Lingering Flaw Playing Major Role In Red Sox's Frustrating Start

Lingering Flaw Playing Major Role In Red Sox's Frustrating Start originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Red Sox were a good team last year, winning 89 games and making the playoffs.

However, they were also a flawed team. They struggled to hit for power and struggled in close games, going 23-27 in one-run games during the regular season. That record was particularly bad early in the season before the Red Sox started pitching better and playing better baseball in June.

That issue came back to haunt them during the postseason, however, as they lost Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series to the New York Yankees by one run. Boston failed to close out the series after winning Game 1, then ultimately lost it after getting shut out in Game 3. So far, it's continued to be an issue for the 2026 Red Sox, who are 0-3 in one-run games to start the season.

That's accounted for half of their losses thus far, playing a big role in their disappointing 2-6 start . One-run games often come down to relief pitching, timely hitting and defense, three key areas where Boston has struggled so far. Red Sox relievers are 0-3 with a 3.