Red Sox frustrated amid woeful 2-7 start: 'This is unacceptable'

The Boston Red Sox are ready to take some accountability for their miserable start to the 2026 season.

"We simply just need to be better. ... It's just a tough stretch, and we need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better," outfielder Roman Anthony said after Sunday's 8-6 loss to the San Diego Padres, according to Gabrielle Starr of the Boston Herald.

"This is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to the fans. It's unacceptable to the standard that we set for ourselves."

Marquee offseason signing Ranger Suárez allowed four runs while striking out just two in four-plus innings of work in Boston's most recent loss, which dropped the last-place Red Sox to 2-7. They clawed back to tie it in the seventh, only to see Jackson Merrill hit the game-winning homer in the top of the eighth off Tyler Uberstine, who was making his big-league debut. Padres closer Mason Miller then struck out the side in the ninth.

Boston has yet to win a series this year, with its only two victories coming in the season opener at Cincinnati and Friday's home opener. Its minus-15 run differential is the fourth-worst in baseball. The club's slide already has fans restless, as "sell the team" chants were heard late in Sunday's game.

Many of Boston's best hitters have endured rough starts to the season and were nonfactors in the Padres series. Offseason acquisitions Willson Contreras and Caleb Durbin have gone a combined 7-for-59 to start the year, while shortstop Trevor Story, primarily hitting second in the order, is slashing .119/.119/.214.

Manager Alex Cora said postgame that he'd make adjustments before Monday, when the Red Sox welcome the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers to Fenway Park. Still, the skipper is preaching patience overall and even found some positives in what was a tough weekend.

"We'll make adjustments. But I think there were some signs today that were positive, others that just stayed the same," Cora said, per Marcos Grunfeld of El Emergente. "But you gotta stay the course. That's how it works. You cannot overreact for this series. You gotta play better. That's the bottom line.

"(It) doesn't matter if you change the lineup or what we do. If we show up tomorrow at one o'clock and we work early and all that stuff, you still have to play better from seven to 10."