Fenway Park has been a stage of thrills all season long. What’s the scoop on the latest play in the game? The Red Sox are in a bit of a pickle, currently holding a record of 43-45. After a nail-biting 13–6 victory against the Cincinnati Reds, the excitement was palpable, but they stumbled in their next outing. And Alex Cora didn’t beat around the bush when it came to owning up to what went awry.

After a rough June, Wednesday’s game seemed like it could be the turning point with a possible Reds sweep just around the corner. Boston was in the driver’s seat until the seventh inning stretch. In the blink of an eye, what looked like a slam dunk turned into a gut-wrenching loss. And this isn’t the first time at the dance for the Red Sox when it comes to letting a lead slip away.

Then, manager Alex Cora had to deal with the situation. He said, “Three‑run lead in the seventh, we expect to win those games.” “If you look back at the season, there’s been a lot of those that have slipped through our hands and, honestly, we’re in the position we are because of that.” The truth was rough, cutting, and hard to take. Cora’s honest admission wasn’t just coach talk; it was a mirror held up to a team that kept making mistakes.

Boston really struck out in June. They would drop the ball after leading for most of the seventh inning. They dropped four games like a hot potato, including a nail-biter 5–4 loss to Minnesota and another heartbreaker 5–4 against the White Sox, both times letting a late lead slip through their fingers. On June 27, Boston was sitting pretty with a 3–0 lead against Toronto, but things took a turn for the worse, ending in a 9–0 defeat as the bats fell silent and the bullpen couldn’t seal the deal once more. The Red Sox were riding high all month: they jumped out to an early lead but stumbled in the home stretch.

Boston’s offense has been inconsistent, hitting only .238–.250 with runners in scoring position and striking out more than 24% of the time in those important at-bats. Their “Drag Factor”—which shows how many repeat low-producing hitters they have—stands at a league-worst 14.2%. This is even worse because Rafael Devers left and they didn’t find good replacements.

Big-name additions haven’t helped much: Trevor Story’s average is stuck at .222, and his OPS is .594, which is quite worrying, and Kristian Campbell’s average dropped to .205 before he was sent down. Even talented rookies like Roman Anthony have shown promise, but haven’t been able to score consistently.

They need to make some quick decisions soon, with the trade line looming closer. And they need to fix in almost every area.

Deadline drama at Fenway: Red Sox eye big trades to fix slumping roster

The Red Sox may improve their bullpen by adding a high-leverage pitcher. They recently acquired Jorge Alcala for a young player, and their interest in Phil Maton signals they will continue to seek middle-inning help. A wise pickup might help Boston maintain leads and stability in the late innings, which they need.

The rotation is poor following Garrett Crochet. After losing key players and having uneven starters, MLBTR believes Boston is “in the market for rotation help” and first base depth. Adding a mid-rotation starter, perhaps from a selling team, might lengthen games and relieve the bullpen and offense. This would strengthen the pitching staff.

First base has struggled since Triston Casas’ injury, leading to Kristian Campbell’s return to Triple-A. Acquiring a reliable first baseman before the trade deadline could fill the gap and enhance the batting order.

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Finally, the front office wants to purchase, not sell. Boston is reportedly eager to negotiate Alex Bregman’s contract extension before the July 31 trade deadline. They’re serious about competing. If Bregman gets aid in the rotation, bullpen, and at first base, the Sox might turn their 42–44 mediocre record into an AL wild-card contender.