Red Sox's Fundamental Flubs Cost Them

0:00On April 1st, the Boston Red Sox are stumbling hard this season, and a wild umpire blunder during two thinnights' loss to the Houston Astros sums it up perfectly. Starting pitcher Bran Bello got three straight swinging strikes on Astro's rookie cam Smith, but home plate um Mark Wagner called it just one, and two after a chaotic play on the second pitch. Instead of an easy strikeout, Bello walks Smith with two outs in the fifth. That miscount came in a six to one deficit. The Red Sox is fourth lost in a row, and second straight blowout by Houston. Bello got yanked right after, handing the ball to reliever Ryan Brzeer, who thankfully retired the next batter. But the damage lingered in a game that highlighted Boston's sloppy start. Wagner owned up post-game, saying he messed up the count, and fell bad about it. What stung more? No one from the Red Sox bench or dug out, piped up to correct him on the spot. Players and coaches just let it slide, a tiny detail that snowballed. This mishap mirrors the bigger picture for Boston.

1:02They're dropping the ball on fundamentals early in the year. Teens that ignore those little things rarely climb the standings. With the American League looking tight, the Red Sox better snap out of this funk fast, or they can miss the playoffs by a game or two come October. Wake up call delivered. That's your MLB News Today update. AI powered and always on.