Getty
Manager Alex Cora wasn’t all gloom and doom Friday.
The Boston Red Sox returned home Friday after a dismal west coast road trip that saw them lose six of their nine games, and final five in a row. But even in the friendly confines of Fenway Park, they could not leave their troubles behind.
In a dismal outing that saw the Boston bullpen surrender six runs in three innings of work, the Red Sox were shut out 9-0 by their American League East division rival Toronto Blue Jays.
The lackluster loss stretched the BoSox futility streak to six games, the team’s longest losing skid since they also dropped six straight nearly three years ago, from September 21 through September 26 of 2022, according to research by MassLive.
The Red Sox have suffered through five streaks of five losses in a row in the interim. But when they send starter Lucas Giolito and his 4.53 ERA to the mound at Fenway to face Toronto on Saturday afternoon, they will be fighting to avoid their first streak of at least seven losses since dropping nine straight in August of the bizarre, 60-game 2020 COVID season.
The Red Sox finished that abbreviated campaign at 24-36, in the AL East basement.
Slight Ray of Hope Announced Amid Red Sox Gloom
Friday’s defeat was the first shutout loss at home for Boston in 2025, and only their third of the season.
But even amidst the most depressing streak of what has been a bitterly disappointing season so far, the Red Sox were still able to deliver an announcement offering some hope that things might improve in Boston.
According to manager Alex Cora, 27-year-old, second-year receiver Justin Slaten, who has been out with an injury since June 1, will begin a throwing program on Saturday.
Outside of dominant closer Aroldis Chapman, Slaten had developed into the Red Sox’ most reliable bullpen arm prior to the injury, and was frequently used as the eighth-inning option to get the game to Chapman in the ninth.
Of Slaten’s 24 appearances this season, 21 came in innings seven through nine.
“Feeling better so that’s the start of that,” Cora said, as quoted by MassLive reporter Christopher Smith, in announcing the Slaten update.
Another Bullpen Fiasco on Friday
Slaten went on the injured list almost a month ago with what was described as “fatigue” in his right shoulder. Later, the Red Sox said that Slaten was suffering an “apparent nerve issue in his neck, which is impacting his shoulder,” according to Boston Globe reporter Tim Healey.
Though starter Brayan Bello was shaky, he battled his way through six innings allowing three runs on Friday, exiting with the game still in reach for his team’s offense. But relievers Luis Guerrero and Brennan Bernardino quickly let it get away.
Guerrero recorded just one out while giving up two runs on two hits and a walk. Bernardino walked four in his single inning’s worth of work, also giving up two hits and four runs.
In his last five outings before hitting the injured list, however, Slaten had not allowed a single earned run, and only three hits and two walks over five innings.
According to a report by Mac Cerullo of the Boston Herald, after Slaten does some light throwing on Saturday, the Red Sox expect him to “ramp up from there.”
No specific timeline for Slater’s return has yet been announced, however.
Jonathan Vankin JONATHAN VANKIN is an award-winning journalist and writer who now covers baseball and other sports for Heavy.com. He twice won New England Press Association awards for sports feature writing. He was a sports editor and writer at The Daily Yomiuri in Tokyo, Japan, covering Japan Pro Baseball, boxing, sumo and other sports. More about Jonathan Vankin
More Heavy on Red Sox
Loading more stories
