The Boston Red Sox are officially in chaos, and our Mariners just poured some more fuel on that fire, snatching an 8-3 victory from them. Yeah, that score isn’t a typo: our Emerald City crew went on the road and handed Boston a serious L, proving their pitching problems are still a massive headache. The Red Sox have been giving up 8 runs a game for a stretch, and the M’s just showed why that struggle is painfully real.
Boston’s Wild Card Hopes Are Shaking
You gotta feel for Chad Tracy, who’s ascended to Interim Manager and is somehow a favorite for AL Manager of the Year despite all this mess. Roman Anthony and Trevor Story are back and doing great, which is a rare silver lining for Boston, providing some much-needed offense. However, former Oriole Adley Rutschman isn’t making the impact they expected, adding to their woes. Right now, Boston is clinging to a 4.5 game lead over Cleveland for that crucial third Wild Card spot, and they’re just 6.0 games up on the Orioles. That margin isn’t huge, and if Baltimore manages to sweep them in this series, Boston could find themselves in serious trouble. Our Mariners just complicated that picture even more for them.
The Pitching Staff Is a Full-Blown Telenovela
Boston’s pitching staff is a whole telenovela right now, swinging wildly from decent to disastrous. Jake Bennett, to his credit, found a “second wind” after struggling earlier in August. He actually pulled off the *only* win against the Yankees in New York with an impressive 6.0 shutout innings, chalking up 7 strikeouts and zero walks. The guy even handled the Dodgers lineup and has been consistently impressive since his callup. He even held the Orioles to just 3 runs in 5.2 innings back in July, showing what he’s capable of. But then you look at Brayan Bello, who got absolutely shelled for 8 runs in just 3.1 innings way back on April 24th. That game was so bad it probably ended Alex Cora’s career, and it highlights the inconsistency. Ranger Suarez’s ugly 6-run outing against the Yankees completely reset any progress he had been making, and that start kicked off a brutal five-game stretch where Boston’s pitching allowed at least 8 runs a game. And let’s not forget how Payton Tolle got into some serious trouble against *our Mariners*, pitching 5.2 innings before the Red Sox bullpen completely fell apart, though Boston somehow rallied to win that game 9-8 in 10 innings. It just screams how fragile their pitching really is.
So, what’s next for Boston? They need Sonny Gray to be at his best; extra rest did wonders for Bennett, so hopefully it helps Gray too. He hasn’t faced the Orioles yet this year, which could be a factor. The series against Baltimore closes with Kyle Bradish, who was the losing pitcher in Tracy’s debut. He’s allowed Boston 4 runs in 11 innings across two starts, striking out 7 and walking 5. The O’s haven’t even seen Pete Alonso this year, which might give them a leg up. For now, Boston needs to figure out their arms, and our Mariners just gave them another reason to worry. You love to see it.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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