University of Washington Professional Athletes

UW Alumni in MLB | Aug. 9–15, 2026

Caleb Durbin had the week every Husky fan dreams about — and he picked the perfect moment to deliver it.

The Red Sox third baseman went 3-for-however-many on Thursday with a grand slam, five RBIs, and a run scored, serving as the offensive engine in a dominant 7-0 blanking of the Toronto Blue Jays. The win didn't just feel good — it snapped a five-game losing streak that had threatened to derail Boston's August momentum after a historic July run. Durbin's eighth-inning slam was the exclamation point on a statement game.

He didn't do it alone. Boston lefty Payton Tolle authored one of the more complete pitching performances of the MLB calendar week, throwing eight scoreless innings on just two hits allowed to earn the win. The two-headed effort gave the Red Sox exactly what they needed heading into a critical stretch.

Durbin carried that energy into the Pittsburgh series, adding a hit, a run, and a walk on Friday before going 1-for-however-many with a run and a walk on Saturday. His batting average climbed to .252 by week's end — a sign that the grand slam wasn't a fluke, but a culmination of a quietly productive stretch.

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Kittredge Holding His Own in Baltimore

While Durbin was making headlines in Boston, former Husky Andrew Kittredge was doing the less glamorous but necessary work out of the Orioles' bullpen. The veteran reliever logged three appearances across the week — against the Rangers, Twins, and Rays — each covering exactly one inning. He struck out a batter in both the Tuesday and Friday outings, though he allowed an earned run against Tampa Bay on Saturday, nudging his ERA from 3.47 to 3.62.

At 3.62 on the season, Kittredge remains a reliable late-inning option in a Baltimore bullpen that's been leaning on its depth. Nothing flashy, but the kind of arm that keeps a staff honest.

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The Week in Brief

No other UW alumni recorded stats during the Aug. 9–15 window, but the Huskies' presence in the majors remains notable. Jeff Brigham (Cubs), Stevie Emanuels (Athletics), Levi Jordan (Nationals), Jake Lamb (Giants), Ryan Loutos (Mariners), Willie MacIver (Rangers), Coby Morales (Yankees), Stefan Raeth (Mariners), Austin Voth (Twins/Mariners), and Braiden Ward (Rockies) are all active on MLB rosters.

For now, the marquee name is Durbin. A grand slam to end a five-game skid, a week-long average climb, and a Red Sox team back on track — it was the kind of performance that gets circled on a highlight reel and replayed at alumni watches well into the fall.

This content is AI-generated by FanDaily.

The Husky at the Center of Boston's Improbable Run

Caleb Durbin isn't just along for the ride — he's steering it.

The University of Washington product has emerged as one of the defining figures of the Boston Red Sox's stunning 26-of-29 stretch, a run that has vaulted the club 12 games above .500 and turned one of baseball's quieter offseason trades into a front-office masterstroke. Over the Aug. 2–8 window, Durbin delivered moment after moment — a walk-off, a grand slam, and the steady production of a player who has found his footing at exactly the right time.

Walk-Off Wednesday

The marquee moment came Thursday, Aug. 6, when Durbin went 3-for-5 with 2 runs and an RBI as Boston outlasted Chicago 12–11 in 13 innings. His walk-off single in the bottom of the 13th capped a wild game in which the Red Sox rallied from behind five separate times — the kind of win that builds belief in a clubhouse. It was Durbin's most visible performance of the week, but hardly an isolated one.

Two nights earlier, on Aug. 4, Durbin went 2-for-4 with a grand slam, 4 RBI, and 2 runs scored in a 14–2 demolition of the White Sox. Wilyer Abreu hit two home runs in the same game, but it was Durbin's slam — the backbreaker — that turned a comfortable lead into a statement. The sweep of Chicago also included a 4–0 victory on Aug. 5, where Durbin contributed an RBI single as Sonny Gray struck out eight batters over six shutout innings.

The Bigger Picture

Boston acquired Durbin in a trade that drew modest attention at the time. That calculus has shifted dramatically. When analysts look at who's most responsible for the Red Sox surge, Durbin's name comes up first. His .251 average doesn't fully capture the weight of his contributions — he's been consistently productive in high-leverage spots, delivering hits that either extend rallies or end games.

The resurgence is also personal. Durbin's numbers had been inconsistent earlier in the season, making his August timing all the more striking. He enters the week against the Athletics — logging a hit, 2 RBI on Friday and a hit, RBI, and a run on Saturday — showing no signs of slowing.

Fellow Husky Watch

UW's other Red Sox representative, reliever Andrew Kittredge, logged back-to-back one-inning appearances during the week, picking up a strikeout on Aug. 4 while carrying a 4.05 ERA. His appearances were part of the bullpen management that helped protect leads during the White Sox series, though Durbin's bat was unmistakably the story of the week.

For Huskies fans tracking the broader alumni landscape, no UW product made a larger impact across any MLB roster this week than Durbin. In a Red Sox season that has taken on its own unlikely narrative, the third baseman from Seattle has become one of its most compelling chapters.