BOSTON — Instant reactions from the Red Sox 3-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies at Fenway Park on Thursday:
1.The Red Sox dropped to 18-25 overall and 8-14 at Fenway Park. Philadelphia improved to 21-23. Boston’s offense again couldn’t come through in big spots. The Red Sox went 1 for 11 with runners in scoring position and left nine men on base.
2.Boston lefty Tyler Samaniego started his big league career with 15 consecutive scoreless innings over 13 relief appearances. That streak ended in the eighth inning. He gave up a leadoff single to Trea Turner and a 417-foot two-run home run to former Red Sox slugger Kyle Schwarber that put the Phillies ahead 2-0.
3.Schwarber’s home run was his MLB-leading 18th. He hit the go-ahead home run in both wins this series for the Phillies.
4.Interim manager Chad Tracy made a few questionable decisions. He took starter Ranger Suarez out at 76 pitches despite the lefty cruising.
Tracy used Garrett Whitlock to face the bottom three hitters in the Phillies’ order during the seventh inning. He could have used Zack Kelly there and saved Whitlock for a higher-leverage spot.
Tracy’s decision to use Samaniego against the top of the lineup in the eighth inning also could be second-guessed. Tracy had spoken earlier this week about how he was willing to use Aroldis Chapman against a tough pocket of left-handed hitters in the eighth inning. Why not Chapman there against Schwarber and Bryce Harper ?
5.Sox starter Ranger Suarez held his former team without a hit until Alec Bohm led off the fifth inning with a single to left field. The 30-year-old lefty pitched 5 ⅓ scoreless innings, giving up four hits and one walk while striking out eight. It was his first outing since being removed from his start May 3 due to right hamstring tightness.
6.Suarez spent 2018-2025 with the Phillies, posting a 3.38 ERA in 187 outings (119 starts). He initially signed with Philadelphia at 16 years old in April 2012. Boston signed Suarez to a five-year, $130 million contract in free agency in January.
7.Suarez escaped a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fifth inning. He struck out Edmundo Sosa swinging on a changeup and struck out Trea Turner looking on a cutter to keep the game scoreless.
8.The Red Sox lefty has not allowed a run in five of his past six starts. During that stretch, he has allowed four runs over 36 innings (1.00 ERA). He has a 2.44 ERA and 0.95 WHIP while holding opponents to a .197 batting average in eight starts.
9. Ceddanne Rafaela kept the game scoreless when he made a running catch for the final out of the sixth inning on Brandon Marsh ’s bases-loaded 291-foot, 94.4 mph line-out against reliever Justin Slaten .
10.Boston failed to take a lead in the third inning despite Carlos Narváez leading off with a double and moving to third base with one out on Caleb Durbin ’s sacrifice bunt. Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out swinging on a sweeper way below the strike zone. Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound.
11.The Sox wasted another scoring chance with the game still scoreless in the fourth inning. Wilyer Abreu singled to left field but Phillies starter Jesús Luzardo picked him off first base. The next hitter, Willson Contreras , doubled off the Green Monster and got stranded at second base when Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center field.
12.The Red Sox didn’t have the contact play on with a runner at third base and one out in the sixth inning. Andruw Monasterio hit a leadoff double and moved to third base on Wilyer Abreu’s groundout to second base. Contreras grounded out to shortstop with the infield playing in and Monasterio stayed put at third base. Luzardo then escaped by getting Rafaela to ground out to shortstop.
13.Caleb Durbin hesitated for a moment before throwing to first base on Bryson Stott ’s groundball to third base with the bases loaded and two outs in the eighth. That hesitation cost him. Stott was initially called out at first base but the Phillies challenged and got the call overturned to an RBI single that made it 3-0 Philadelphia.
14.Boston’s one run came in the eighth when Monasterio doubled with one out and Wilyer Abreu singled him home.
15.The Red Sox will open a three-game series in Atlanta on Friday. Red Sox rookie left-hander Connelly Early (3-2, 3.16 ERA) will start opposite Braves right-hander Spencer Strider (1-0, 2.89 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. ET.
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