Aroldis Chapman delivered another scoreless inning on Monday, clinching the Boston Red Sox’s 6-4 Labor Day victory over the Cleveland Guardians at Fenway Park. He retired the Guardians in order in the bottom of the ninth, notching his 28th save and lowering his ERA to 1.00.
Chapman has now faced 46 consecutive batters without allowing a hit — the longest streak in franchise history. He’s also closing in on Jonathan Papelbon’s record for best ERA by a Red Sox relief pitcher (0.92), which was set in 2006.
After Monday’s game, Papelbon shared his thoughts about Chapman’s pursuit of his record in a post on X.
“Records are meant to be broke. I hope he breaks it and if @RedSox make playoffs I hope has a better postseason!” wrote Papelbon, who pitched for Boston from 2005 to 2011 and now works as a studio analyst for NESN.
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At age 37, Chapman is having the best season of his career after signing a one-year, $10.75 million contract with the Red Sox last offseason. In 59 appearances, he’s 4-2 with 28 saves, a 1.00 ERA, a 0.65 WHIP and 77 strikeouts in 54 innings.
The eight-time All-Star has not allowed a hit since July 23, stringing together 16 straight hitless and scoreless appearances. Boston recently rewarded Chapman with a contract extension, guaranteeing him $13.3 million for 2026 along with a vesting option for 2027.
With the Red Sox eyeing their first postseason appearance since 2021, they’re hoping he can have a similar impact in September and October. A two-time World Series champion, Chapman has pitched well in the playoffs with a 2.37 ERA and 10 saves in 49 1/3 postseason innings.
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In the meantime, Chapman is five scoreless innings away from breaking Papelbon’s record, which has stood for nearly two decades. He’ll also look to put the finishing touches on what has been a Cy Young-caliber season.
Featured image via Jordan Johnson/Imagn Images
