Red Sox Notes: Boston’s Nonexistent Offense Results In Doubleheader Sweep

The Boston Red Sox managed to score only three runs in the day-night doubleheader sweep at the hands of the New York Yankees at Fenway Park on Tuesday.

In the two games combined, the Red Sox were 0-for-19 with runners in scoring position and left 20 men on base.

“I think we were 0-for-19 with 10 strikeouts. If you don’t put the ball in play, that’s the difference today between them and us,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters after the game, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “… You have to put the ball in play. Today, we didn’t.”

The Red Sox took the lead in both games off solo home runs from Rafael Devers in the first game and Ceddanne Rafaela in the second. Boston couldn’t muster much offense after that, scoring only a second run in the first game when Triston Casas scored off a wild pitch in the fourth inning.

Boston left 12 men on base in the second game and eight in the first. Combined, the Red Sox only managed 13 hits in 65 at-bats.

Rafaela, 2-for-5 in the second game, and Casas, 3-for-4 in the opening game, were the only two batters for the Red Sox to record multiple hits.

After dropping the doubleheader to the Yankees, the Red Sox are seven games back in the AL Wild Card race and Kutter Crawford said the team is not waving the white flag.

“We keep fighting. We keep battling,” Crawford told reporters, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Obviously, we know that our chances are slim, but showing up to the ballpark with your tail tucked between your legs every day doesn’t make it any more fun. Winning is fun. So, as a clubhouse, we’re still going out there trying to compete and win every ball game.

Crawford gave Boston a chance to win the game allowing one run on three hits through 4 2/3 innings of work. He threw 61.2% of his pitches for strikes (57 of 93 pitches), striking out seven batters and walking three.

“I know I need to pitch off my fastball,” Crawford said. “In the first inning, I struggled with that, but as the outing went on you could see the value in that and as the outing went on, kind of pitched a little backward and got them on the spin. Then threw the fastball late in the count and it seemed to freeze them up; had them a little confused up there. Pitching the fastball is huge for me.”

Here are more notes from Tuesday’s Red Sox-Yankees doubleheader:

— The loss in Game 1 snapped a seven-game winning streak vs. the Yankees, which was their longest streak since winning eight straight from 2020-2021.

— Things ended in disappointing fashion in the matinee matchup, with Red Sox rookies Ceddanne Rafaela and Enmanuel Valdez combining with Reese McGuire to load the bases on three-consecutive walks before Alex Verdugo swung at the first pitch he saw and grounded out into a double play.

— The loss in the second game put the Red Sox tied for last place in the American League East with the Yankees. Both clubs have a 73-72 record and play each other two more times in this series.

— The Red Sox fell to 37-36 at home, 46-44 in night games, 4-7 in September and 21-20 against the AL East

— The Red Sox and Yankees will be back in action Wednesday night, with first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET. The game will air live on NESN following an hour of pregame coverage.