It appears Violet was not there -- but Mom and Dad were sitting between Samuel and Fin.

It was a sweet moment that even made the game broadcast ... Ben, of course, being a diehard Sox fan -- he is a Boston native after all.

Johnny Damon -- like so many Red Sox fans -- wishes Rafael Devers' Boston career had ended differently ... telling TMZ Sports this week the situation is "just horrible for everyone."

The former Sox outfielder sat down with us on Wednesday, some three days after Devers was jettisoned to San Francisco, and he made it clear, he would have preferred both sides work their differences out.

He said the trade is unfortunate for nearly every party, but noted Red Sox supporters are likely hurting the most.

Boston Red Sox exec Craig Breslow has been on the receiving end of a ton of backlash after trading away star player Rafael Devers ... to the point where his home address was published online -- and now cops are aware of the situation.

Newton Police tell TMZ Sports ... after Devers was dealt to San Francisco, the department was "notified by representatives from the Boston Red Sox Organization that some members of the Red Sox have been victims of doxing on social media due to a recent trade."

While cops were tipped off, NPD added it is not investigating any online threats.

A bunch of new fans have stepped up to the plate to get a closer look at Roman Anthony's sister ... she says she's gained thousands of Instagram followers since her viral appearance at his game earlier this week -- and a bunch of DMs, too!

Lia Anthony opened up about her newfound fame on "The Greg Hill Show" on Thursday ... telling the program's hosts she's gone from roughly 3,000 followers to around 14,000 after she stunned Boston supporters with her looks at Roman's Red Sox vs. Rays game Tuesday.

Additionally, she said "quite a few" people have shot their shots at her in her direct message box -- with one even making a baseball pun to get her attention.

Red Sox phenom Roman Anthony recorded his first MLB hit Tuesday night, and while Bostonians everywhere rejoiced ... all most of the internet could focus on was a fan in the stands who was cheering him on -- his sister.

Anthony -- the No. 1 overall prospect in baseball -- played in just his second-ever Big League tilt at Fenway Park ... and while he shined, it was Lia Anthony who found herself dominating the headlines.

Roman's sis was shown on the Sox vs. Rays broadcast multiple times ... and fans couldn't help but rave over her stunning appearance.

Red Sox pitcher Liam Hendriks says he and his wife have received an onslaught of death threats following his brutal outing against the Mets on Wednesday ... and now, he's pleading with fans to stop the hurtful messages ASAP.

Hendriks took to his Instagram page Thursday morning to explain the situation ... revealing that since he gave up three earned runs in just one-third of an inning in Boston's 5-1 loss to New York, people have been bombarding him and his family with hate.

He said in addition to the threats on his and Kristi Hendriks' lives, people have left "comments telling me to commit suicide" as well as ones wishing he "died from cancer."