Alex Cora Discusses Tough Luck At-Bats In Red Sox Loss To Mariners

For most of Monday’s loss to the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox could not capitalize on scoring chances. In the 6-2 defeat, Boston scratched across just two runs while leaving 10 runners on base.

“We got a few hits, but we didn’t hit with men in scoring position,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said, as seen on NESN’s postgame coverage. “Their guys did a good job making pitches.”

Players like Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida, both who look to get back on track at the plate, made hard contact with runners on but could not score. For as good as George Kirby was as the starter for Seattle, the Boston lineup made him work and forced him out of the game after five innings.

“Of course, we’re frustrated because we don’t score runs,” Cora added. “You know you’re not going to score runs all the time. You want to win battles. We put pressure on the bullpen but we didn’t cash in.”

The Red Sox tallied nine hits and had a brief rally in the ninth inning. As far as approach, Cora saw positives from the at-bats, especially from leadoff man Jarren Duran, who scored the game’s first run on a wild play. On the night, the Boston outfielder went 1-for-4 with a run scored and a pair of stolen bases.

“The at-bats were freaking outstanding from pitch one,” Cora said about Duran’s performance. “Battling pitches and taking pitches. I told him before the game to set the tone.”

The Red Sox remain 2 1/2 games back in the American League wild card standings entering the trade deadline on Tuesday.

Boston looks to snap its three-game losing streak on Tuesday night in Seattle. First pitch is set for 9:40 p.m. ET. You can watch the game, plus an hour of pregame coverage, on NESN.