PTI - The Red Sox are Red Hot Right Now!

Episode Date: July 22, 2026

Michael Wilbon and Tony Kornheiser discuss: Red Sox 15th straight win, Jordan Alvarez in lead for Triple Crown, Mahomes likely ready for camp, Heat post and delete, Lewandowski debut + more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

There's no shortcut for saving time, but saving money is simple. Just combine your car and home insurance with Bel Air Direct and save. Get a quote at bellair direct.com. The interruption, but I'm Mike Will, about Tony. This is our last show of the week. I'm Tony Kornheiser, and it's on ESPN 2. So get ready to mail it in. That's not the way to go into this.

That's not the way to do it. I wore this jacket last week when you weren't there. Because it's a summer jacket, it's more. Moved. I think it's hideous. Do you like it? Yeah. Yeah.

Okay. Yeah. You don't want me to change for the next segment. No. No. No change it. I'll keep it on. I like more.

All right. Welcome to PTI, boys and girls. In today's episode, Yorden Alvarez is going to the Triple Crown. Patrick Mahomes could be cleared this weekend. The Heat Post and then delete a link to an introductory press conference with LeBron. But we begin today with the Red Sox adding another win to their streak. Boston beat Baltimore this afternoon in the first of two by a count of six-three. That makes it 15 straight wins for the Red Sox, a heater that has lifted them into the third wildcard slot.

Wilbon, where does this streak place the Red Sox among the American League contenders in your mind? In the jumble, Tony, the 15 games is flashy. When it happens with a team from New York or Philly, Boston, it's even flashier. but it puts them in a jumble with the White Sox, Cleveland, Texas, Seattle, you know, some of the Houston even, even though there are a few games under 500, and we'll get to them.

But then ultimately, Tampa and the Yankees, because they're at the top of the division, but, you know, they're all going to be in a jumble, chasing four. I mentioned all three divisions in there. And then Wildcars doesn't put them ahead of that. Listen, even if they win two or three more in a row and they stretch this thing out to 18 or so,

That's a hell of a streak anytime, anywhere in the 150-year history of Major League Baseball. It doesn't mean all of a sudden it makes them the favorite to beat the Dodgers. It doesn't. Or to get out of the American League even. So this is really cool. It's a great time to be a Red Sox fan given where they started. But they're in a jumble of teams. Yeah, I'm going to go higher than you on this.

I'm going to go higher. They have been fueled on this streak by their pitching. Their bullpen has been totally. lights out in the streak, in the 14-game streak, I don't know about today, their bullpen's ERA was 1-15. Their overall pitching staff ERA during this 14-game streak was 196 or 197, something like that. And in the larger streak, the 19 of 21, the starters were 2-66. And the truth is that pitching always trumps hitting. This is an axiom of baseball. Last year, why did the Dodgers win the World Series because their pitching staff came together right around the time of the playoffs.

The Red Sox, for example, two of their strongest hitters we think haven't been there in a while. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story. Yeah. And the American League stinks. There are only six teams over 500 at the moment. All year long, the two best teams in the American League have been Tampa and the Yankees. Well, recently, the Red Sox swept them both. So they are 8 and O against the two best teams in the American League. The third best team, and you alluded to this, Chicago White Sox, which is amazing, because two years ago they were 200 games under 500. They swept them recently. So Mike, the Red Sox are recently 11 and O against the best teams in the American League. So to me, that makes them not just in a jumble, but very formidable. To me, very formidable. For now. And, you know, I mean,

baseball ain't football. It ain't the NFL as you and I are constantly warning others, younger people in this profession. There's so much time for stuff to happen, good and bad. That's right. Story and Anthony coming back and crochet pitching more than six times. That's all on the plus side for Boston if they can get those guys back. But other teams can get hot too. There's so much time.

Let's see. It's interesting, though. It's good to have them in the party. Let's move from one team's hot streak to the sublime season that Yordaun Alvarez is having. The Astros D.H had two more hits last night. and is leading the American League in all three Triple Crown categories. Batting, 326. Homer's 33, runs batted in, 75.

Alvarez's Astros are five games under 500, but three games behind. Only three behind the Rangers in the A.L. West. Tony, is Alvarez's stellar season reason enough for the Houston Astros to buy ahead of the August 3rd trade deadline? All right. So we have just established that the American League stinks that there are only six teams over 500. So even the fact that Houston is four games or five games under 500, whatever it is, that does not preclude them, that does not disqualify them from making the playoffs. As you say, the Red Sox have the third wild card spot right now.

I think probably at this very moment, the Astros maybe four and a half behind them. But if you do the math, it's certainly doable with 70 games left, however many games are left. It's certainly doable. But the Astros are not very good. I mean, they're really not. They've won two in a row, and they're still four and six in their last 10. They were great, Mike. Eight to ten-year run.

