BOSTON — It’s been a streaky start to the year for the Boston Red Sox, but they managed to end their homestand on a high note. After sweeping the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend, the Red Sox avoided a four-game sweep by the Toronto Blue Jays with a 4-3 win in the 10th inning.
Trevor Story’s infield single with the bases loaded pushed across the winning run. In a series in which the club scored just eight runs across four games, the win in the finale took some weight off their shoulders.
“It’s important, like I said, finish the homestand on a positive, not get swept by a division rival,” manager Alex Cora said. “For us, we needed it, to be honest with you, we’re scuffling offensively, we know it. We’re a lot better than this. Hopefully Chicago, the weather is a little better, and go to Tampa and keep rolling.”
After losing a 1-0 lead, the Red Sox tied the score at 2 in the bottom of the eighth when a passed ball bounced away with runners on the corners. The Blue Jays scored the go-ahead run in the 10th on a groundout and sacrifice fly. The Red Sox tied it in the bottom of the inning when Jarren Duran singled to score automatic runner Blake Sabol. Then Story’s single won it.
Though the offense has been in a brutal drought (more on that below), Walker Buehler did his part, posting by far his best start for the Red Sox. He exited with the lead, but the Red Sox gave it right back.
Buehler pitched six scoreless innings before walking the first batter of the seventh and recording a flyout. Manager Alex Cora turned to Justin Wilson, but Wilson allowed back-to-back singles, scoring a run. Later in the inning, Campbell gave an awkward feed to Story, hesitating and causing Story to make an errant throw, allowing another run to score.
Buehler finished with one run allowed on four hits and one walk while striking out seven in 6 1/3 innings. He’d entered the game with an 8.68 ERA through his first two starts but lowered it to 5.74 by the end of the day. Thursday’s start marked his longest since May 8, 2022, when he threw seven innings.
After an uneven homestand, the Red Sox head back on the road. They have three on tap this weekend against the Chicago White Sox, who have lost eight straight games. Next week they head to Tampa, Fla., for a series against the Rays. The games will be played at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex, as Tropicana Field is still under construction after the destruction from Hurricane Milton in the fall.
#10 in the 10th. pic.twitter.com/kyMVnvHpo2
— Red Sox (@RedSox) April 11, 2025
Adding a catcher
With Connor Wong out for the foreseeable future with a broken pinkie finger, the Red Sox are in agreement on a minor-league deal with catcher Yasmani Grandal, according to Robert Murray of FanSided. Grandal is still considered one of the better defensive catchers in the league, ranking top 10 in framing last season for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Carlos Narvaez has seen the majority of the playing time since Wong went down. The Red Sox also recalled Sabol from Triple-A Worcester, but Cora said Narvaez would be the primary catcher.
The 36-year-old Grandal hit .228 with a .704 OPS in 72 games last season. He was a free agent this offseason and considered the top option left on the market. Since he didn’t take part in spring training with any team, he’ll likely need at least a few games to ramp up for game action.
Suspect defense
Though there have been some improvements on defense, namely the 22 double plays that lead the majors, as well as the six outfield assists, the Red Sox defense is still struggling.
With two more errors on Thursday, the Red Sox remain the worst defensive team in the league with 14 errors, including eight since Sunday.
Even reigning Gold Glover Alex Bregman has not been immune to the errors, leading the team with three in 14 games. Of course, it’s still early, but Bregman had 10 all of last season in 142 games at third. Cora said he isn’t concerned and attributed Bregman’s throwing error early in the week to the weather and his grip on the ball. Things will likely even out, but Cora acknowledged the early errors have been costly. The double plays are encouraging, and more of that kind of play is needed.
“We’re turning double plays, which is very important, something that I always said is a game-changer, momentum-changer,” Cora said. “So if we keep doing that, we’re going to be solid. We had a tough one this week here at Fenway, but I truly believe we’re a lot better this season.”
