Through the first 42 games of the season, the Boston Red Sox have spent most of their time in the standings in the basement of the American League East. They are currently at 10 games off the pace in the division behind the surprising Tampa Bay Rays.
Sure, it’s a long grind of a 162-game regular season. There are going to be ups and downs. It feels like the Red Sox have been through a lot already. Chief Baseball Officer Craig Breslow fired manager Alex Cora in April, after a 17-1 win over the Baltimore Orioles. It’s not something you see every day.
Chad Tracy was named interim manager, coming up from Triple-A. However, since the coaching change happened, the more things change, the more they stay the same. However, Wednesday night could have been the turning point in the 2026 season that Boston needed.
Boston Red Sox Pitcher Sonny Gray Drops Eye-Opening Quote After Win Over Philadelphia Phillies
After dropping the series opener on Tuesday night to the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park, 2-1, Boston was looking to even the series on Wednesday night. Tracy turned to Sonny Gray, and the veteran right-hander didn’t disappoint.
Gray tossed six innings, allowing one run on a Justin Crawford home run in the third inning. He struck out six and needed just 78 pitches to get through six innings. The bullpen closed out the game after a two-run Ceddanne Rafaela homer in the bottom of the sixth. Gray is 4-1 this season. However, after the game, he didn’t beat around the bush about the 2026 Boston Red Sox.
“I 100 percent believe in all of the guys in that locker room, and we just need to win as many games as we can and keep pushing forward,” Gray said. “Because I do think one of those runs, one of those streaks is coming for us. Tonight was awesome. Great defense, a couple big homers, but we are a good offensive team, and we’re a good team. And I truly believe that. So our time is coming.”
Home runs are something that have been few and far between for the Red Sox through 42 games. They have failed to hit for power. Furthermore, they have not been able to manufacture runs. In this day and age, you need both to win games.
Boston Red Sox Need More Power
To say that Boston is offensively challenged at times would be an understatement. However, that wasn’t the case. Trevor Story had a solo home run in the bottom of the second. Then, in the bottom of the sixth, Tracy called on Rafaela to pinch-hit for Masataka Yoshida.
The young right-hander hitter launched a game-winning two-run home run in the Green Monster seats in left field for a 3-1 lead. A hit like that in a situation like that has been too few and far between for the Red Sox this season to date.
Boston needs to string some wins together, and wins like Wednesday night could be a turning point. However, they have not strung together too many wins. After closing out their series with the Phillies on Thursday night, they head to Atlanta for a three-game series with the Braves. A series against the MLB’s top team is a measuring stick for the Red Sox.
Boston Red Sox Pitcher Drops Bold Statement After Win Over Phillies