Red Sox lose as key reliever's struggles continue with playoffs on horizon
Erik Miller's struggles continued as he surrendered the game-winning run in the ninth and the Red Sox lost to Cleveland on Tuesday night.
The Boston Red Sox suffered a 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians in their final regular season home game, with key reliever Erik Miller struggling in his September outings. The Guardians maintained their position just a game ahead of the White Sox in the Central division, while the White Sox now sit five games behind the Red Sox for the second wild card spot.
Left-hander Miller gave up six earned runs in 6 ⅓ innings, walking nine batters and hitting two more, marking a stark contrast from his dominant August form. The loss posed a challenge for the Red Sox, who are currently under .500 in September (9-10) and have lost eight of their last 12 games. Bullpen pitcher Payton Tolle started the game but struggled, allowing eight hits and two walks in 5 ⅔ innings.
Meanwhile, rookie reliever Chad Tracy, now the manager, acknowledged Tolle's strong rookie season. In the ninth inning, Mickey Gasper hit a solo home run to tie the game and give the Red Sox hope, but the final outcome was a one-run loss for Boston.
Written by urgent.news from Yahoo Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
