International Red Sox: Volume #13

As we enter August, two things have happened: first, the trade deadline has come and gone, which saw the Red Sox make a splash, acquiring catcher Adley Rutschman from Baltimore and southpaw Erik Miller from San Fransciso. Additionally, as the headline suggests, the International Red Sox series has hit lucky issue number 13. (Author’s note: Statistics are current as of 8/3/2026).

Last issue, Chang had all his good days consecutively and then did nothing after them. This time, in the four games he played, Chang got a hit in every other game. On the 29th, he extended his 4-game hitless streak, bringing his average down to .293. However, that ended in his next performance on the 31st, as Chang went 2-3 with a double, a stolen base, and an RBI. As the month turned to August, Chang went 0-3 on the 1st and followed that up with a 2-4 outing with an RBI on the second.

Chang has struggled recently, as his end of July and transition into August wasn’t pretty, as it saw his batting average regularly stay below .300 for the first time all season. Even with the struggles he’s faced recently, his OPS is still at a .915 clip, which is impressive at any professional level.

All-Star festivities in Japan concluded, which saw the Pacific and Central League both win a game in the two-game set, which is the 12th occurrence of a tie in series history. For Dalbec, that means a shorter week, but he was looking good both in the box scores and on the field, as the Giants wore a special jersey in collaboration with the Jordan brand and Nike Tokyo.

The Giants’ first game of the week was on Friday, where Dalbec went 1-3 with a walk and a strikeout. Then, on Saturday, he replicated that stat line, but was unable to help the Giants secure a win, as they fell, 8-7. He secured another hit on Sunday, in a 1-4 effort.

Dalbec has been able to keep the good times rolling recently, as he’s kept his average above .260, currently at .263. Overall, he’s been great this season, with 17 homers, 55 RBI, and an OPS of .804.

Due to the All-Star festivities causing a short week, Yomiuri’s farm team only played two games, and Mata didn’t pitch in either game, so that leaves him with a 2.95 ERA and 1.23 WHIP in 61 innings.

Similarly to Mata, the Hawks only played two games this week, with a 3rd scheduled but postponed, and Hernandez didn’t feature in either. Hernandez retains his elite 1.71 ERA with a 1.22 WHIP.

Out of everyone’s short weeks, Tzu-Wei Lin’s was by far the most interesting. He appeared twice, logging a hit on the 29th, but then was listed as playing on the second, but has no statistics recorded.

Even by getting that hit, his average falls to .245, as it’s been a rough year for him.