The Boston Red Sox appeared to be on the path to a routine win with two outs and a 2-0 lead in the late game during the first matchup at Colorado. Instead, Colorado Rockies player Jake McCarthy hit a huge triple with the bases loaded. This hit completely changed the game. It erased Boston’s lead and gave Colorado a 3-2 walk-off victory. But interim Chad Tracy’s immediate reaction didn’t hint toward any frustration. He praised the Rockies for hitting so well with the bases full.

“There’s not much to say. Sometimes you’ve got to tip your cap. They took some good at-bats.” Tracy said after his team suffered a 3-2 loss on Monday. “You’ve got to give some credit on the other side, too, with how fast it happened. I mean, it was quick. You know, they were aggressive, looked like being aggressive off Whitty and Chappie.”

This was the very first time all season that the Red Sox lost a game after leading in the seventh inning. But this late collapse fits a bad pattern for Boston. The Red Sox have a terrible 6-12 record in June. They have blown multiple late leads recently because their bullpen pitchers are struggling. Their issues are very similar to those of their division rival, the Tampa Bay Rays. The Rays are also having huge bullpen problems and have lost seven close games by one run this month.

The Red Sox entered their second road series on the trip after securing a 2-1 win against the Seattle Mariners. They went ahead with a 2-0 lead at the top of the 6th. However, everything changed with McCarthy‘s triple against Boston reliever Aroldis Chapman with bases loaded. 

Before the bad news in the ninth inning, the Boston bullpen was actually doing a good job. In the eighth inning, Boston relief pitcher Garrett Whitlock got into some trouble. They had runners on first and second base with just one out. Mickey Moniak even made it to the third, but Will Catro’s out ultimately ended their chances. 

They were more aggressive in the following inning. The Rockies’ batters made contact with every hitable pitch, eager to establish their dominance. The result? Colorado got its bases loaded when McCarthy came to the plate. And like his predecessors on the lineup, he too didn’t hesitate to hit the ball. His triple off Chapman’s sinker helped each of the runners score. 

And the Red Sox’s brutal collapse despite a late-inning lead was the first of this season. Chad Tracy now has a 21-28 record since taking over the job following Alex Cora’s shock exit. And Boston sits at the bottom of the AL East with a 31-45 record. 

Yet, the Boston manager didn’t feel like his boys did a bad job. 

Why Chad Tracy didn’t fault Boston’s relievers

30-year-old Whitlock has a 2.66 ERA and 28 Ks this season. He has managed 10 holds with a 4-1 record so far. And his .233 opposition batting average makes him one of the most dependable relievers for Boston. 

Chapman is even better with his veteran experience. He managed a 2.08 ERA with 14 saves, allowing just 5 runs over 21.2 innings. This was his first blown save of the season. His .200 OBA shows why the team puts so much faith in him. 

Even the president and CEO, Sam Kennedy, highlighted Chapman as one of the successful parts of Boston’s otherwise failed offseason moves. 

That’s why Tracy didn’t throw them under the bus. And they aren’t the only bright spots from Monday’s game. Jake Bennet did well to restrict the Rockies from scoring for 6.0 innings and struck out nine batters. Caleb Durbin almost increased the lead for Boston, reaching third base in the ninth. He has gone 10-for 17 in his last five games. 

Unfortunately, none of these mattered in the previous game. Rockies attacked good pitches at the very end to clinch the win. Tracy felt the opponents played better. But if the Red Sox want to start making a run to clinch a playoff spot, they can’t afford such defeats.