In recent games, the Boston Red Sox have struggled to obtain the clutch hit that will jumpstart their attack.
Boston’s lineup struggled again Friday night, falling 5-1 to the Washington Nationals. After scoring only two runs against the Atlanta Braves in the previous series, the Red Sox left 11 runners on base in their defeat at Fenway Park. Strikeouts were once again the major culprit in another difficult night for the offense, as Boston fanned nine times.
“We didn’t get the big hit,” Alex Cora told reporters during NESN’s postgame coverage. “… The way out of this is to keep putting up strong at-bats and generating attention. We will eventually get the major hit. We’ve gotta get into that groove, right? It did not happen tonight.
The Red Sox trailed 3-1 in the eighth inning when Jarren Duran struck out, leaving the bases loaded. Those two-out opportunities have cost Boston in recent games.
“The two-out RBIs, that’s not easy,” Cora remarked. “Of course you want them and everything. It’s the previous one, with second and third and fewer than two outs. “You have to cash in.”
Cora believes that hitting fundamentals should be emphasized in the Red Sox’s approach, with the team being intentional about advancing runners along and driving them in.
“For me, its’s more about the situational at-bat,” Cora stated. “I’m not sure how many we had today. Not many. It appears that every opportunity came with two outs. We just have to keep digging and looking to see where we are failing. “Hopefully, we’ll find it tomorrow.”
Here are further notes from Friday’s Nationals-Red Sox game: Friday was Washington’s first visit to Fenway Park since August 30, 2020, and the first game against the Red Sox in Boston with a crowd since April 15, 2015.
Garrett Cooper scored his first run with the Red Sox on an RBI double.
Tanner Houck finished seven innings for the second time in 2024 and has pitched at least six innings in all but one of his starts this season.
“Good (work) going seven,” Cora replied. “They put the ball in play twice in the second and third innings and received a reward. Overall, he induced a weak contact. “He’s been fantastic for us.
– The Red Sox suffered their sixth consecutive loss in May, scoring fewer than two runs.
— The Nationals have won three consecutive games at Fenway Park, dating back to 2020.
— According to Tom Caron of NESN’s postgame coverage, Boston has gone 2-for-29 with runners in scoring position in the last three games.
— The Red Sox and Nationals resume their three-game series at Fenway Park on Saturday evening. The first pitch is planned for 4:10 p.m. ET. NESN will broadcast the game, as well as an hour of pregame programming.
