![\"Boston](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/AP26159837523042.jpg\")
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\nRed Sox rookie Connelly Early battled through an inefficient 4 2\/3 innings and matched his career-high with four walks, but he managed to limit the formidable first-place Tampa Bay Rays to two earned runs on five hits in Monday night\u2019s series opener.<\/p>\n
But the Boston bats were quiet in the 3-1 loss. Too quiet, as usual.<\/p>\n
And the Red Sox fare terribly when opponents score first (7-27), and when they trail after the sixth (4-31), seventh (1-31), and eighth (0-34) innings this season.<\/p>\n
That was the story of Monday\u2019s night game, in which Boston tallied just four hits and never looked close to overcoming what should be an overcome-able deficit. It marked its fourth consecutive game and fifth time in its last eight that they failed to exceed seven hits.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019ve got to win those games when the other team scores three, four runs,\u201d shortstop Marcelo Mayer told reporters.<\/p>\n
Mayer\u2019s 401-foot home run, which soared 103.3 mph to right-center to lead off the third inning and tied the game, proved the high point of the game for the losing team. His blast marked the only hit allowed by the Rays pitching staff \u2013 including opener Ian Seymour, who struck out five and issued one walk over four innings \u2013 until Ceddanne Rafaela singled with two outs in the sixth (and was immediately caught stealing second to end the inning).<\/p>\n
With ABS guru Nick Fortes catching for the Rays, the Boston batters had no hope of benefitting from missed calls by home plate umpire Alan Porter. Fortes entered Monday as one of six American League catchers with at least 30 successful ABS challenges, and tacked on another four in the contest. He twice flipped a Ball 3 to a Strike 3, in the top of the seventh (Caleb Durbin) and eighth (Andruw Monasterio).<\/p>\n
The Red Sox had their best chance in the top of the seventh when Rays righty Kevin Kelly hit Willson Contreras with a pitch and gave up a single to Mickey Gasper. But Fortes\u2019 challenge sent Durbin back to the dugout, and Isiah Kiner-Falefa\u2019s weak infield groundout ended their only true rally bid of the night.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe took some scattered good at-bats during the game, but just didn\u2019t create a lot of opportunities for ourselves,\u201d Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy told reporters. \u201cThey used a lot of lefty (pitching) today, and some good ones, too. So, matched up the whole way, and you\u2019re just hoping you can create something and maybe load the bases or something, put them in a spot where the lane doesn\u2019t work for them after that, and we just weren\u2019t able to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tracy described his starter as \u201cout of sorts a bit.\u201d Early faced 23 batters and struck out six. He needed 96 pitches, 54 for strikes, to get through his outing.<\/p>\n
Yandy Diaz took Early deep on the first pitch he threw, the 12th home run the rookie southpaw allowed in his last 10 starts. Sixteen of Early\u2019s 26 earned runs allowed this season are homers, a troubling trend for the rookie, who admitted last week he\u2019s trying to figure out why so many batters are taking him deep. Early didn\u2019t give up a home run in any of his first eight starts.<\/p>\n
\u201c(I) didn\u2019t do a good enough job, spraying the ball too much,\u201d Early told reporters. \u201cI think I was just trying to execute the outer rail, and I didn\u2019t do a good enough job. \u2026 leave a lot of game up for the bullpen to solve, and that\u2019s a tough job, to expect them to go four-plus innings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Boston Red Sox pitcher Connelly Early delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Monday, June 8, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Flame-throwing righty Tyron Guerrero yielded one hit and struck out two over the following 1 1\/3 innings.<\/p>\n
The rest of the Boston bullpen had a more difficult time. Righty Greg Weissert has struggled with inherited runners all season long, but the bases were empty when he took the mound for the bottom of the seventh and couldn\u2019t complete the inning. He gave up a one-out single to Junior Caminero and walked pinch-hitter Victor Mesa Jr., which prompted another pitching change. Lefty Danny Coulombe needed five pitches to record two fast flyouts to left.<\/p>\n
Much like the previous day\u2019s series finale at Yankee Stadium, Monday night was a close game until the Boston bullpen faltered late. Taylor Walls began the bottom of the eighth with a walk, steal of second, and advancement to third on Fortes\u2019 groundout. Coulombe walked Cedric Mullins, leaving behind runners on the corners when Tracy called for rookie Alec Gamboa to take over. Yandy Diaz\u2019s sacrifice fly plated Tampa Bays\u2019 third run before Gamboa struck out Richie Palacios to end the inning.<\/p>\n
Red Sox hit No. 4 came in the top of the ninth, when Wilyer Abreu singled with one out. Contreras struck out on three pitches, and Gasper flew out on the first.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re trying to do things, we\u2019re trying to run more, we\u2019re trying to create more opportunities,\u201d Tracy said. \u201cBut we\u2019re pitching well still. We\u2019re still putting ourselves in really good spots, as far as being in the game late. We just got to take advantage.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Red Sox are 27-37. The Rays are 38-25.<\/p>\n
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