Going into their weekend series at home against the Minnesota Twins, the Boston Red Sox were hoping to turn things around in 2026. They were coming off a three-game sweep of the Kansas City Royals on the road.
Playing the Twins offered Boston a chance to get right both at home and in the standings. As has been the case all season long, that didn’t happen. Minnesota came into Fenway Park and completed a sweep of Boston for the first time since 1994. Anything that can go wrong has gone wrong for the Red Sox in 2026.
Minnesota Twins Sweep Continues Boston Red Sox Home Struggles
Fenway Park is supposed to be a tough place for visiting teams to play. Not in 2026. After the Twins completed the sweep on Sunday with a 6-5 win, the Red Sox are 8-17 at home this season. It was the second time this season Boston was swept at home. The New York Yankees pulled off a three-game sweep in April. However, after Sunday’s game, infielder Isiah Kiner-Falefa remained positive.
“To get swept here definitely hurts,” said Kiner-Falefa. “We feel it and as a group we really want to make our fanbase proud. We’ve got to find a way to stack some wins together at home and get back in the race. … It’s tough, but you look at the standings and somehow, we’re still in it. I think that helps a lot.”
Kiner-Falefa had the biggest at-bat in the bottom of the ninth inning. With runners at the corners with one out, he hit a ball that on most days would have been a home run. Instead, on a cold and rainy day, it hit the wall in left field. Connor Wong was at first base and was thrown out at the plate for the second out of the inning. Interim manager Chad Tracy defended interim third base coach Chad Epperson for sending Wong as the tying run.
“Soaking wet, raining, balls wet and then it’s going to skip on the throw,” said Tracy. “I definitely understand the sentiment. It’s not easy to throw balls [in these conditions]. … I totally get it, being aggressive there with one out, trying to get the game tied.”
Still, in those conditions, you need to be 100% sure Wong can score. However, Tracy’s defense of the decision was no surprise.
Boston Red Sox Home Sturggles Need To Be Fixed
Kiner-Falefa’s optimism is understandable. There’s a lot of baseball left in 2026. However, the numbers don’t lie. Nine games under .500 at home isn’t going to get it done. Furthermore, the Atlanta Braves make their way to Fenway Park for a three-game set beginning on Tuesday night.
Firing Alex Cora wasn’t the answer. Neither was firing some of his assistant coaches. Sooner or later, the front office has some decisions to make. Boston has players that other teams would be interested in trading for. Does Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow begin selling early? Whatever the decision is, one needs to be made soon, or things could really head south more than they already have.
Boston Red Sox Infielder Remains Positive After Being Swept By Minnesota Twins