They had a long run. They won two World Series. Cheating or not. I mean, they were a great team. And they had, let me just go over some of the names on most of those teams. Alex Bregman, Carlos Correa, Justin Burlander, George Springer, Kyle Tucker, Yuli Guriel. And at the moment, the only really good player still in Houston is Jose Al-Tubei, other than Alvarez, who got there in 2019.

So, I mean, if I ran the Astros, honestly, I wouldn't be considering buying. I might consider trading Alvarez and restocking my entire team, because I think he could bring me a bonanza, and they're not very good. Tony, I hear you on all of that and it's persuasive, except for the part that this is the middle of July. There's too much season to go. The Astros can be as hot in no time as the Red Sox. They just can be.

Now, I know you have to gauge the market not for the long run for October 1st, but August 3rd. So we only got, you know, two weeks before that comes up. I hear you on that. But Alvarez, Tony, he's too good for me to give up if I'm the Astros. And now I'm in that jump. By the way, there are only three games out of first place in their division. They trail the Rangers by three. I know.

They don't have to be concerned with the Yankees and Tampa. It's very doable. It's doable, but they could go the other way too. I mean, they could get hot or get very, very cold. They could slide right out of it. Alvarez is having a great year. It is not quite as good as Aaron Judge's year last year, but it is certainly comparable. And triple crowns, as you're fond of saying, that we're in July.

They're not one or lost in July. They're one and lost in September. You know, and it's not a one-man sport because, Mike, if it was a one-man game, right, Ernie Banks would have had a lot of rings. It's not a one-man game. Let's move to football. Gosh, that sounds good. Arizona Cardinals and Carolina Panthers open their training camps today.

Oh, that sounds even better. Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated reports that Patrick Mahomes is expected to be fully cleared to play this week for the Kansas City Chiefs after tearing his ACL and LCL in week 15 last year. Wilbon, should we have the same expectations for Mahomes this year as we have had every other year? No, because Mahomes is seven months removed from coming back from a torn up knee. It's amazing he's even out there for camp like this. Tony. I'm like, okay, can somebody slow the roll here?

The rush to get Patrick Mahomes back? We're not talking about a guy who was on the way up and let's see or his window is closed and we got a rush back. No, stop it. Now, I think the Kansas City is going to be a team that probably doesn't even meet the playoffs. But Eric B. enemy is back as coordinator and that means something because they got Kenneth Walker a Super Bowl running back with Seattle.

lamented a half ago to put into that offense. And now it doesn't have to be all Patrick Mahomes. The Chiefs have been terrible rushing the ball. They were like 25th last year, 22nd or 23rd the year before. They got, let me say it again, Eric B. Enemy, this is an important reacquisition because they don't have Matt Negi running the offense into the ground like a few of us suspect he had. So the notion that you got to have 15 back in the lineup in July. This seems insane to me.

And you got Justin Fields who can be more than a capable backup until you get 15 back in there. Now, we're going to differ a little bit on this. I love this story because Patrick Mahomes is the best football player on the planet. There is a survey that says that Josh Allen is a better quarterback than Patrick Mahomes. But that survey was not taken in my house. I guarantee you that. So I want to get soccer out of here. I want to get Summer League out here.

I want to concentrate on the big Kahuna, which is football. I'm not a doctor. Well, that's not fair. I am a doctor, but not that kind of doctor. So I don't know Mooms' physical condition, but I can't imagine doctors would let him out on the field unless they felt he was okay. So I think we can have the same expectations.

Let's look around at the AFC. Let's look at Baltimore. Let's look at Denver. Let's look at New England. Let's look at Buffalo. Let's look. Cincinnati. Maybe.

He made the playoffs. Yeah, Cincinnati. Right. some of these teams made the playoffs last year. The Chiefs did not. The Chiefs were 6 and 11. The story in Kansas City last year was Taylor Swift. It was not Patrick Mahomes.

So one of the things looking forward to the season is this. Can Patrick Mahomes add 100% if he can get to 100%? Can he revive the greatness of Kansas City? Or are they possibly over the hill like, say, the Golden State Warriors are now? That's what we need to find out. I'm not willing to think they're over the hill yet. I'm not going to propose that. But they had a pause.

They had a pit stop to get a new tire or two on Patrick Mahomes. So let's like see. You know, Jason Tatum, even though he came back, and I know Achilles and knee and not the same, but we're talking about leg injuries. He looked like he was going to be terrific again until he wasn't quite there. Can we pump the brakes a little bit on Patrick Mahomes? Can we get to, I don't know, Columbus Day, if such a thing still exists? Yeah.

