Red Sox reactions: Trevor Story’s error dooms Boston in Mother’s Day loss to Rays

3) At a time when Garrett Crochet and Roman Anthony are both on the injured list, the last thing the Red Sox need is another key player to go down. That happened Sunday — at least for the day — when Willson Contreras was hit in the hand with a pitch in the first inning and had to leave the game a half-inning later.

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The club announced Contreras’ injury as a “contusion” on his right hand but further tests (most likely, X-rays) are certainly underway. Considering how many small bones are in that area, there’s obviously some cause for concern.

Andruw Monasterio took over for Contreras at first base.

4) Making an emotional Mother’s Day start nearly two years and one day after his mother, Jina, died of cancer at age 48, Tolle was largely effective, even if he didn’t pitch deep into the game.

The lefty had no choice but to throw up his hands in the first inning when slugger Junior Caminero golfed a low curveball (that was way out of the zone) over the Green Monster for a solo homer. The two third-inning runs were largely the result of the Story misplay, yet both charged to Tolle. In all, the rookie allowed three runs on seven hits in five innings. He struck out four.

5) Making his first start for the Red Sox since the end of the 2024 season, catcher Mickey Gasper had a big day at the plate.

Gasper had two doubles and a single in the loss, which was his second three-hit game in the majors. His second-inning double broke a long hitless streak in a Red Sox uniform.

As a rookie with the Sox in 2024, Gasper went 0-for-18 (with four walks) in 23 plate appearances after debuting. He had 15 hits for Minnesota last year, then returned to the Red Sox via waivers in February. In his first big league action of the season, Gasper doubled off the Green Monster in the first inning, later drove in Story with an RBI single in the sixth and added another two-bagger in the ninth inning.

Gasper and Monasterio were the only Red Sox with multiple hits.

6) For at least a minute, it looked like the Red Sox were going to channel the 2007 versions of themselves and complete a Mother’s Day Miracle, Part II. Gasper doubled and Marcelo Mayer walked to bring the tying run to the plate in a 4-1 game against Bryan Baker. Baker then dug in to strike out Ceddanne Rafaela then retire Caleb Durbin (groundout on a great play by Caminero) and Jarren Duran (fly out to left) to end the game.

7) Right fielder Wilyer Abreu made a fantastic play in the first inning when he charged a Ryan Vilade bloop single then threw behind Vilade, who had rounded first a bit too aggressively. It was one of two Sox rundowns that led to outs in the field.

8) Justin Slaten returned to action and made his first appearance since April 4 after missing 31 games with an oblique strain. With the Sox trailing by three runs in the seventh, Slaten needed just 15 pitches in a 1-2-3 inning in which he struck out a batter.

9) Monasterio’s roundly mocked ABS challenge from earlier this season has some company now. In the sixth, Rafaela challenged a Kevin Kelly called strike that was well within the zone and not touching any edges. Kelly struck Rafaela out two pitches later.

10) The Red Sox will have Monday off before welcoming the Phillies to Boston for a three-game interleague series that begins Tuesday. All three games will start at 6:45 p.m. ET.

Boston has not announced pitching probables for that series but righty Brayan Bello (possibly after an opener), lefty Ranger Suarez and righty Sonny Gray are all in line to pitch, in some order. The alignment will depend on how Suarez’s minor hamstring injury progresses.

More Red Sox coverage

• Tarik Skubal could return sooner than originally expected
• Emotional Payton Tolle takes ball for Red Sox on Mother’s Day, two years after mom’s death
• Ex-Red Sox starter pulled 2 outs shy of first career complete game
• Red Sox announce starting rotation vs. Phillies, plan for Brayan Bello
• Trevor Story explains costly error in Red Sox loss: ‘It’s on me,’ he says

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