Slumping Red Sox Draw Unflattering World Cup Comparison

Slumping Red Sox Draw Unflattering World Cup Comparison originally appeared on NESN.
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Tuesday night’s game against the Toronto Blue Jays resulted in a familiar outcome for the Boston Red Sox: a home loss where the offense struggled.

The Red Sox lost 6-1 to the Blue Jays, dropping to 29-41 overall and 12-23 at Fenway Park. Boston’s lineup continued to scuffle, going 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position and stranding 13 baserunners. 

The Red Sox’s lone run came on Jarren Duran’s eighth-inning solo homer, which was too little, too late given Boston’s four-run deficit at the time.

Red Sox fall to the Blue Jays, 6-1.

Of the six World Cup teams that played today, five (and counting) have matched or exceeded the Red Sox’s run total with their goal totals.

— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) June 17, 2026

Meanwhile, three World Cup games took place on Tuesday. Of the six teams in action, three outscored the Red Sox and two others matched them in terms of goals. The only team that didn’t was Algeria, which got shut out by Argentina.

Lionel Messi had three goals by himself, while Boston’s entire lineup managed just two extra-base hits.

The Red Sox’s offense has been one of the worst in baseball this year, especially at Fenway. They’re averaging just 3.99 runs per game overall and only 3.51 runs per game at home.

After getting outscored by multiple soccer teams on Tuesday, Boston will try to bounce back on Wednesday against Max Scherzer, who’s been one of the worst pitchers in baseball this season with a 1-4 record and a 10.23 ERA.

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