After winning their first two games of their weekend series against the Seattle Mariners, the Boston Red Sox were looking for a rare sweep on Sunday. The Red Sox’s home/road splits this year have been eye-opening.
However, whether it’s been at Fenway Park or on the road, there has been one common theme when it comes to Boston: the offense has struggled at times. There are several reasons as to why they have just 31 wins, the least in the American League, and the offensive struggles are near the top of the list.
If Boston was going to sweep the Mariners, they were going to have to beat a tough right-hander in Logan Gilbert. Easier said than done. When you struggle to score runs, you get aggressive, and one Red Sox player got too aggressive, and it cost him.
Boston Red Sox Manager Chad Tracy Doesn’t Mince Words on Nate Eaton’s Base Running Mistake
Interim manager Chad Tracy gave right-fielder Wilyer Abreu a day off on Sunday and slotted Nate Eaton into his spot. In the top of the sixth inning and Seattle leading 2-1, the Red Sox had Gilbert on the ropes.
They had runners on first and second with one out, and Eaton was one second. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a line drive that Seattle right-fielder Dominic Canzone made a diving catch on. Eaton was at third base, and Canzone was able to double him off at second.
“Maybe a tick overaggressive. The guy makes a nice play on the dive coming in, and we’re doubled off,” Tracy said. “It gets magnified when you’re facing Gilbert, and you’re not going to get a ton of chances. If that ball drops, maybe Nate’s in there and we got something going. But it didn’t.”
When things are going the way they have for Boston in 2026, being overaggressive is something that happens. It was a tick overaggressive. If the ball drops, Eaton scores. Line drives are hard to judge as a fielder and a base runner. Instead, it was the third out in a 3-1 loss.
“I knew there was one out, and I knew right there when we got a pitcher on the mound that’s throwing the way he is, we’ve got to take our chances,” said Eaton. “I read low line drive. I figured I had to get a good jump to be able to score right there. He made a diving play and caught it.”
Boston Red Sox Lose Another Winnable Game
Boston ended up losing and is back to 13 games below .500. They continue their road trip this week with a three-game series in Denver against the Colorado Rockies. The only other team with fewer wins than the Red Sox in MLB currently is the Rockies, with 30.
All signs are beginning to point toward Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow selling at the deadline. That might start before the deadline next month. One reason they are in this spot is that they lose winnable games. That was the case on Sunday.
After visiting Colorado, Boston returns home for four games against the New York Yankees and then a series against the Washington Nationals. The next stretch of games is going to be telling for Breslow and the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox Manager Chad Tracy Drops Honest Quote After Loss To Mariners