Boston Red Sox

Boston has now lost 8 of 10 and is a season-low 14 games below .500.

By Trevor Hass

June 18, 2026 | 5:55 PM

4 minutes to read

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COMMENTARY

For the vast majority of Thursday’s series finale against the Blue Jays, the Red Sox appeared to be destined for another lifeless performance.

Sonny Gray allowed runs in each of the first two innings. Toronto starter Trey Yesagage was perfect through three. Boston mustered just one hit in six innings and trailed by three runs.

Then, the pendulum started to swing. Willson Contreras plated Ceddanne Rafaela with a grounder to short in the seventh. Connor Wong made an acrobatic play to tag George Springer at the plate in the eighth. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Caleb Durbin belted back-to-back homers over the Green Monster to tie it. Fenway was buzzing, with the Scots leading the charge.

“Being able to tie the game right there, it felt like we had a good chance,” Kiner-Falefa said.

Perhaps the Red Sox would finally begin to exorcise their demons with a pivotal come-from-behind victory. 

Not so much.

In the top of the ninth, Wong and Durbin couldn’t corral a wind-altered pop up in foul ground and Brandon Valenzuela made them pay with a double off the wall. The result was a 4-3 Blue Jays win that featured more drama than expected yet ultimately yielded the same result for a sputtering franchise.  

Boston has now lost three straight, eight of 10, and 10 of 14 June games. The Red Sox (29-43) are a season-low 14 games below .500 and have firmly cemented their status as one of the worst teams in baseball until further notice. 

“It’s very frustrating,” Gray said. “We’re not good. We’re just not a good team right now. That’s just a fact.”

Here are five takeaways:

Somewhere between Sonny and Gray

Gray, who has been one of the team’s most consistent players this season, had an up-and-down start Thursday. 

He allowed a solo shot to Vladimir Guerrero Jr. in the first, then Kazuma Okamoto scored on a sacrifice fly in the second to give the Blue Jays (37-38) an early cushion. Gray settled into a rhythm in the third through sixth before allowing a solo shot to Nathan Lukes in the seventh.

“I was pissed off about the seventh at that solo homer, because it shouldn’t have happened,” Gray said.

Gray allowed three earned runs in seven innings, striking out four on 89 pitches. It was the first loss since mid-April for Gray, who has done his job and then some the bulk of the season.

“Seven innings, three runs,” said interim manager Chad Tracy. “He was very, very good.”

Should I stay or should I go?

After a perfect three innings from Yesavage, the Red Sox recorded their first baserunner when Mickey Gasper smoked a ground-rule double to right.

Gasper (2 for 4) advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt from Rafaela, then had a chance to score on a fly ball to left-center from Wilyer Abreu. But, third-base coach Chad Epperson elected not to send Gasper, and he stayed put as the throw sailed wide.

Under different circumstances, the decision might have made sense. With the offense struggling, and in desperate need of a jolt, it was worth the risk to send Gasper. If the throw got there, and he was out at the plate, so be it. The Red Sox aren’t in a position to pick and choose when they’re aggressive.

They made some noise, but it wasn’t enough

Boston finally scored a run when Rafaela doubled, advanced to third on a lineout, and came home on Contreras’ groundout. 

Kiner-Falefa and Durbin then electrified the crowd with two powerful swings. The Red Sox, who entered 1-36 when trailing after seven innings, had momentum on their side.

“Usually when we’re down, it feels like it’s a little bit further away,” Durbin said. “Today, I felt like the energy was different all game. Obviously, not wanting to get swept and to have a good flight.”

Kiner-Falefa is hitting .312 in his last 25 games and Durbin has hit safely in 11 of his last 17 games. But, they know stats mean nothing when put in context next to the bigger picture.

“It’s time to go on a streak or we’re going to be having new players in this locker room,” Kiner-Falefa said. “We’ve got to figure it out.”

Twist in the wind

Wong said it was “really windy” and took ownership after misplaying Valenzuela’s pop up in the ninth inning. 

“I didn’t put myself in a position to make a play on it,” Wong said.

Durbin added that wind played “a big part” in the game all day. At the same time, he acknowledged he could have given himself a chance.

“I saw where it bounced,” Durbin said. “It was one of those where the wind was affecting the game all day, so you can’t really give up on that. Off the bat, it goes in the air, you’ve got to attack it. Whether I get there or not, I’m not sure, but that’s a really tough ball for [Wong].”

Once the Red Sox couldn’t come up with that one, it felt inevitable that the Blue Jays were going to snatch the momentum back.

No ninth-inning magic, no party

Those poor Scots.

They traveled 3,000 miles to watch the Red Sox stumble, respond, then stumble again Thursday afternoon. Well OK, that wasn’t the main reason for their visit, but for those looking for a gratifying victory at Fenway, this wasn’t the day – or the season.

But, the Scots didn’t seem to mind. They created their own fun to energize an otherwise-quiet ballpark for most of the day. Even so, their unbridled enthusiasm couldn’t cover up what was yet another uninspiring series for the last-place Red Sox.

“I think guys are frustrated,” Tracy said. “Imagine, if you were in there, the way it’s gone.”