And let's see what happens. Walker is the main addition there and Eric Bionome. And so I'm painting Tony slightly blue skies for the Kansas City Chiefs for those reasons. But let's not make Mahomes do too much too soon. So happy to talk about football. It's been a long time. Let's take a break. Coming up, what was up with the heat posting and then removing a link to an introductory press conference with LeBron?

And the MLS is back on tonight. is the bigger story that Leonel Messi ain't playing or that Robert Lewandowski is. And by the way, what are you now? You get up in first take. You can only talk about football. Is that the deal?

No, no. Oh, no. Only. We haven't talked about it in months. We've had to talk about other things for months. Football is the big Kahuna, baby. Even outrates the World Cup. You could look that up. It's the only thing it does.

Yes, it does. No. It does. It does. It gets a frown. Y'all. Let's be honest. I'll call it a fraction. Drop everything.

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At the same time, Reacher is enjoying punching people. Wow, he's still punching people. Entertainment meets fast delivery. It's on pride. It's time for toss up. Two men enter. One man leaves, finishes the show, then putters around the house with existential dread for nearly four days

before working again on Monday. What's first? Toss up, the heat temporarily posting a link to a LeBron introductory press conference, something or nothing. So I think this is nothing, unless LeBron was on the fence about Miami, and this pushed him off the fence in some way.

I think this whole thing has become tedious, Mike. I'm one of the people who thinks that LeBron knows now and is known for weeks where he's going to go, and he's just looking to announce it for an advantageous moment for him as he did with the decision in Miami. I mean, that's what, look, when it's announced,

it's going to the biggest story in sports that day, and probably for one or two days after that. unless you're on first take when it will be the biggest story for 30 days unless Dak Prescott signs another contract. I don't know how these things get posted. I don't. I'm sure people are angry in the Miami Heat Organization and embarrassed in the Miami Heat Organization. And if he doesn't go there, the guy who did this is going to take the fall and be the escaped.

You're right on all those. I don't think LeBron necessarily knows where he's going. I'll disagree with you there. But that's yesterday for another day. I think that there are times in your life where you don't. don't know what you want to do. I've been in one of them or two of them in my life. Look, here's a deal. There's one line on this, and then we can move on early to the next topic. Pat Riley is not telling the damn social media team what LeBron is saying. That's it. That's all,

boys and girls. So get rid of this story forever end of day going forward. That's not happening. Pat Riley, let me have the social media team on line three. Don't be a fool. That's not happening. We agree. So how do these things get out there? How do these things get out there? When you have a social media world that is obsessed with analytics, it kills all the brain cells that should say to an editor or a producer,

this ain't a story, Holmes, that ain't happening. So stop. But this is the world in which is like either analytics or I can't think. I don't know. Maybe this is a story. I don't know. I mean, I know, again, when it happens, first takes got it to 30 days. What's next?

Toss up bigger news about tonight's Chicago Fire Inter-Miamy game, that Robert Lewandowski is playing or that Lionel Messi is not. Well, no, it's not messy because Messi said all along that when he was done with the World Cup, he was going to take some time off. It is being referred to, quote, a mandatory recovery hiatus, whatever that is. He's going to miss the All-Star game of the MLS. He'll miss a couple of games. But don't worry, kids.

The pink shirt is still going to sell. He's going to go back to Miami because he makes too much money in Miami not to. So the news is Levindoski, and I hope I have pronounced that correct. He is Polish. He is a big-time goal scorer. In all the better leagues in Europe, he has been nothing but a goal-scoring machine. But he's 37, Mike. And this is the profile that fits every player who has come to the United States

from somewhere else for the last 50 years. They're near the end or at the end. And the only person who defies this because he defies age and he defies, you know, diminution of skills is messy. He's the only one. Yeah. Tony, this is a huge deal in my hometown. Because in Chicago, there are more Polish people living in Chicago

than anywhere in the world except Warsaw. This is enormous news of Lewandowski is still able to produce goals. And whether we're talking about Dortmund, Munich, or Barcelona, I mean, in Munich, he was scoring like 41 and 35 and plus 30. In Barcelona, just a couple of years ago, he had 42 goals. We're talking about the third all-time score in Champions League history. This dude can still score goals. You're right, he's 37.

We don't know whether you. You and I had the great fortune. And I believe you agree with me on this. Of watching the great Dutchman when he was in his late 30s, Johann Krofe in Washington. in the old North American soccer league. It's so much fun to watch those guys, even as they diminish, right? And I need to say this, so people understand,

they come here, they're almost done. They're better than everybody here. They are. They're worth it. They're even in their late. They're better than everybody here. Messy is 39, right? Yes.

