The Boston Red Sox saw their push for momentum slowed on Thursday night when they failed to secure a sweep against the division-rival Toronto Blue Jays. The loss prevented Boston from capping off the series with a statement, but it didn’t deal a fatal blow to their postseason aspirations. With only one regular-season series left on the calendar, the Red Sox remain in possession of a wild-card spot and will enter the weekend with the chance to officially clinch a playoff berth at Fenway Park. That opportunity, however, comes with one major caveat: the team needs one of its veteran stars to put an end to a troubling pattern before October baseball begins.
Shortstop Trevor Story, who has otherwise been a steady contributor throughout the season, has suddenly found himself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons. His throwing has become a liability at a critical moment. MassLive’s Christopher Smith highlighted the issue after Thursday’s loss, noting that Story’s errant throw extended a Blue Jays inning and marked his fifth throwing error in just the last seven games. Even more concerning, Smith pointed out, is that six errors have come during that same stretch, with five of them specifically resulting from throws to first base.
What makes this slump stand out is the contrast with the rest of Story’s season. After battling injuries in recent years, the veteran has enjoyed something of a resurgence in 2024, slashing .267/.312/.439 across 155 games — the highest number of games he’s played in a single season in seven years. His steady bat and reliable presence in the lineup have helped solidify Boston’s offense. But as the playoffs near, defensive reliability takes on even greater importance, and Story’s sudden struggles with routine throws have raised a red flag.
Manager Alex Cora was asked about the situation after the game and kept his response short and blunt. “Out of rhythm,” he said, a three-word diagnosis that sums up the problem without offering much of a solution. Story himself admitted afterward that the problem isn’t physical — his arm feels fine — but rather mental and mechanical. “It’s really not finishing the play,” he explained. “So it’s on me. I gotta be obviously very diligent about finishing the throw. That’s where it’s come from.”
For a team clinging to a playoff spot and gearing up for what they hope will be a deep October run, Story’s lapses couldn’t come at a worse time. Every defensive miscue is magnified under postseason pressure, and the Red Sox know they can’t afford to hand opponents extra outs. As Boston heads into its final series at Fenway with playoff implications on the line, much of the attention will be on whether Story can rediscover his rhythm and provide the kind of defensive stability that complements his offensive resurgence. If he can, the Red Sox may well ride their momentum into October with confidence. If not, the errors that have plagued him recently could become an unwelcome storyline in what has otherwise been a season of revival.
