Astros 6, Red Sox 3: Disappointment comes Early and often
The Astros were bad, but the Red Sox were worse.
BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 02: Ceddanne Rafaela #3 of the Boston Red Sox tosses his bat after striking out against the Houston Astros at Fenway Park on May 02, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Jaiden Tripi/Getty Images) | Getty Images The sequence that most perfectly encapsulates today’s loss to the Astros began in the bottom of the third inning. Willson Contreras was at the plate with the bases loaded and just one out; Astros’ starter Spencer Arrighetti was teetering and had just walked the previous two men, and there was more lumber lurking on deck with Roman Anthony and Wilyer Abreu due up next.
The Red Sox were down 1-0, but it very much felt like they were about to take control of the game. I remember thinking to myself in this moment “Boy, after that three hit game last night, it feels like Roman Anthony’s really about to turn the corner. Now he’s gonna get a golden opportunity to build on that momentum against a struggling starter with either a chance to take the lead or put the Sox already ahead.
” Instead, by the time Anthony came to the plate, the Sox were down 5-0 in the bottom of the next inning. The deadly combination of events came as follows: First, Willson Contreras hit into this brutally costly double play to ruin the third inning threat: View Link Then Brice Matthews hit this three run bomb off Connelly Early in the top of the fourth: View Link That wasn’t quite the ballgame, but it sure felt like it. The Red Sox are now 0-17 when they fall behind by at least two runs at any point in the game, and this lineup just proves relentlessly incapable of changing that stat.
Today was actually a perfect example of what that’s the case. There were plenty of other chances for the Red Sox to get back in the thing and mount a comeback, but time and time again they lacked the big hit when they really needed it. They had several opportunities to the tune of eight hits and seven walks, but not a single one of those hits went for extra bases, and the team went just 2-9 with runner in scoring position (zero of which came when the deficit was within three runs).
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