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.
“You just continue to show up every day and work your