New England’s embarrassing 2026 Sox just became the first MLB squad since 1901 to have the first three hitters all strike out in each of their first three at-bats.
The obscure statistic was reported on X by Mike Mutnansky of Barstool Sports and also by MassLive’s Christopher Smith.
Mutnansky is also an occasional contributor on the Kirk Minihane Show.
The three strikeouts came Wednesday on the road against Tampa Bay.
The historically rough day at the plate contributed to a 15-strikeout performance in a 7-5 loss to the Rays, according to MassLive.
The Sox suffered their fourth sweep of the season to drop to 12 games under .500 at 27-39, Smith reported.
Boston’s Nos. 1-4 hitters, Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, Wilyer Abreu and Willson Contreras, went a combined 0 for 11 with 11 strikeouts against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen.
It marked just the fourth time in franchise history the top four hitters have combined for 11 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, Smith said.
