Red Sox Offense Struggles, Lose 5-1 to Diamondbacks

The Diamondbacks apply pressure to starter Lucas Giolito while the Red Sox offense struggles. Arizona takes the first two games of the series.

Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images

September 6, 2025

Red Sox – Diamondbacks Game Summary

The Boston Red Sox offense struggles as they lose 5-1 to the Arizona Diamondbacks. The first two Sox go-arounds saw no offense, with 1-2-3 innings in both. Arizona, despite a Ketel Marte walk, couldn’t score in the first inning. The second inning saw the D’Backs quickly load the bases with one out. Nine-hole hitter Jake McCarthy hit a groundball to Trevor Story. The ball bounced off Story’s glove and made its way into center field, scoring two runs.

Leadoff hitter Geraldo Perdomo hit a sacrifice fly, giving Sox starter Lucas Giolito his first earned run on the day.

Arizona continued pouring it on in the 4th inning, with an RBI single from McCarthy. Giolito eventually worked until the sixth inning, where he surrendered two singles before being taken out for lefty Justin Wilson. Wilson proceeded to strike out the next three batters he faced, ending the rally.

Unfortunately for the Sox, Greg Weissert came into the game and gave up baserunners immediately. Following a walk and a fielder’s choice, Corbin Carroll hit a ball in between Jarren Duran and Ceddanne Rafaela. Rafaela called Duran off, then missed the catch, allowing a double in the process. Immediately after, Blaze Alexander hit a sacrifice fly to make it a 5-1 ballgame.

Brennan Bernardino would take over from there and pitch the entire 8th inning as well. The Sox offense couldn’t get anything going, gathering one baserunner through the last three innings, as the D’Backs closed the door on a comeback.

What Went Right for the Sox

Strong Showings from Lefty’s

In a combined 2 1/3 innings of work, Wilson and Bernardino allowed one combined baserunner and struck out five of the seven hitters they faced.

Ceddanne Adds Another Web Gem

In the 5th inning, Carroll hit a ball to left-center field. Rafaela jumped and made the catch at the wall, robbing Carroll of a potential 31st home run of the year.

Gonzalez’s Streak Lives

Romy Gonzalez notched a hit in a 1-for-4 day, extending his hitting streak to nine games. He looks to continue that streak Sunday.

What Went Wrong for the Sox

Weak Start from Giolito

The Diamondbacks were able to get baserunners in five out of six innings Giolito pitched in. Giolito’s total line: five innings, seven hits, four runs with two earned, three walks, and two strikeouts. Now, don’t get it twisted, that’s usually a fine start for the average pitcher. However, for Giolito, who has a 3.38 ERA and now a 10-3 record, that’s far from the norm.

Red Sox Offense Struggles

When Masataka Yoshida is the only source of offensive production Boston has, that’s not a good thing. The team as a whole only had three at-bats with runners in scoring position, compared to 10 for the D’Backs.

Fielding Mishaps

Boston’s fielding alone cost the team three runs. It’s a whole different game if Story converts the fielder’s choice into at least one out, and if Rafaela catches the ball in the gap.