The night began like so many others lately for the Boston Red Sox—with hope that maybe, just maybe, this would be the game they would turn things around. But, regrettably, as nine lifeless innings concluded at Fenway Park, Boston’s hope disappeared completely. In the clubhouse, frustration simmered and hope felt distant. But as reporters gathered and players kept their heads low, manager Alex Cora stepped forward.

The scoreboard just said it all: 9-0, Toronto Blue Jays. A sixth straight loss for Boston, and possibly the worst skid of the season. And the bats fell completely silent—yet again. Four hits and zero runs are what the team could muster. By now, many are thinking the same thing—this team looks like a lost cause without Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman.

But it’s not like the Boston Red Sox didn’t have their chance. Brayan Bello gave them six innings, allowed three runs, and kept them in it. But what followed simply killed the game. The bullpen cracked, and by the time Nate Eaton was pitching in the ninth, it turned into a blowout. But after the game, Cora didn’t sugarcoat things.

Cora didn’t deliver a long speech or point fingers. Instead, he offered just four words: “Execute your game plan.” A simple, urgent message that cut through the gloom and demanded a response. “You’re going to have conviction. You have to trust the information that is provided and go from there. Also, you have to be prepared. Every hitter has a plan. We have a group approach, but at the same time, it’s one one-on-one at the end, and you have to make adjustments. You have to compete. That’s the most important thing.” 

He reminded them that competition and effort are essential, but admitted he didn’t see a lack of effort from his players. In other words, he is saying that something is missing. It’s not effort, but maybe that fire, that focus, and that identity are missing.

And it makes sense, because the last three games do tell a story. Just a total of four runs, 12 hits, three extra-base hits, and 21 strikeouts. That’s not a slump; it’s a full-on crisis for the Red Sox. And Cora knows it very well, so when asked about what comes next, he tried to keep it as low-key as possible: “Show up tomorrow.” Because that’s all a team really can do when everything seems to be going in the wrong direction. Just show up and fight with all one’s got to change the story.

The Red Sox get another shot at redemption on Saturday. Chris Bassitt takes the mound for Toronto, and Lucas Giolito will try to help Boston with what he can. But one way or another, it’s time to find out if this team heard their manager. And speaking of staying focused through all the chaos, one player who is hearing the turmoil and still doing everything to stay grounded is Jarren Duran.

As Red Sox spiral, Jarren Duran gets real about trade rumors

The Red Sox are unraveling fast, and that’s what the reality feels like. Their sixth straight loss only added fuel to the fire. And with each painful defeat, the likelihood of the front office making major moves at the trade deadlines grows even bigger. Boston is now 3-7 since they sent one of their best hitters, Rafael Devers, to the San Francisco Giants.

Devers’ absence is honestly still echoing through the clubhouse, even though no one will talk about it. The Red Sox are sitting below. 500 at 40-43, and the pressure is only piling up. It’s not just about the wins anymore; it’s about what comes next. And for players like Jarren Duran, the uncertainty is becoming all too real. Now, Duran, who had a stellar 2024 season, doesn’t have the same spark this season.

Sure, his performance has been steady, but spectacular? Not really! He is just good enough to be valuable but not good enough to be untouchable. And add that to the Red Sox outfield logjam, and his name now stands as one of the most talked about when it comes to potential trade. But Duran is not letting the talks eat him alive. Duran, in a recent appearance on the Section 10 podcast, mentioned, “Honestly, the way I think about it is I have absolutely no say and no control. So why would I even give it two thoughts?” And well, this mentality is not easy to have for a young player in a big-ticket market like Boston.

And this is also the mentality that the Boston Red Sox really need. Don’t you think?