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By Megan Armstrong
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The Boston Red Sox's nightmare start to the 2026 MLB season hit a new low on Sunday.
In the top of the fifth inning, the Red Sox held a 4-3 lead. Then, San Diego Padres All-Star infielder Manny Machado uncorked a three-run home run 365 feet deep to a giddy Padres fan sitting in Fenway Park's famed Green Monster. By the bottom of the ninth, the Padres were up 8-6, and Red Sox fans chanted, "Sell the team!"
Fans have been outspoken against longtime Red Sox principal owner John Henry of Fenway Sports Group, as Joon Lee reported last month.
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Boston lost, falling to 2-7 on the year. It's ridiculously early in a 162-game slog, but that's the worst record in MLB.
Red Sox outfielder Roman Anthony has seen enough.
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"You just continue to show up every day, work your [expletive] off and get in the video room and be as prepared as you possibly can," the 21-year-old told reporters after Sunday's game. "I mean, I don't think that we're not doing that. I think, again, this is just a tough stretch."
Anthony continued, "We need to find a way to just bring more energy and just be better. This is unacceptable. It's unacceptable to the fans. It's unacceptable to the standard we set for ourselves."
So far this season, Anthony has a .235 batting average and .698 OPS on eight hits (one home run), four walks, and two RBI in 34 at-bats.
Offseason expectations were high for the Red Sox after a surprising 89-73 finish last season, which ended in the American League Wild Card Series against the New York Yankees.
Anthony has been pegged as one of MLB's next superstars since his MLB debut on June 9, 2025. Even more pressure to be the face of the franchise — and fast — mounted on Anthony's shoulders after All-Star third baseman Alex Bregman left Boston for the Chicago Cubs as a free agent in January.
"Nobody on the Red Sox roster can match Anthony's ceiling — and constant work in Boston's batting cages has helped him elevate the ball more consistently," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote last month. "Should that translate into the regular season, the Red Sox are looking at an MVP contender."
While Boston was never 2-7 last season, the Red Sox did hover on either side of .500 until ripping off a 10-game winning streak before the All-Star Break last July. It looks grim now, but if they squint, Sox fans could find reasons for optimism. Maybe?
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