Is he 39? Hope Levindowski is great too, still. Victory takes just as sweet on ESPN, too, kids, even in this stupid jacket. Let's take one last break. Still to come, the Phillies lose to the Dodgers on some bad base running. Terrible. Several shooting stars have declined invites to the WNBA's three-point contest coming up all-star weekend in Chicago.

Why is that? Why have they declined? I don't get it, Tom. I don't get it. I've heard the reporting. Three-point shooting contest is usually one of the best things in any of the All-Star Games. Yes, we agree. Welcome aboard via rail.

Please sit and enjoy. Please sit and stretch. Steep. Flip. Or that. And enjoy. Via rail, love the way. This episode is brought to you by Accenture.

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Learn more at Accenture.com slash Spotify. Happy time, people. Happy 60th birthday, Tim Brown. The wide receiver is in both the college and pro football halls of fame. Ground won the Heisman trophy at Notre Dame in 1987 was the sixth overall picked by the Raiders. Brown played 16 seasons with the Raiders in Los Angeles and Oakland, and a final season in Tampa Bay.

Brown was a pro-buller nine times, led the league once each, and past receptions, kickoff return yards, and punt return yards. Ground caught 1,094 passes for 14,934 yards, and 100 touchdowns. Brown was named to the NFL's all-decade team of the 1990s, alongside wide receivers Michael Urban, Chris Carter, and Jerry Rice. All of whom are in the Hall of Fame. And Tony, you don't necessarily think of him with that group, Tim Brown. But he is. That's right. The number is proven, by the way, when you see him, and I've seen him recently, he looks half his age.

He looks half his early 30s. It's like enough, enough. Tim Brown. Wow. What a life, what a career. You and I look twice our age. It's awful. Happy anniversary dream team.

On this day, 34 years ago, the United States men's Olympic basketball team, the greatest basketball team ever assembled, played a scrimmage that Michael George. and Siss was the greatest game he ever played in. The blue team had Magic Johnson, Chris Mullen, Charles Barkley, David Robinson, and Christian Leitner. The white team had Jordan, Carl Malone, Patrick Ewing, Scotty Pippen, and Larry Burke. Clyde Drexler and John Stockton sat out with injuries.

Head coach Chuck Daly said, quote, all you got now, all you got. White won 40 to 36 in what Sports Illustrated called the greatest game nobody ever saw. The United States team then defeated its Olympic opponents by an average of 44 points and won the gold medal over Croatia. Tony, in addition to MJ's comments, I have talked at length in great detail with Magic, Charles, and Patrick Ewing and Scotty and Chris Mullin about that game in the late Chuck Daly.

They all say the same thing. It was one of one. It's the greatest basketball confrontation they have ever seen or participated in. And when those guys say that, I take it as gospel. I was standing outside. I didn't get a chance to see it, but just hearing them talk about it, it gives me goosebumps.

Happy trails to a potentially game-winning rally by the Phillies. Philly was down two-to-one to the Dodgers in the bottom of the ninth last night, but was threatening with runners on second and third and only one out. Brandon Marsh had a squibber to third that landed the breaking Justin Crawford in a rundown. The Dodgers eventually tagged him out,

then caught J.T. Real Mudo, trying to scamper back to second, for a walk-off double play. Real Mudo took responsibility after the game saying there was no reason for him to go back to second, adding, quote, just a bad base running play. By contrast, Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said, quote, real fun ball game to be a part of. Yeah. Kind of a high-stakes series tone, that series in Philadelphia. Anytime I can see the Phillies, other than my boy, Kyle Schwerber blow up, I'm pretty happy. Yeah, you hate Philadelphia. Everybody knows that he talks to me about it all the time.

Let's go to the big finish. Let's do it. The basketball Hall of Fame will launch a new exhibit dedicated to Steph Curry. Is it significant? Yes, first time in history that an active player has been so honored with a dedicated exhibit. Very cool for Steph Curry, and you know, I think he's deserving of all of it. Fernando Tetsis in a home run, 474 feet last night. You've got to be impressed with that.

Yes, you've got to be, but he's only got eight this year. That's all he's got. Link's starring Neficia Collier, Collier, at 24 and 10 today and a win over Seattle, is that significant? Her first game back, best player on the best team, and her? That's a great sign. Caitlin Clark, Sabrina Inescu, Kayla McBride have all declined invites

to this weekend's WNBA All-Star three-point shootout. Can I kind of disappointing? Of course. They're the best shooters. Why are they doing this? Where's the commissioner on this one? Last one, the Tigers put a position player on the mound in the seventh last night. Is that too soon, Mike?

I was watching live tone. Cubs were up 9-0-0-1-11-2. Didn't matter. Irrelevant. We are out of time. We will try to do better the next time in my mauve jacket. I am Tony Cornhuser. I'm Mike Wilbon. We are off until Monday, knuckleheads. Find something else to do.

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