Fenway’s Faceplant: Guardians Turn Sox into Punching Bag, 8–1
Boston’s stewardship of September sucks so hard even Cleveland hadda stop the hemorrhage.
Game Recap
Wednesday night at Fenway was less a baseball game, more Red Sox team-building by Cleveland. Boston got bullied 8–1, and they have nobody but themselves to blame. Here's how the dumpster fire burned:
First Inning: Sox opened with a wild pitch, Steven Kwan singled, and José Ramírez bunted him home. That’s not offense—that’s Cleveland politely walking through an open door.
Second Inning: The Guardians basically surrendered a baseball clinic. Gabriel Arias launched his 10th homer into orbit, and then chaos reigned. RBI single by Kwan, wild pitch, obstruction on Connor Wong, and an error from Jarren Duran—Boston gifted six runs in two miserable minutes.
Middle Innings: Joey Cantillo turned in a master class—six innings, one run allowed, seven strikeouts—while the Sox sat helplessly.
Fourth Inning: Small consolation prize—Nick Sogard knocked in Boston’s lone run. At least someone in uniform remembered it’s baseball.
Endgame: Guardians tacked on two more, Sox looked like they’d rather be at home watching Netflix—a scenario that, at least, doesn’t hurt this badly.
Player Highlights (if you squint)
Joey Cantillo: Six strong innings, seven Ks, one run—that’s the kind of outing that makes you question everything. Bravo.
Steven Kwan: Went 3-for-5 with a double and two runs. Dude’s batting like Fenway’s still his sandbox.
Nick Sogard: Delivered the one run Boston mustered, earning MVP of non-completely-dead offense.
Cleveland Missteps: There weren’t many, because the Sox folded fast. Guardians left some stranded but still scored eight. It counts—but not much.
Quotes & Commentary
Alex Cora, ever the diplomat, said, “We have to clean things up.” Hilarious—like saying your car’s totaled after a head-on. Thanks, Cap. We’ll schedule some sweeping.
The consensus reaction in the stands: “We don’t rebuild. We just hand out losses until October.”
Opponent Misfires (Reluctant Ones)
Cleveland wasn’t flawless: they stranded runners, botched a sac bunt, and almost gave up their own 8–1 blowout. But with Sox defense that special, it felt fair.
Red Sox Momentum Check
The Sox fall to 78–63 and have now lost two of the past three. That Wild Card lead? It’s quivering in the corner. If momentum is alive in Boston, it’s in witness protection.
Future Outlook
Next up: a three-game series in Arizona. Wednesday’s outfit probably needs a caffeine drip to even show up. In theory, they’ll send someone who can throw strikes and hold the bullpen in check. But if I have to lean on words like should or maybe, I’m already tired.
Subscribe to Red Sox Digest — because someone’s got to catalog this slow-mo collapse, and the polite coverage sure as hell won’t.