Even after scoring 17 runs in a rout of the Baltimore Orioles on Saturday, little has gone right on the field for the Boston Red Sox overall this season. The club entered play Sunday with a division-worst 10-17 record, and the Sox offense was dominated by the New York Yankees’ pitching staff this past week, managing only three total runs in a three-game sweep at the hands of their archrival.
That is inexcusable around Boston. As a result, heads rolled on Saturday.
The Red Sox’s front office announced the dismissal of five coaches Saturday evening, including widely popular eighth-year manager Alex Cora, who guided the club to a World Series title in 2018 and a couple of additional playoff appearances since. Hitting coach Peter Fatse, bench coach Ramon Vazquez, third-base coach Kyle Hudson and game-planning coach Jason Varitek rounded out the list of firings.
Red Sox veterans make their feelings known
After a brief meeting with front-office officials Sunday morning, a couple of Red Sox players offered some thoughts on the situation. Sixth-year Red Sox reliever Garrett Whitlock asserted that GM Craig Breslow addressed players for about two minutes, while interim manager Chad Tracy spoke a little longer.