Alex Cora Just Had His Worst Managed Game of the Season and the Red Sox Still Won the Series

Look, the Red Sox took two of three from St. Louis this weekend and locked up back-to-back series wins for the first time all year. That's the good news. The bad news? Friday night was an absolute dumpster fire of managing that had everyone rightly losing it.

Here's what went down in that loss to Dustin May and a legitimately bad Cardinals team: Cora benched Roman Anthony. He batted Caleb Durbin second. He pulled Connelly way too early. He went to Zach Kelly in a high-leverage spot. And when the game ended, Roman Anthony was still sitting on the on-deck circle, never even getting a chance to pinch hit. It was a masterclass in how NOT to manage a baseball game.

One Game Over .500 Since 2022

Here's what really stings. Since 2022, Cora's record sits at exactly 332-331. That's one game over .500. ONE. And yet a huge chunk of Red Sox fans and the media treat him like he's running a .750 winning percentage operation. The guy has serious media connections and he knows it. He's reading everything, seeing everything, hearing everything.

Look, Cora is hamstrung by a roster that's a mess. Craig Breslow loaded him up with too many outfielders and too many left-handed bats. Not enough real power in the middle of the order. So yeah, Cora has to sit someone like Roman Anthony, Jarren Duran, Wilyer Abreu, or Masataka Yoshida every single night just to get a lineup on the field. And because he's obsessed with the lefty-righty-lefty thing, he's got Caleb Durbin or Trevor Story hitting second.

But here's the thing: those are Cora's decisions. Starting the season with Story batting second? His call. Story at shortstop when Marcelo Mayer is probably the better defensive option? That's on Cora too. The roster building failures, the missed power bat, the James Tibbs trade, botching Alex Bregman? That's all Breslow. But the daily lineup construction and in-game moves? That's the skipper.

Still in It at 6-9

The Red Sox are now 6-9, just two games back in a packed AL East. They caught a break that the AL looks weaker than the NL this year. Zero teams in the AL have double-digit wins yet. The path to a Wild Card is definitely still there, even after a rocky start.

Wilson Contreras had a monster weekend with his first 3-RBI game in a Red Sox uniform and a two-run double on Saturday. Ranger Suarez looked like the big-ticket free agent he was in shutting down St. Louis on Saturday. Even Caleb Durbin's stock went up just for getting a hit. Brayan Bello was awesome on Sunday.

If this team keeps struggling, the question becomes who takes the heat. Is it Cora's managing or Breslow's roster building? Right now, it's looking like both sides have some questions to answer.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.