There were no trumpets for New York Mets closer Edwin Díaz on Monday night, but the Boston Red Sox might as well have played “Taps.”
In a never-ending streak of must-win games, the Red Sox suffered another agonizing defeat, losing 4-1 at Citi Field. Boston tied the game in the sixth and eighth innings, with Rafael Devers at bat both times, but could not cut the lead.
Every loss at this stage of the season feels like a stab in the gut. The Red Sox know they have to step up to have any chance of making the postseason, and it seems like the more pressure they put on themselves, the more zeros pile up on the scoreboard.
After an extra-innings win that could have given Boston some momentum on Friday night, the Red Sox have now scored exactly one run in exactly four straight games. And this time they were stopped by a pitcher who ostensibly could have worn a Sox jersey this season.
Luis Severino, the longtime New York Yankees pitcher with whom the Red Sox played in countless major rivalries, stunned them in another New York uniform, tossing seven brilliant innings against Boston’s left-handed lineup, striking out five players and allowing six hits.
According to Christopher Smith of MassLive, the Red Sox talked to Severino during the right-hander’s free agency before he eventually signed a one-year, $13 million deal with the Mets. That contract now looks like a bargain as Severino puts in decisive performances in the heat of the playoff hunt.
It’s somewhat revised history to say the Red Sox should have pursued Severino, given that the 30-year-old had a 6.65 ERA in 2024. Someone had to take a gamble on him, and the Mets did. Now they’re reaping the rewards.
But an arm like Severino wouldn’t have helped Boston over the last two weeks. When you only score more than three runs twice in 11 games, you have to take a lot of losses. And when your offense is supposed to be your calling card, it feels even worse.
Devers is dealing with two shoulder problems and is 1-for-17 in a three-game absence. If he doesn’t get going, the rest of the lineup will continue to falter. And if they keep losing like this, they might as well take the superstar third baseman out for the year.
The last grains of sand in the hourglass are officially running down. The Red Sox don’t have much time left. And if they keep playing games like Monday’s, it won’t be long before the curtain falls.
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