Boston Red Sox
Chad Tracy pulled Payton Toole on 85 pitches to set up the combination of Slatten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, but it backfired on him Friday night.
Justin Slatten retired just two hits before giving up his spot on the mound Friday night. (Barry Chen/Globe Staff)
Payton Tull had a very strong start for the Red Sox on Friday night, finishing with nine strikeouts. However, he had a rocky second half; Although he fought back, Chad Tracy made a move to the bullpen after the sixth inning.
He sent Justin Slatten into the seventh inning, and everything went wrong.
Slatten retired just two batters before being picked off. In a short period of work, he gave up four hits, four runs — including two home runs — and just one hit. Greg Weissert came out to clean things up and get out of the inning, but the damage was done.
Boston had some fight left in the bottom of the eighth inning, but stranded two runners on base and failed to tie the game. Minnesota added an insurance run in the ninth round, and that was that.
After the loss, Tracy explained his decision to pull Tull to 85 pitches.
“For me, not so much [of a decision]”Just because at that time it was, ‘Let’s just hope it gets past five,’ said Tracy. ‘Once it got past six and I got [Slaten]Line up Whit and Chapman and you’re about to make the order for the fourth time.
“Obviously things didn’t go the way we wanted, but it was clear we were going to go there.”
Despite the decision being made, Tracy defended Toole’s continued performance following his problems in the second half.
“It was good,” Tracy explained. “Obviously the second half was long, they got it right.” “I thought there were times he was missing bigger things than he usually does, but I give him a lot of credit… He did a good job of settling in and keeping the lead for us.”
Friday seemed like a wasted night for Boston’s offense. She has posted just six or more runs in nearly 20 percent of games this season, her recent outburst overshadowed by an even bigger one for the Twins.
“Just one of those nights. I was feeling really good, tonight I didn’t have my baggage,” Slatten told reporters after the game. “It’s the game we play, sometimes you have to go out there and fight with what you’ve got, but it didn’t go my way tonight.”
To his credit, Slatten has performed very well in 2026. He entered Friday’s contest with Zero earned runs are allowed Coming into the season, as Tracy alluded to, his combination with Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock was excellent for the Red Sox.
But Friday night wasn’t great for Slatten. Boston will head into Saturday’s series against the Twins.
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