The 2024 Boston Red Sox will be a significantly better defensive team than the 2023 version. Trevor Story alone ensures that, before we even consider Ceddanne Rafaela’s glove in center, Tyler O’Neill’s arm in right, and Masataka Yoshida’s butt on the bench during defensive half innings.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still some lingering psychological damage leftover from last year, so you’re forgiven if you suffered some flashbacks in this tough loss to the Mariners.

For the third game in a row, a Red Sox starter went up against one of the American League’s best and matched him pitch for pitch. This time it was Kutter Crawford, leaning heavily on his sweeper and cutter to keep the M’s bats quiet. But Logan Gilbert was just as effective for the Ms, leading to another pitching duel that would be decided on the defensive margins.

Here were the moments that mattered.

Bottom of the First

Once again, the game turned in the first inning, when Pablo Reyes’s ill-timed tribute to Kikè Hernandez put JP Crawford in scoring position. He’d score two batters later on a Mitch Haniger single.

op of the Fifth

After lacing a double to left, Ceddanne Rafaela gets aggressive on an Enmanuel Valdez fly out. He would score on Pablo Reyes’s ground out to tie the game.

But then with two runners on and a chance to put the Sox on top, Masataka Yoshida would go down on an absolutely brutal strike out.