Phillies 2, Red Sox 1: Brayan Bello’s bounce back squandered by bleak bats

May 12, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Jarren Duran (16) safe at second base against Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Bryson Stott (5) in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images | David Butler II-Imagn Images For some reason, I’m not anywhere near as angry as I should be after another loss in which the Red Sox lineup looked like it was reenacting something out of the Deadball Era. Tonight, some of the highlights lowlights included: Batting Mickey Gasper – A 30-year-old with a career .

495 OPS – second in the lineup. The bats lasting a grand totals of just 16 pitches at the plate over the first three innings. The team once again failing to generate the hit they desperately needed late in the contest as the tying run was stranded in scoring position in each of the final three innings.

Scoring two runs or fewer for the tenth time in the last 14 games at Fenway Park. But do you know what surprised me the most about tonight? The Red Sox almost won.

On paper, this game should have been a rocking chair victory for Philadelphia, and instead the game ended with a drama filled ninth inning where, less surprisingly, the Red Sox bats failed to deliver once again. But just under the surface of another pitiful night at the plate were signs that this Red Sox team might be on the verge of turning a corner. They include: Brayan Bello pitching well again in the bulk role On a night with no Roman Anthony or Willson Contreras, Wilyer Abreu came up in a big spot in the seventh inning, worked an eight pitch at bat, and hit a ball that would have been a home run in 29 of the 30 ballparks .