Sox Flinch At Fenway: A’s Turn the Knives in Boston’s Wild Card Bleed
Sometimes rooting for the Red Sox feels like waiting for someone to drop the mic — and tonight, the A’s clapped a door in our faces.
Game Recap: Nails, Fumbles, and One Earned Hit Too Few
The Boston Red Sox couldn’t squeeze out a win on Tuesday night, falling 2–1 to the Oakland Athletics in a game that felt tailor-made for frustration. It was Boston’s first game of the homestand vs. Oakland, and instead of statement made, we got another gripe to tuck into the slowly building pile.
Key moments:
Third inning: Boston draws first blood. Carlos Narváez doubles to left-center; Rob Refsnyder, who had reached first, scores after an awkward fielding error by A’s center fielder Lawrence Butler. Sox 1, A’s 0.
Sixth inning: Momentum swings. Greg Weissert replaces rookie Connelly Early with one out and a man on. Tyler Soderstrom doubles off the Green Monster (yes, that Green Monster), scoring a run to knot the game. Then comes Brett Harris with the go-ahead single, walking in Soderstrom. A’s touch ahead 2–1.
The bullpen “did its job” afterward: shut down Boston the rest of the way. Hogan Harris puts up a save. Sox can’t muster a rally.
Boston starter Connelly Early deserves praise: 5.1 innings, just one run allowed (which came after he was gone), five hits, seven strikeouts. He looked like he belonged.
Greg Weissert… not so much. Pulled the trigger too early, couldn’t hold the one-run edge. “We lose that game because I can’t do my job,” Weissert admitted after the game. That stings because he’s right.
Quotes & Commentary
Alex Cora on Early: “The kid did an amazing job.” He meant it. No fluff, just grudging respect.
Weissert, forced to face pressure: “I go in there and do that (expletive). It sucks.” Brutal honesty. But that’s what we pay attention to: regrets, lessons, maybe shame.
Cora’s explanation for pulling Early: matchup-based — Brent Rooker had hit lefties well, led off the sixth so Cora opted for Weissert. Strategy meets consequence.
Opponent Misfires (They Blew Some Too)
It wasn’t artful perfection from Oakland. Sure, they got the win, but they left traffic in scoring position, nearly let Early off the hook multiple times.
Jeffrey Springs (A’s starter) gave up that clean run in the 3rd — only because of an error. Otherwise, Boston’s offense smacked but couldn’t cash in. ESPN.com+1
Late in the game, the A’s needed to work through relievers and tense moments. Harris closing it wasn’t easy. But Boston couldn’t force him into enough mistakes.
So yes: credit the A’s for staying sharp. But shame on Boston for being sloppy when it mattered most.
Red Sox Momentum Check
With this loss Boston has now dropped 4 out of their last 5. Definitely not how you want to cruise into the playoff stretch.
In the Wild Card race: Red Sox fall into the third AL Wild Card slot, half a game behind Houston, two behind the Yankees. The margin is paper-thin — and shaky.
Fenway Park advantage? Tonight it just looked like a home crowd watching someone else steal their puppy. The Sox couldn’t protect the house.
If there was “momentum,” it stepped out for a smoke break and forgot the return time.
Future Outlook: What’s Next
Boston hosts Oakland for Game 2 Wednesday night. Opposing starter is Mason Barnett for A’s (poor ERA, plenty to work on), while Red Sox counter with Lucas Giolito, who still has teeth in this season.
What must happen:
Sox need to scratch more than one run. One-run games will bite them again — they are not built for many of those.
The bullpen cannot continue to be the difference — tonight's failure by Weissert, though not alone to blame, is emblematic.
The offense must produce under pressure. When you load up and leave them stranded, you're not just losing that game — you're eroding confidence.
Verdict (Of Late-Night, Pissed-Off Fan Mode)
Boston’s still alive in this wild-card jumble, and yes, they have the pieces to push deep. But wins like this? Where you fall short by a base hit, by a relief arm not being sharp, by a lineup going cold just when you expect heat… those are what kill playoff hopes.
They’ll be tested the next two nights. If they lose again, the chatter about “can they really finish strong” turns from whisper to roar.
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