Red Sox get their stars back & it’s still not enough

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Red Sox get their stars back & it’s still not enough

Derek Antoine

Tue, September 1, 2026 at 1:23 PM UTC ·

2 min read

Stars were back, but it didn't matter

MLB: Houston Astros at Boston Red Sox

iMay 3, 2026; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox designated hitter Roman Anthony (19) warms-up before batting against the Houston Astros during the first inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images Credit: IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect (Reuters)

Anthony returned for the first time since May 4 and immediately doubled with an exit velocity of 101.6 mph. He finished 2-for-4. Story, returning for the first time since May 14, also collected two hits.

Boston lost 16-1. FOX Sports captured the ugliness after the final out:

"The @Yankees put up 16 RUNS… With the win, New York takes the season series over Boston!"

The 16 runs grab your attention.

The season series is what should bother Boston.

New York took three of four, outscored the Red Sox 26-9 and won the season series 7-6, securing the tiebreaker if these teams finish tied. The Yankees now sit four games ahead of Boston – effectively another game with that tiebreaker.

Boston's problem was bigger than the injury list

Mar 28, 2026; Cincinnati, Ohio, USA; Boston Red Sox shortstop Trevor Story (10) runs the bases after hitting a solo home run against the Cincinnati Reds in the third inning at Great American Ball Park. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images

And Sunday wasn't evidence that Anthony and Story came back too soon. They were two of Boston's best hitters. That makes the problem bigger.

The Red Sox are 62-15 when scoring at least four runs and 12-47 when scoring three or fewer. Against the Yankees, Boston went 6-0 when reaching four runs and 0-7 when it didn't.

Anthony makes this lineup better. Story makes it deeper. But neither fixes a team that becomes dramatically easier to beat when its offense gets squeezed by good pitching.

The Red Sox finally got their reinforcements. The Yankees spent the weekend reminding them that getting healthy and being ready for October are two very different things.