Red Sox Home Record Hits 94-Year Low as Orioles Extend Winning Streak
Interim manager Chad Tracy’s tenure sees the Red Sox lose every home series east of the Appalachians, with the club’s 9-20 home start marking their worst in nearly a century.
The Baltimore Orioles defeated the Boston Red Sox 4-2 at Fenway Park on Tuesday night, a result that extends Boston’s poor home record to 9-20. According to postgame remarks by Tom Caron on NESN, this marks the worst start to a season in the Red Sox’s 94-year history. The loss underscores a persistent inability to secure victories in domestic fixtures, compounding a difficult period for the organisation under interim management.
Since interim manager Chad Tracy assumed control on April 25, the Red Sox have lost every home series played east of the Appalachians. The team has also failed to win a home game in which the opponent scored more than one run during this period. Tracy’s record in 16 home games stands at 4-12, reflecting a broader trend of inefficiency that has characterised the club’s performance at Fenway Park.
Pete Alonso provided the decisive moment for Baltimore, hitting a two-run home run that gave the Orioles the lead and ultimately the victory. Alonso’s power display highlighted a disparity in offensive capability, as the Red Sox struggled to generate consistent production against a Baltimore lineup that capitalised on key scoring opportunities.
For Boston, shortstop Ceddanne Rafaela recorded two hits, serving as the only player in the lineup to achieve a multi-hit performance. Conversely, key contributors such as Masataka Yoshida and Willson Contreras went hitless, with Yoshida recording three strikeouts in four at-bats, lowering his on-base plus slugging (OPS) to .683.
The game concluded with catcher Mickey Gasper recording the final out in the ninth inning. Gasper, who has batted .333 with 18 hits in 60 plate appearances since his call-up, has recorded zero hits in his 12 highest-leverage plate appearances this season. His appearance in the ninth inning, with the Red Sox trailing by two runs, illustrated the depth challenges facing the club’s roster construction.
Pitching efforts for Boston included two scoreless innings from Tyler Samaniego and three strikeouts from Greg Weissert in one inning, though neither secured the win. Connelly Early pitched but did not secure the victory, battling through the early innings before the bullpen stabilised the score at four runs.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa, who made four outs in three plate appearances, commented on the team’s home struggles, noting the psychological impact of the Fenway environment. “When we come home, there’s just a lot of people,” Kiner-Falefa said. “We’ve got to figure out a way to make it small like how it is on the road.”
