The Boston Red Sox lost 3-2 to the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday night in St. Louis. Connelly Early pitched 4⅓ innings as Dustin May held Boston to four hits across six innings. With the loss, Boston moves to 4-9.
A number of the defeats have felt winnable. The pitching has been inconsistent beyond Garrett Crochet and Sonny Gray. The lineup has gone cold at the worst times. And the defense has added to the frustration.
Trevor Story has had a rough start defensively at shortstop. His mistakes have drawn attention during a stretch where the Red Sox cannot afford to give anything away. The organization made its position clear.
Cora Gets Honest About Story
Cora did not leave any room for interpretation.
“He is who he is. Range-wise, a lot better than last year. Outcome has been inconsistent with that. But we like him as the shortstop,” said Cora. “He’s our shortstop, and he’s been elite throughout his career. You’re going to go through bad stretches. It happened early in the season for him.”
Chief baseball officer Craig Breslow reinforced the message. He said Story has worked through similar rough patches before and emerged from each one. Breslow pointed to Story’s defensive impact during last season, saying his presence steadied the defense when he was healthy.
The Red Sox made the decision to keep Story at shortstop before the offseason began. The idea of shifting Marcelo Mayer to shortstop and repositioning Story at second never gained traction internally.
GettyTrevor Story #10 of the Boston Red Sox. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
Story on His Approach
Story described his errors as stemming from footwork and throwing issues that he believes he has already corrected. He was not interested in dwelling on the rough start.
“It’s just being athletic, using my strengths, trying to do that as much as possible,” Story said.
He called his approach at shortstop “almost freestyle” and said his priority is athleticism and results over making everything look perfect.
Story delivered a two-run double in Tuesday’s 3-2 win over Milwaukee and added an RBI single in Wednesday’s 5-0 victory. The bat has contributed even while the glove has been inconsistent. The Red Sox need both sides of his game working together, and he believes they will be soon.
GettyTrevor Story of the Boston Red Sox.
The Bigger Picture for the Red Sox
Friday’s loss extended a familiar pattern for Boston. The Red Sox are 0-9 this season when they do not receive a quality start. Early struck out five but could not get through the fifth inning. Reliever Zack Kelly entered and allowed two runs, giving St. Louis a lead it would not surrender.
Willson Contreras returned to Busch Stadium for the first time since being traded to Boston this offseason. The St. Louis fans welcomed him back warmly when he stepped to the plate for the first time.
The road trip continues Saturday in St. Louis with two games remaining before the Red Sox head to Kansas City.
GettyST LOUIS, MISSOURI – APRIL 10: Former St. Louis Cardinals player Willson Contreras #40 of the Boston Red Sox acknowledges the crowd in his first at bat against the St. Louis Cardinals in the first inning at Busch Stadium on April 10, 2026 in St Louis, Missouri. (Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)
Final Word for the Red Sox
The margins are thin. Every loss feels like a game that could have gone the other way with one more stop or one more swing.
Cora is standing behind his shortstop. Breslow is standing behind his manager. The message from the top is consistent.
Story knows the errors need to stop. He also knows the organization has his back while he works through it. The Red Sox will look to bounce back tonight.
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