It’s a different day, but the same challenge for the Boston Red Sox, who will attempt to end a four-game losing streak when they face the visiting Atlanta Braves on Wednesday night.
Boston’s biggest issue this season has been an inability to win at home. Atlanta opened the three-game series with a 7-6 victory on Tuesday. The Red Sox are winless in their past five home games and are 8-18 at Fenway Park this season.
“They’re good,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said of the Braves. “Their record is what it is for a reason. They can hit, but we’ve had some guys go out there and start against them here that have pitched effectively. This is part of it: You got to beat them.”
Tuesday’s loss dropped Boston (22-31) nine games under the .500 mark for the first time since the end of the 2022 season. The Braves, by contrast, have the best record in the major leagues at 37-18.
Michael Harris II and Matt Olson each hit a two-run home run for the Braves in Tuesday’s win. Atlanta had been held to one total run in its two most recent games.
“When he (Harris) gets the barrel to the ball, he hits the ball really hard,” Atlanta manager Walt Weiss said. “If he can get to it, he can smoke it. That was a big home run late. He was 4-for-4, had a great night. Olson’s homer was a big one to get us going because we’ve been sluggish the last few days. That kind of got us going. He needed it, we needed it. That kick-started us.
“Nice job coming in here and getting that win. … Some good things offensively tonight.”
Boston, which has struggled to score for much of the season, has scored at least four runs in five of its last six games but have only two wins to show for it. Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela and Isiah Kiner-Falefa each homered for Boston on Tuesday, but all three were solo home runs.
Kiner-Falefa had two hits and three RBIs in the loss. In addition to his home run, he had a two-run single in the ninth inning that pulled Boston within a run.
“I feel like coming within one run of a game against this team … it’s a loss, but at least we’re fighting,” Kiner-Falefa said. “The fight’s been great, just haven’t been able to win. It was a good fight, but wasn’t good enough.
“The new hitting coach (Collin Hetzler) has been doing a great job with trying to elevate the ball to left field. To get some results is just showing that all the work that I’ve been putting in is working.”
Wednesday’s pitching matchup features Boston left-hander Connelly Early (4-2, 3.33 ERA) and Atlanta right-hander Bryce Elder (4-2, 1.97).
Early limited Atlanta to two runs on five hits in five innings of a 3-2 extra-inning loss to Atlanta on May 15. He struck out six and walked none. It was Early’s lone career appearance against the Braves.
Elder is 0-2 with a 4.05 ERA in two career starts against Boston. He took the loss in Boston’s win on May 16, also a 3-2 game.
–Field Level Media
