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What's Wrong with Red Sox? Boston Can't Overcome Poor Starting Pitching, Situational Hitting

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What's Wrong with Red Sox? Boston Can't Overcome Poor Starting Pitching, Situational Hitting originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Fenway faithful are already reaching for the panic button, as the Red Sox have stumbled into a historic downfall to open the 2026 season. Following a busy offseason in which the front office looked to build a contender for the AL pennant, Boston finds itself at the bottom of the MLB standings with a dismal 2–8 record. With their third straight loss on Monday night, the Red Sox matched the worst 10-game start in franchise history.

MORE: Alex Cora Reacts to Roman Anthony's Throwing Issues That 8-6 defeat at the hands of the Brewers served as a microcosm of the team's early struggles. The Red Sox were undone by a defensive meltdown in the eighth inning and series of costly walks. A single by Milwaukee's Garrett Mitchell and wild throwing error from Roman Anthony allowed the Brewers to pull away, leaving Boston fans frustrated with yet another disappointing performance.

From a rotation that can't find the zone to a lineup failing to deliver in high-leverage moments, here is a breakdown of what is going wrong in Boston. What's wrong with the the Red Sox? Many analysts and fans expected the Red Sox to hit the ground running after a playoff appearance in 2025.

Instead, the optimism of spring has been replaced by a sense of dread, as Boston sits firmly in the AL East cellar. Alex Cora's squad is already trailing the first-place Yankees by 5 1/2 games. The primary engine of Boston's collapse is a starting rotation that has been unreliable.