Offensive woes
After scoring 13 runs Friday and 18 runs in the second game of the doubleheader Sunday, the Red Sox offense has disappeared. It scored just eight runs across four games against Toronto.
Thursday, Bregman snapped a 15-inning scoreless streak for the Red Sox, driving in Duran in the sixth with a single to center, but the Red Sox gave up the lead the next inning.
Though Rafael Devers started ice-cold, he hasn’t been the problem as of late. Since starting the season 0-for-21 with 15 strikeouts in his first five games, the most in baseball history for a player through the first five games, Devers has found his rhythm. There was little doubt Devers was going to break out eventually, but the depths of his struggles early on were astounding. Since that first week, he’s gone 15-for-35 (.428) with a homer, five doubles and eight RBIs.
The offense as a whole, like the team, has been streaky. The strikeouts piled up this week, with 14 on Wednesday and 12 on Tuesday. On Thursday they added 10 more, and they lead MLB with 135.
In the four games against Toronto, the Red Sox went 4-for-43 (.093) with runners in scoring position.
“I truly believe offensively, we are a lot better than this, but throughout the games, we have to make adjustments,” Cora said. “And I talked to the group, if you look at the game Wednesday, we struck out 10 times on four-seamers. At one point, you’ve got to spread out and put the ball in play. That’s the bottom line. And we can take the strikeouts, I get it, but there’s certain situations, we have to move the ball forward. We cannot fall into this pattern of strike on 12 times, 10 times, 12 times, because we’re better than that.”
Though Campbell made an error earlier in the day, he extended his season-opening on-base streak to 13 games. He’s the third Red Sox player in the live ball era (since 1920) to reach safely in each of their first 13 career games at age 22 or younger, joined only by George Scott (1966) and Ted Williams (1939).
Pitching upgrades
Buehler wasn’t the only starter with a bounce-back week. Tanner Houck was lackluster through his first two times through the rotation, and though he started off rocky on Wednesday, he quickly settled in for best start thus far.
Houck loaded the bases with one out in the first Wednesday but only allowed one run. From there, he retired 15 of the next 17 batters, helped by a nice unassisted double play from Triston Casas in the sixth, who snared a hard liner to first and doubled off Vlad Guerrero Jr., who had reached on a single. Guerrero’s single was the first hit Houck had given up since the first inning. Houck led off the seventh with a single and a walk but got another double play to escape the jam before Justin Wilson recorded the final out of the inning on one pitch.
Houck finished with one run allowed on two walks over 6 2/3 innings. He recorded just two strikeouts but gave the Red Sox a chance to win. They wasted the opportunity, losing 2-1 in 11 innings.
Meanwhile, Lucas Giolito made his second rehab start for Triple-A Worcester on Wednesday, allowing one run on three hits and three walks, striking out three in 3 1/3 innings. He was on a 60-pitch limit as he builds up. His next start is set for Tuesday with Worcester.
Giolito said his arm feels strong about a year removed from an internal brace procedure and that his hamstring has been fine after he felt a slight tweak during spring training.
“It’s just like I’m going through my spring training later, so it’s very annoying,” he said. “That hamstring I got in the first spring game was like, ‘You got to be kidding me.’ But I’m progressing through, getting my innings and my throws in. I look forward to coming back and helping this team out. Been looking forward to that for a long time. So just got to keep working through these rehab games.”
He said he’d like to return after his start Tuesday, but it sounds like the Red Sox will have him make one more after that.
Brayan Bello made his second rehab start Sunday for Worcester, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out four in 3 1/3 innings. He is set to start again Friday for Worcester and might need one more start after that.
Liam Hendriks is set to begin a rehab assignment for Worcester on Thursday night.
He’s set to pitch again over the weekend, and they’ll reassess his readiness to join the Red Sox bullpen then.
(Photo of Tyler Heineman and David Hamilton: Winslow Townson / Getty Images)