Justin Slaten

July 18, 2026

Earns another hold

Slaten struck out one and walked none over a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold in Boston's 5-3 win over Tampa Bay in the second game of Friday's doubleheader.

Analysis

Slaten held the lead for Aroldis Chapman to pick up the save. The former had a bumpy ride during the month of June (10.13 ERA) but appears to have stablized in July. Slaten earned a hold in his fourth consecutive appearance and remains a vital part of the setup crew along with Garrett Whitlock. Both relievers were considered potential closer fill-ins for Chapman when the Red Sox were projected to be sellers at the trade deadline, but Friday's doubleheader sweep of the Rays extended Boston's win streak to 11 straight and put them in a tie for the final wild-card spot.