Alex Cora has seen a lot in his time managing the Red Sox-but lately, it’s been a different story. After a gut-punch 4-3 loss to the Angels in extra innings Tuesday night, the usually composed manager didn’t hold back.
Boston has now dropped two straight one-run games at Fenway and sits five games under.500 at 29-34. Even worse? They’re 6-17 in one-run games this season-a stat that feels more like a symptom than a fluke.
“I’ll be honest. We’re not getting better,” Cora said after the loss, via MLB.com. “Same mistakes, same execution problems. And yeah, at some point that’s on me.”
It’s not just the record-it’s how they’re losing. Tuesday’s game unraveled in the third inning when Brayan Bello plunked Jo Adell, walked Chris Taylor (who’s hitting below .100), and then watched the Angels pile on with a bloop, airmail throw, and defensive breakdowns. These aren’t growing pains. These are fundamental failures.
Big Names, Big Problems: Talent Hasn’t Fixed the Foundation
Boston was supposed to be better. They brought in veteran talent like Alex Bregman and lefty Garrett Crochet. But since Bregman’s right quad injury sidelined him, the Sox have gone 3-8. The offense isn’t clicking, the defense is sloppy, and their situational hitting is a mess-they went 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position Tuesday.
“There’s a lot of bad right now,” Cora added, referencing poor bunts, misplayed balls, and mental lapses. “It’s frustrating.”
And there’s no soft landing ahead. The Red Sox are heading to Yankee Stadium next-home of the division leaders who’d love nothing more than to bury their longtime rivals a little deeper. At this point, Boston is closer in the standings to the last-place White Sox than to anyone competing for the AL East.
If there’s a spark to come, it may have to come from youth. Top prospect Roman Anthony is knocking on the door, but it’s a lot to ask a 20-year-old to clean up a veteran team’s mess.
Cora’s not quitting. But after this week, he’s clearly running out of answers.
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