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They’ve finally won consecutive games, but we’re going to need to see more, and other thoughts on the Red Sox’ 4-8 start
The Red Sox found time to put that clashing, atomic-green Monster energy drink logo on the Monster. They should have added another bat or two to hit the ball over it.
Playing nine innings while still wanting to banish roughly a quarter of the Red Sox’ roster to Pawtucket. Yes, I know their Triple-A team is in Worcester. The point stands . . .
1. Well, at least we no longer have to ask — mostly sarcastically, but not entirely — whether the Red Sox have any plans to win two games in a row during the 2026 season. The Red Sox took the last two of their three-game set with the Brewers, and they did it in the way they must until the lineup’s various issues are resolved: with strong starting pitching. Sonny Gray was downright excellent in 6⅓ innings of shutout pitching Wednesday, the day after ace Garrett Crochet also recorded 19 outs in a win, allowing just two runs. Of course, the Red Sox are still just 4-8, a 54-win pace, which I’m pretty sure won’t lead them to a wild-card berth. I’m still skeptical that this has been salvaged, though. Four more wins in a row — and getting to .500 — would earn the benefit of the doubt. But they don’t deserve it yet, even with a better trend the past two games.
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2. The Red Sox entered Wednesday’s game 11th in the American League in runs (3.55 per game), 10th in batting average (.223), and a pathetic 13th in home runs (nine). They’re obviously going to hit much better than they have. They’ll probably even feature an above-average offense. But there’s one especially frustrating thing about their lineup that could linger into the summer and perhaps beyond, depending on if they add a bat before or at the trade deadline: They are asking almost everyone in the lineup to be a little more than they are capable of.
3. Trevor Story has struck out 122 times or more in seven seasons, including seasons of 191, 176 (last year), and 174. He is the opposite of a No. 2 hitter and never should have been slotted into that spot in the lineup. Willson Contreras has some pop and plays with admirable energy, but his most similar hitters through age 33 include Mike Napoli (decent comp), Yasmani Grandal, and Stephen Drew. Story has hit fourth nine times in 12 games and third in the other three, which is a couple of spots higher than ideal. Jarren Duran isn’t a No. 3 hitter unless the opponent has an entire pitching staff of righthanders.
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4. The blueprint for the offseason should have been easy to follow. Retain Alex Bregman, who is dearly missed in the second spot in the lineup. Add more righthanded pop — Contreras is a fine addition, but they needed a genuine slugger and still do, whether it was Pete Alonso or someone acquired via trade. Swap one of the abundance of outfielders — preferably Duran — for pitching help, because it’s been clear in the first dozen games that the bullpen was left short.
5. Instead, the offense got worse — and considerably worse than it was to start the 2025 season, when Bregman and Rafael Devers were here. Romy Gonzalez, out with a shoulder injury, is missed after mashing .331/.378/.600 against lefthanded pitching last year, but help was needed whether or not he was here. The Red Sox found time to put that clashing, atomic-green Monster energy drink logo on the Monster. They should have added another bat or two to hit the ball over it.
6. Fingers crossed that Roman Anthony’s throwing issues are mechanical, as the Red Sox claim, and not the dreaded and mysterious “yips.” I’ve heard from a few readers that have suggested Anthony be moved to first base immediately. Not only does that show a stunning lack of awareness of actor Brent Jennings’s portrayal of Ron Washington in “Moneyball” — “It’s incredibly hard,” Jennings/Washington deadpans, when Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) is trying to convince Scott Hatteberg (Chris Pratt) that shifting to first base is easy — but it’s foolish to put one more thing on the 21-year-old’s to-do list right now.
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7. Ranger Suarez may turn out to be fine once he actually ramps up for the season that began two weeks ago. But right now he looks like someone who is going to be hurt by the automated ball-strike challenge system and having to actually throw strikes.
8. Caleb Durbin? He’s a utility guy in a just baseball world, a shorter Glenn Hoffman, or maybe a slower Donnie Sadler. Am I the only one that thinks Andruw Monasterio might turn out to be the better player?
9. Good thing Contreras didn’t get hit by another pitch in the Brewers series following his vow to “take one of them out” after getting drilled Monday. He might have had to pull an Izzy Alcantara-style karate chop on his own brother, Brewers catcher William Contreras, in order to charge the mound.
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