Red Sox drop series finale to Mariners at Fenway Park - The Boston Globe (2025)

New everyday star Alex Bregman sparkled on offense and defense with a homer, RBI single and three top-shelf running nab-and-throws at third base, but the rest of the lineup was listless.

What to make of this team in second place in the AL East?

Clearly, it’s too soon for any answers.

“I mean, we’ve got 14 wins, right?” said manager Alex Cora before the team flew to Cleveland for a two-city trip that will end in Toronto before retuning to Fenway next month. “We’re OK. We’re almost playing .500. We can be better. But we can be worse. Just go out to Cleveland and try to win the series.”

The team had hoped Crochet would pitch deep into the game and give the bullpen a rest and a cushion for the offense to do its thing.

But Mariners starter Bryan Woo was dominant for everyone not named Bregman, holding the offense to three hits with eight strikeouts and only one walk.

Bregman gave Woo credit for his two “electric” fastballs and “a sinker that runs about 20 inches that he throws about 97 from a low slot.”

Still, the Red Sox began the day first in the league in hits, and second in runs, doubles and RBIs.

“We didn’t do enough off of him today,” said Bregman. “We didn’t square the ball up enough. I have complete confidence that we will going forward.”

Asked to assess the team at this point, Bregman’s snapshot was as positive as it was blurry.

“I feel like we’re only going to improve as the season goes on,” said Bregman. “I think we’ve got a long way to go, obviously. But I think we’re in a good spot. We’ve got to get better in all three phases, we know that. And we will.”

After the Mariners jumped to a 2-0 lead with Mitch Garver’s two-out, two-run double in the first, Bregman’s towering home run halved the lead.

The bottom third of Seattle’s lineup reached off Crochet in the second. Two crossed home plate before Crochet could retire the top third in order.

He went scoreless after that and ended up with nine strikeouts, but his early lapses and all free bases clouded the otherwise textbook sunny spring day at Fenway Park for the 35,655 fans.

Rather than accept the notion that the team is still trying to find its groove, Crochet shouldered all the blame for the type of game at this stage of the season that pretty much calls for serious groove-searching.

“I wouldn’t say so,” said Crochet. “I feel like there are times when we click, and there are times today when we’re facing a really good pitcher on the mound, and the offense is doing everything that they can to get some runs on the board. The game was the first two innings that I pitched. That was really what lost us the game today.”

As a starter who had allowed just one run in his 13⅓ innings over his last two starts with 18 strikeouts and only three walks, Crochet was upset he strayed from his strongest suit: throwing, not pitching, baseballs.

“For me, pitching is hitting your spots and painting — I suppose that’s just not me,” said Crochet. “I’ll have the accidental misfire paint, or, I really drove it on that specific pitch, and it happens to be paint. But, you know, for the most part, I do a lot of my work in the heart of the zone, and I think that I was getting away from that.”

Not quite done with the self-flagellation that would earn a round of applause from the previous tall and lanky ex-White Sox Red Sox lefty ace, Chris Sale, Crochet said he was guilty of being too passive.

He expounded on that notion of leaving the fine-point stuff behind for the splatter effect.

“I think it’s just overall passiveness, a bit of a mind-set thing. Getting behind 1-0, the next pitch has to be a strike,” said Crochet. “When I’m at my best, it’s just kind of a ‘so-what’ next pitch mentality.’”

A so-what mentality might help more than Crochet.

It could also help the Red Sox find out how good they can be and not the so … so-so team they have been so far.

Michael Silverman can be reached at michael.silverman@globe.com.