Red Sox

Red Sox bullpen allows 5 unanswered runs to Yankees in final 3 innings of loss

Chase Anderson gave up three runs in the 10th inning.

The Red Sox’ bullpen proved the need for the addition of another relief pitcher on Saturday night. Brian Fluharty/Getty Images

By Kaley Brown

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The Red Sox led the Yankees by one run with two outs and two strikes in the top of the ninth inning on Saturday night. Boston lost 11-8 after 10 innings.

Kenley Jansen came into the game in the ninth with hopes of closing things out and locking in a second-straight drama-filled victory against New York at home. Instead, a misread fly ball by Tyler O’Neill led to a RBI double for Trent Grisham which tied things up at eight runs apiece. That began a disastrous rest of the game for the Red Sox’ bullpen.

Boston’s hitters couldn’t get anything going in the bottom of the ninth, forcing extra innings. Chase Anderson, who has primarily pitched as a long relief arm for the team this season, went on to throw a relatively non-competitive 10th inning. He allowed a go-ahead sacrifice fly by Austin Wells and an ultimately game-winning two-run double by Gleyber Torres. Torres had gone hitless in his five previous at-bats on Saturday.

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The Red Sox had entered the eighth inning with a fairly comfortable 8-6 lead, but a RBI double by Aaron Judge turned things uncomfortable for Boston in that frame. A terrific barehanded relay by Jarren Duran to Ceddanne Rafaela to Connor Wong forced Juan Soto out at home plate, preventing the Yankees from taking the lead at the time. Boston’s efforts in the field on that play weren’t enough to make up for a massively struggling bullpen in the next two innings.

Saturday’s disastrous later frames marked the Red Sox’ eighth blown lead in the seventh inning or later since returning from the All-Star break, a concerning trend with the trade deadline looming. Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow has publicly discussed a plan to pursue a relief pitcher; the hopefully-impending move can’t come quick enough for the team.

With two of its best relievers in Chris Martin and Justin Slaten still on the injured list, it’s clear that Boston needs to add another bullpen arm, if not multiple.

The bullpen has been exhausted by those eight late game blown leads in Los Angeles, Colorado, and versus the Yankees in just the last week. Here’s how much the Red Sox’ individual bullpen arms have been used and performed in the last eight games:

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Chase Anderson: 4 appearances, 3.0 innings, 9 runs

Brennan Bernardino: 5 appearances, 3 ⅔ innings, 6 runs

Cam Booser: 5 appearances, 4.0 innings, 0 runs

Bailey Horn: 5 appearances, 4 ⅓ innings, 9 runs

Kenley Jansen: 4 appearances, 4.0 innings, 5 runs

Zack Kelly: 4 appearances, 4 ⅔ innings, 5 runs

Josh Winckowski: 4 appearances, 3.0 innings, 2 runs