The Red Sox are nine games into the season, have dropped three straight series, and already look like a team taking on water.
Boston fell 8-6 in Sunday’s series finale against the Padres after its $130 million investment, Ranger Suárez, couldn’t hold a four-run lead. The left-hander allowed three runs in the fourth inning, trimming Boston’s advantage to 4-3.
The Padres saw eight batters come to the plate, producing three runs on four hits, a walk, and a second Red Sox error. Suárez, who needed 42 pitches (including an automatic strike) to get through the first three innings, threw 32 in the fourth alone.
San Diego’s rally began when Fernando Tatis Jr. laced a 105.3 mph one-out double to center field.
Jackson Merrill followed with an RBI single to get the Padres on the board, and Manny Machado added a single to put runners on first and second. Both advanced into scoring position when catcher Carlos Narváez attempted to pick Machado off at first, but the throw deflected off Machado and skipped away from first baseman Willson Contreras.
Suárez rebounded to strike out Miguel Andújar, but then walked Xander Bogaerts to load the bases. Nick Castellanos delivered a two-run single to left, cutting the deficit to one before Suárez got Jake Cronenworth to line out, stranding two.
“They made an adjustment,” Alex Cora said of the fourth inning. “He’s a groundball pitcher, so we’re ahead in the count, we got a groundball, we probably get out of the inning. But we didn’t help ourselves. I think in that inning they became very aggressive, but we made some decisions there that put them in a good spot to score runs.”
Cora went to his bullpen early after Suárez allowed leadoff man Luis Campusano to reach in the fifth, turning to Greg Weissert, who has struggled mightily to start the season.
Weissert couldn’t stop the damage, allowing the inherited runner and two more to score when he launched a three-run homer, giving the Padres a 6-4 lead.
The right-hander has been hit hard, allowing five runs on five hits (including three homers) with two walks and eight strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings. He has now surrendered at least one run in three of his five appearances.
Suárez allowed four runs on six hits and two walks while striking out two. Through two starts, the 30-year-old has given up eight runs on 13 hits and three walks with five strikeouts over 8 1/3 innings, good for an 8.64 ERA and 1.92 WHIP.
The Red Sox rotation has the fourth-worst ERA in baseball (5.19), and the bullpen has already surrendered eight home runs in 35 innings.
“It’s not one man’s fault,” Roman Anthony said. “I think just as a team, we need to be better. I need to be better. Everyone in this room understands that they need to be better. And it’s as simple as that. A lot of season left.”
It wasn’t all bad, however, as Suárez flashed strong defense in his bid for a Gold Glove. He turned a 1-6-3 double play to end the first inning, snagged a 100.9 mph comebacker and fired to first for the opening out of the third, and later ranged to his left on a slow roller before recording the unassisted out at first.
Boston’s offense entered Sunday’s finale averaging just 3.0 runs per game, but it broke through with a four-run third inning.
Narváez and Anthony led off with walks, and Trevor Story, despite his recent struggles, moved both into scoring position with a groundout. Jarren Duran followed with a two-run double, Wilyer Abreu added an RBI triple, and Masataka Yoshida capped the inning with an RBI double to make it 4-0.
Duran’s two-run double was just his sixth hit of the season and his second extra-base hit (both doubles). Yoshida later tied the game at 6-6 in the seventh with a two-run double, finishing 3-for-4 with three RBI.
Abreu reminded everyone why he’s a two-time Gold Glove winner in right field. With two outs, Bogaerts singled to right but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
“This is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable for the fans,” Anthony said. “It’s unacceptable to the standard that we set for ourselves.”
Anthony is 8-for-34 (.235) to start the season as both the designated hitter and left fielder.
“You just continue to show up every day and work your (expletive) off and get in the video room and be as prepared as you possibly can,” Anthony said. “I don’t think that we’re not doing that. I think this is just a tough stretch. And we need to find a way to just bring more energy in and just be better.”
Tyler Uberstine made his major league debut out of the bullpen, delivering two scoreless innings before being tagged by a Merrill home run into the Green Monster seats.
Uberstine finished with one run allowed on three hits and one walk while striking out two over 2 2/3 innings. He later admitted he was trying to elevate a fastball but left it over the heart of the plate to Merrill.
“I knew I was going back out,” Uberstine said. “I’m just trying to fill up the zone, be efficient, get outs. Try to give the bullpen a break. Ultimately, I let up the home run.”
It was a questionable decision by Cora to leave the rookie in for another inning, especially with left-hander Danny Coulombe already warming in the bullpen.
“Where we were today, it was him, Kelly,” Cora explained about his decision to stick with Uberstine. “So we felt like he was throwing the ball well. One pitch hit out of the ballpark. But he gave us a chance to win the game.”
Uberstine was promoted to the Red Sox on Friday, and while he was thrilled to reach the big leagues, the job wasn’t complete until he took the mound.
“It finally happened,” Uberstine said. “It was awesome. Fortunate that the team came back, put us in a good spot. Didn’t execute one pitch.”
The Red Sox are 2-7 to start the season, just the sixth time they’ve opened that poorly since 1950.
They’ll look to turn things around Monday evening as they open a three-game home series against the Milwaukee Brewers (7-2). First pitch is set for 6:45 p.m., with Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff (1-0, 3.60 ERA) scheduled to face Red Sox righty Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.64 ERA).