Red Sox Wrap: Starter Struggles Continue For Boston In Uninspiring Loss

The Boston Red Sox fell to the Cleveland Guardians, 8-3, at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

The Red Sox move back to .500 with a 49-49 record, while the Guardians improve to 49-47.

Check out the full box score here.

ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
The Red Sox can’t seem to get a quality start in the month of July.

Josh Winckowski was the latest starter to struggle, allowing five earned runs on six hits while striking out just one in three innings pitched. The 24-year-old struggled to command his pitches, throwing for strikes but failing to garner many swings and misses. Cleveland barreled the ball up well enough to get Winckowski for two homers and chase him from the game early.

According to Red Sox Stats on Twitter, 6.7% of Winckowski’s pitches are whiffs in 2021. That is last among the 165 starters that have thrown 600 pitches. With the loss, Boston remains without a starting pitcher win in July. The last starter to record a win was Rich Hill on June 25. That won’t get it done for a team hoping to make the postseason.

STARS OF THE GAME
— Kirk McCarthy turned in his best performance of the year for the Guardians, striking out four over four innings of scoreless relief.

— Steven Kwan went 3-for-5, scoring a run in the Guardians’ win. It was also revealed that he shares a high school alma mater with NESN’s Dennis Eckersley. How fun.

— Xander Bogaerts had three hits and an RBI (3-for-4) for the Red Sox on Tuesday. He now leads the big leagues with 13 three-hit games on the season.

WAGER WATCH
Guardians outfielder Nolan Jones entered the game with +650 odds to hit a home run, according to DraftKings Sportsbook. His third inning blast would have paid out $750 total on a $100 bet.

ON DECK AT NESN
The Red Sox and the Guardians continue their series Wednesday night at Fenway Park. First pitch is scheduled at 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game on NESN 360 following an hour of pregame coverage.