Delayed Arrival in Queens
The Boston Red Sox faced significant travel challenges leading up to their game against the New York Mets at Citi Field. Their journey to Queens was marked by two separate mechanical issues with their chartered Delta plane, following two trips to the airport in Chicago. These delays meant the team arrived in New York less than three hours before the originally scheduled 7:15 p.m. first pitch on Friday.
The travel complications resulted in a 35-minute delay to the start of the game, with the first pitch eventually thrown at 7:50 p.m. Despite the arduous travel day, the Red Sox secured a 6-2 victory, extending their winning streak to seven games. This win brought them within 1 1/2 games of the third American League wild-card spot.
Interim manager Chad Tracy, who has experience with difficult travel from his time as a minor-league manager, highlighted the team’s shared experience. Pitcher Sonny Gray echoed this sentiment, stating that the team was “in it together” from their departure in Chicago until the game started. Reliever Payton Tolle also noted that spending extended time together in close quarters helped the team bond.
A Challenging Travel Itinerary
The travel ordeal began on Thursday afternoon after the Red Sox completed a three-game sweep of the Chicago White Sox. The team departed Rate Field in Chicago around 6 p.m. local time and headed to Chicago Midway International Airport. Despite initial thoughts that weather was the cause of a delay, a mechanical issue with a tow cart prevented their first attempt at departure. This led to a six-plus hour wait on the plane.
As the night progressed, team officials decided to postpone their flight to New York until Friday morning. Mark Cacciatore, the head of team travel, arranged for over 50 hotel rooms for the team and staff at short notice, securing accommodations at two different hotels. The team eventually arrived at their hotels around 2 a.m. after departing Midway around 12:30 a.m.
On Friday morning, chartered buses transported the team back to Midway by 10 a.m. They re-boarded their chartered Delta flight, only to encounter another mechanical problem: a lightbulb in the cockpit was not functioning. This second delay kept the team at the gate for another four hours, leading to growing frustration among players.
During the second delay, Tracy shared positive news with the team: center fielder Ceddanne Rafaela had been named an American League All-Star replacement. Rafaela expressed his happiness and emotion upon hearing the news. The team was provided with food, including bagels, donuts, breakfast sandwiches, and chicken wings, to help them through the extended wait.
The issue was finally resolved around 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET, and the Red Sox’s flight departed. Initially, the flight was intended to land at Newark International Airport, but due to the ongoing delays, it was rerouted to LaGuardia Airport, which is approximately 2 1/2 miles from Citi Field. The team landed at LaGuardia around 4:30 p.m. ET and proceeded directly to Citi Field by bus.
Game Details and Broadcast Information
The game between the Red Sox and the Mets was part of Apple TV’s “Friday Night Baseball” lineup. The broadcast featured the pitching matchup of Sonny Gray for the Red Sox against Nolan McLean for the Mets. The game was exclusively available for streaming on the Apple TV app.
Despite the challenging travel day, the Red Sox were able to secure a victory, with Sonny Gray pitching six strong innings and allowing one run. The team’s offense contributed with an early 2-0 lead in the first inning and home runs from Anthony Seigler and Wilyer Abreu.
The Red Sox have encountered mechanical issues with their Delta flights previously this season, including a flight from Denver on June 25 that resulted in a 5 a.m. arrival before a scheduled series against the New York Yankees, which they swept.
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Source: nytimes.com
Mason Reed
Sports reporter covering football, basketball and international competitions.