Red Sox Fall To Worst 40-Game Start In Decades After Loss To Rays
Boston's rough start continued over the weekend at Fenway Park.
Red Sox Fall To Worst 40-Game Start In Decades After Loss To Rays originally appeared on NESN . Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here . The Boston Red Sox reached a significant milestone on Sunday with their 40th game of the season, hitting the quarter mark of their season.
Unfortunately, it hasn't been a good first quarter for the stumbling Red Sox, who lost again with a 4-1 home defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays on Mother's Day. The loss dropped Boston to 17-23 and last place in the AL East. According to USA TODAY's Bob Nightengale, it's the Red Sox's worst 40-game start since 1997 .
That's a bad sign for Boston, which finished 1997 fourth in the AL East with a 78-84 record. According to FanGraphs, its playoff odds are just 29. 6 percent entering play on Monday.
The Boston Red Sox's 4-1 loss to the Rays leaves them with a 17-23 record. It's the first time in a full season the Red Sox have won 17 or fewer games in the first 40 games of a season since 1997. — Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) May 10, 2026 The Red Sox are pitching well and playing good defense, but they continue to flounder offensively, scoring just three runs over their last two games combined.