BOSTON, MA - MAY 10: Wilyer Abreu #52 of the Boston Red Sox heads to the dugout after popping up with two runners on base to end the fifth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park on May 10, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

The Boston Red Sox had enough pitching to win Thursday night. That has been the story as of late. Ranger Suarez gave Boston 5⅓ scoreless innings against his former team, pushed his scoreless streak to 19 innings, and handed the bullpen a game that was still there to be taken.

The Red Sox never took it.

A 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies dropped Boston to 18-25 and sent the team into a six-game road trip with the same unresolved issue it has carried for weeks. The Red Sox are creating chances. They are not finishing enough of them.

After the game, Wilyer Abreu said what everyone could already see.

Abreu Speaks on Red Sox Struggles

Wilyer Abreu delivered Boston’s only run of the night, singling home Andruw Monasterio in the eighth inning to cut Philadelphia’s lead to 2-1. It was the only hit Boston managed with a runner in scoring position.

Afterward, Abreu did not try to pretend the frustration was not there.

“I think we’re playing really good baseball,” Abreu said. “I think we’re creating opportunities, but at the same time, we need to accomplish.”

Abreu pointed to the parts of the series Boston could feel better about. The defense was solid. The at-bats were competitive. The Red Sox gave themselves chances. But none of that changes the result when the final swing never arrives.

The pitching has kept the team in games, and the defense has been good enough to win. But Abreu’s comment captured the gap between process and production.

The Red Sox keep getting close. Close is not changing the standings.

GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 14: Andruw Monasterio #32 of the Boston Red Sox scores on a single off the bat of Wilyer Abreu in the eighth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park on May 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Red Sox Waste Another Strong Start

Interim manager Chad Tracy acknowledged afterward that the Red Sox had enough chances to change the game.

Boston had chances in the third, fourth, fifth and sixth innings, but each one ended the same way. A runner reached scoring position. The inning moved toward the moment Abreu later described. Then the hit never came.

That is how a strong start from Suarez turned into another wasted night. The left-hander allowed four hits, struck out eight, and did not give up a run across 76 pitches. He did everything Boston needed from him after returning from injury.

The offense could not match him.

GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 14: Ranger Suarez #55 of the Boston Red Sox delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park on May 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Schwarber Gives Boston A Painful Reminder

There was an uncomfortable subplot running through the series, and Kyle Schwarber made sure it did not stay quiet.

The former Red Sox slugger came to the plate in the eighth inning against rookie left-hander Tyler Samaniego. Boston had spent seven innings waiting for the swing that would change the night.

Schwarber delivered it for Philadelphia instead.

His two-run homer gave the Phillies the lead, and pushed Boston toward another frustrating loss. It was his 18th home run of the season.

GettyBOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 14: Kyle Schwarber #12 of the Philadelphia Phillies hits a two run home run during the eighth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park on May 14, 2026 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Rutherford/Getty Images)

Final Word for the Red Sox

The Red Sox are pitching well. They are defending well. They are creating enough traffic to make these games winnable. That is why the frustration is real.

But 18-25 is also real.

At some point, good at-bats have to become runs. Chances have to become wins. The big hit Abreu talked about has to arrive before the season slips further away.

The Red Sox are still waiting. The road trip starts now.