Boston Red Sox
Boston’s first three hitters in the lineup on Wednesday went 0-for-9 with nine strikeouts against Rays starter Drew Rasmussen.
Photo by Parker S. Freedman/Getty Images
June 10, 2026 | 6:30 PM
1 minute to read
The Boston Red Sox’ listless lineup made history for all of the wrong reasons on Wednesday afternoon.
During Boston’s eventual 7-5 loss to the Rays, the top of the Red Sox lineup had few answers for Tampa starter Drew Rasmussen, with Jarren Duran, Ceddanne Rafaela, and Wilyer Abreu going 0-for-9 with nine strikeouts against the righty.
History!
2026 Red Sox become the first team since 1901 to have the first three hitters in their order all strike out in their first three at bats of a game.
125 years! pic.twitter.com/SuyX4sq5hP
— Mike Mutnansky (@MikeMutnansky) June 10, 2026
According to NESN announcer Dave O’Brien, Wednesday marked the first time since 1901 that an MLB club’s first three hitters all struck out in their first three at-bats of a game.
In total, Rasmussen pitched seven scoreless innings against Boston — finishing the game with 13 strikeouts and just two hits allowed.
“It’s tough because you’ve gotta beat guys like that,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said postgame of Rasmussen, per MassLive’s Christopher Smith. “You watched him early, especially those first few innings, kind of putting the ball where he wanted and good velocity up at the top. And we expanded the zone a little bit.”
Even though Rafaela eventually slugged a three-run home run in the eighth inning to pull Boston back into the game, it was all for naught — as the Red Sox’s banged-up bullpen faltered again en route to a series sweep at the hands of Tampa.
Boston now sits 12 games under .500 with a record of 27-39, with a horrid lineup standing near the top of the Red Sox’ issues so far this season.
So far this season, the Red Sox rank last in MLB in home runs (52), 29th in runs scored (258), and 27th in slugging percentage (.376).
Conor Ryan is a staff writer covering the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox for Boston.com, a role he has held since 2023.
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