The second half of the Boston Red Sox' 2022 season is off to a dismal start.
After limping into the All-Star break with 14 losses in their last 20 games, the Red Sox desperately needed a spark in Friday's series opener vs. the Toronto Blue Jays. Instead, they picked up right where they left off.
Boston trailed the Blue Jays 6-0 when disaster struck in the third inning. Toronto's Raimel Tapia stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a fly ball toward Jarren Duran in center field. The ball landed behind Duran after he, like his teammate Christian Arroyo earlier this month, lost the ball in the lights. Even worse, the 25-year-old didn't bother hustling to retrieve the ball when it landed near the center field fence.
With our All Access Daily newsletter, stay in the game with the latest updates on your beloved Boston sports teams!
SIGN UP HERE Tapia cleared the bases with an inside-the-park grand slam, giving Toronto a 10-0 lead. Watch the bizarre sequence below.
It's a new low for a Red Sox team that has had its fair share of brutal moments over the last month. They lost southpaw Chris Sale to a fractured left pinkie finger just before the All-Star break and were outscored 37-3 over their last 21 innings following Tapia's grand slam.
If Boston can't turn it around soon, Chaim Bloom and the front office may have no choice but to sell at the Aug. 2 trade deadline. The team's performance on Friday may have made the decision for them.