Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora pointed to the team’s offensive struggles after a 9-1 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday night.
Cora’s comments came after the Red Sox scored six total runs during a three-game series at Yankee Stadium. Still, though, the Red Sox skipper isn’t putting too much stock into the bad stretch.
“I’m not concerned. I think you go through up and downs throughout the season,” Cora said during a pregame video conference Monday before the Red Sox faced the Toronto Blue Jays. “Yesterday there were some good things that we did. (Rafael Devers) walked three times, we put the ball in play, we just didn’t cash in. I wasn’t upset about the quality of the at bats and you’re going to go through stretches like this.”
Boston was 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners on base Sunday. The Red Sox were 1-for-6 with runners in scoring position before leaving six on base during Saturday’s rain-shortened loss in New York, too. And it goes back further than this weekend, as Cora noted Sunday.
Alex Verdugo is one specific player who has struggled at the plate recently while hitting .255 in his last 64 games. Hunter Renfroe also has cooled down, hitting .182 in July, according to MassLive’s Chris Cotillo.
Cora will try provide a spark as by shaking things up Monday. Kiké Hernández will remain in the leadoff spots while Jarren Duran, Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, J.D. Martinez and Verdugo all will follow in different spots.
Cora said he was doing so to best maximize Devers and Martinez, who previously were fifth and third, but added a change “just felt right.”
Boston will face Toronto with first pitch scheduled for 7:07 p.m. ET and you can watch it live on NESN.
