{
  "id": 9277554,
  "title": "Red Sox lose as key reliever's struggles continue with playoffs on horizon",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/23/red-sox-lose-as-key-relievers-struggles-continue-with-playoffs-on",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-23T05:30:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/red-sox-lose-key-relievers-014403136.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "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.",
  "summary": "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.",
  "key_points": [
    "Erik Miller struggled, giving up 6 earned runs in 6 ⅓ innings",
    "Bullpen pitcher Payton Tolle allowed 8 hits and 2 walks in 5 ⅔ innings",
    "Mickey Gasper tied game with solo home run in ninth inning"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The Red Sox's recent struggles, marked by key reliever Erik Miller's poor form and a subpar September record, threaten their wild card hopes as the playoffs approach.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}