Who needs momentum when you're the 2026 Boston Red Sox? After looking great the past two games, the Sox crashed down to Earth in today's loss to the Seattle Mariners. Logan Gilbert held the Sox to one measly run and just 3 hits in 6 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Payton Tolle (3-5, 3.08 ERA) tossed six solid innings but got tagged for 3 runs. Dominic Canzone homered for Seattle but Nate Eaton countered with an upper deck shot for Boston. Young and Canzone drove in runs against Tolle but the Sox bats went silent again. They had just 5 hits as a team as they dropped to 0-41 when trailing after 8 innings and 0-31 when trailing by multiple runs 3-1 at T-Mobile Park.
Gilbert got the ball in the top of the first and Anthony Seigler took a 98 mph fastball right down the middle to start. Ceddanne Rafaela stuck his bat out and beat out a roller to second. Mickey Gasper popped up to first on the first pitch he saw but Rafaela swiped second. Willson Contreras swung and strike three in the dirt to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and JP Crawford lined out to first to start. Cal Raleigh popped up to first and Julio Rodriguez flied out to center to end the inning.
Jarren Duran led off the top of the second with a grounder to first and Caleb Durbin struck out swinging. Marcelo Mayer also went down hacking to end the inning. Josh Naylor flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Rob Refsnyder popped up to first. Dominic Canzone hit a home run all the way to Cuba to put the Mariners on top. Victor Robles took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0.
The Sox answered in the top of the third as Connor Wong grounded out to short to start. Somehow Nate Eaton pounded his first home run of the season to tie the game. Seigler flied out to center and Rafaela grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Weston grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the third and Young grounded out to first. Crawford grounded out to short to end the inning.
Gasper walked to start the top of the fourth but Contreras grounded into a double play. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Raleigh struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Rodriguez walked. Naylor walked but Refsnyder grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Durbin blooped a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth but immediately got picked off. Mayer struck out swinging and Wong popped up to short to end the inning. The Mariners took command in the bottom of the fifth as Canzone lined out to right to start. Robles flied out to left but Weston got a base hit to left. Wesson stole second and scored on the Young base hit to left. Crawford caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line but Raleigh forced him at second to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-1.
Eaton walked to start the top of the sixth and took second on a wild pitch. Seigler struck out swinging and Eaton ran all the way home on a liner to center by Rafaela, getting doubled off second to end the inning. Rodriguez got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Naylor flied out to center but Mayer went OLE on a grounder by Refsnyder to put runners on the corners. Canzone grounded out to short to score Rodriguez to ice the game. Robles flied out to left to end the inning with the Mariners up 3-1. That was it for Tolle after just 79 pitches allowing 3 runs in 6 innings.
Luke Raley came in for Canzone to start the top of the seventh and Gasper hit a routine grounder to first. Naylor threw low and Gilbert fell down making the play for an error. Contreras struck out swinging and that was it for Gilbert. Gabe Speier came in to face Duran amd Jarren naturally struck out swinging. Durbin doubled to left and Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Mayer. Naturally he struck out swinging to end the inning. Danny Coulolmbe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wilson grounded out to third to start. Young popped up to short but Crawford walked. Raleigh flied out to left to end the inning.
Old pal Eduard Bazardo came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Wong. Yoshida flied out to left, Eaton took strike three and Seigler grounded out to second to end the inning. Carlos Narvaez took over behind the plate with Ryan Watson now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Rodriguez lined out to first and Naylor struck out swinging. Colt Emerson pinch hit for Refsnyder and took strike three to end the inning.
Andres Munoz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Gasper got a base hit to right but Contreras struck out swinging. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Mariners had won it 3-1.
Jackass of The Night is Willson Contreras. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts, leaving multiple men on base.
The Good:
Mickey Gasper was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Caleb Durbin was 2 for 3.
Nate Eaton was 1 for 2 with a home run and a walk.
One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Payton Tolle tossed six solid innings allowing just 3 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.
Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Andruw Monasterio struck out as a pinch hitter.
Connor Wong was 0 for 2.
Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4.
Honorable Mention:
Carlos Narvaez caught the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
The more things change, the more they stay the same. The Sox put together two competent wins in a row but fall flat in their face today. Granted, Logan Gilbert is damn good but the fact is they're putting out utility players such as Seigler, Eaton and Gasper in the every day lineup due to injuries and incompetence. The Sox can't possibly get any momentum going with their lack of offense. Until Sox GM Craig Breslow makes a trade or calls up someone like Kristian Campbell or Mikey Romero, they won't be a winner. Fans want to tell the whole team and who can blame them? Now it appears Willson Contreras is losing it mentally and its come out Carlos Narvaez hasn't been playing well because he's going through an embarrassing public breakup. Think Troy O'Leary in 2000. Its all adding up to a lost season and maybe the best thing Breslow can do is play for next year. Garrett Crochet & Ranger Suarez when healthy with another year of maturity from Connelly Early and Payton Tolle gives the Sox a four man punch that will be tough to beat. This year appears to be a washout a month out from the trade deadline. Do we event want Breslow to take charge of yet another rebuild? The loss dropped the Sox to 31-44, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Colorado for a three game set with the equally terrible Rockies. Jake Bennett (1-3, 4.79 ERA) takes on Ryan Feltner of Colorado. The game begins tomorrow night at 8:40 PM eastern time at Coors Field.
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