Alex Cora shakes up Red Sox lineup, drops scuffling Trevor Story to fifth; Anthony back in left

The Red Sox are nine games into the season, have dropped three straight series, and already look like a team taking on water.

Amid the slow start, Boston’s offense ranks 27th in runs scored, prompting Alex Cora to shuffle his lineup ahead of Monday’s series opener against the Brewers.

Trevor Story has been dropped to the No. 5 spot after hitting second in each of the first nine games. He’s struggled to a .119 average with 17 strikeouts in 42 at-bats.

Masataka Yoshida will move into the No. 2 spot for the opener against Brewers right-hander Brandon Woodruff.

Entering play, Story is one of four Red Sox hitters with prior experience against Woodruff, going 2-for-7 (.286) with one strikeout.

Willson Contreras has struggled in the matchup, hitting .105 (2-for-19) with seven strikeouts, two walks, and five hit-by-pitches. Jarren Duran (0-for-3, 2 K) and Isiah Kiner-Falefa (0-for-2) are both hitless against Woodruff. Duran is not in the lineup for Monday night’s game.

“We’ll see if it works,” said Cora. “Just mix it up. Hopefully, a different spot allows you to unlock it and relax...Regardless of where we hit, we’ve got to make sure we slow it down. We’ve been talking about swinging a lot, not chasing. This (Brewers team) is a good pitching staff and they’re very aggressive in the zone. Hopefully, be on time and put good swings on it.”

Cora felt it was time for a change following Sunday’s 8-6 loss to the Padres. Story went 1-for-5 with an infield single and two strikeouts, while Yoshida finished 3-for-4 with three RBI.

“Six walks already, and he’s been able to pull the ball and hit it hard,” Cora said of Yoshida. “He’s in a great spot.”

Story, meanwhile, has yet to draw a walk this season, though Cora still wants to see the veteran remain aggressive at the plate.

“You can stay aggressive in the zone,” said Cora. “But he’s been aggressive in the zone and outside the zone. Everything starts with controlling (the strike zone). That’s the most important thing. I haven’t seen too many guys making a living in this league hitting pitches out of the zone. That’s a hard a way to live.

“As far as swing decisions, you have to swing at the right ones. He hasn’t been able to track the ball back — let’s put it that way. It feels like he’s not seeing it well. There’s a fine line between being aggressive and being passive. I want him to be on the go until you stop. There’s been a lot of pitches off the plate that he’s been swinging at. We’ve got to get back to simplifying."

Story acknowledged he needs to be more selective at the plate.

“And taking care of the pitch when I get it,” he added. “That’s been a part of it and not expanding. Those are the things that are happening right now. I feel confident in the work that we’re doing that we’ll get it right. We know where we need to work and that’s what we’re doing. We’re very confident in the offense that we have and the players that we have. Time’s on our side, but have an urgency to get it done.”

While Story understands he is moving down in the lineup, he’s not going to change his approach overall. 

“I’m aggressive. That’s kind of my nature as a hitter,” he said. “I have to find a way to find the right balance there. But as far as where I hit (in the order), I don’t think that changes much.”

Despite the Red Sox putting six runs on the scoreboard on Sunday, the team is averaging just 3.0 runs per game, which hasn’t been good enough to win games. 

“We know it’s early,” said Story. ‘But we know it’s a tough division and we’ve got our work ahead of us. If we’re going to be the team we think we can be, we’re going to have to fight our way out of this."

The Red Sox’s 2-7 start is rare territory, just the sixth time since 1950 and only the second time this century (joining 2011 and 2019).

It’s still early, just April 6, with plenty of baseball left to play, but as the losses pile up, there’s growing cause for concern. Boston has fallen short in multiple areas, and those issues are beginning to add up.

“This is unacceptable. It’s unacceptable to the fans,” Roman Anthony said following Sunday’s loss. . “It’s unacceptable to the standard that we set for ourselves.”

Anthony faced the media following the Red Sox’ series loss to the Padres. The outfielder is 8-for-34 (.235) to start the season and hasn’t looked particularly sharp defensively in left field.

His arm has been a concern early, lacking both strength and accuracy on his throws.

“There’s a few things we have to be better at defensively, and the kid knows it,” Cora said before the loss on Saturday. “The other day, Correa was at second, base hit to left, we’ve got to throw him out, and he knows it.”

Anthony’s defensive metrics paint a mixed picture. He’s shown solid range, ranking in the 74th percentile in Outs Above Average with one defensive run saved in 35 1/3 innings, but sits in just the seventh percentile in arm value, according to Baseball Savant.

“It’s footwork,” Cora said. “His footwork has been off.”

Cora added that Anthony has been working daily with outfield instructor Kyle Hudson to clean up his mechanics.

Anthony has started four games in left field and appeared in five overall, while also serving as the designated hitter four times to begin the season.

“We understand that we simply just need to be better,” Anthony said.

“You just show up every day and work your (expletive) off, get in the video room, and be as prepared as possible,” he added. “I don’t think we’re not doing that, this is just a tough stretch. We need to find a way to bring more energy and be better.”

One comment in particular stood out, as Anthony emphasized preparation and accountability.

“Feed off each other and pass it to the next guy,” he said. “Do everything you can to get on base, execute pitches, whatever it takes to help the team win.”

There’s been plenty of discussion about leadership within the Red Sox clubhouse entering the season, especially after losing veteran voices like Alex Bregman and Rob Refsnyder in free agency.

Boston has talent on its roster, but the 2-7 start suggests deeper issues, whether it’s preparation, execution, or the absence of steady leadership to help right the ship.