Red Sox Spoil Roman Anthony's MLB Debut In Most 2025 Red Sox Way Possible

Welcome to the team (unfortunately)

Jun 9, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Red Sox manger Alex Cora reacts after a strike out during the eleventh inning of a game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images | Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images

Roman Anthony is officially a Boston Red Sox. And he quickly learned what that means in the year 2025.

On Monday night, baseball's number-one prospect made his highly anticipated debut against the Tampa Bay Rays. Boston fought back from deficits of 3-0, 6-3, 7-5, and 8-7. But ultimately, they lost a 10-8 heartbreaker in 11 innings, and they made all their usual mistakes in the process.

Anthony was 0-for-4 with a walk, an RBI groundout, and a crucial error on a ground-ball single to right field that handed the Rays their third run of the game. But he was hardly the only culprit, as the Red Sox blew numerous chances to end the game earlier,

Manager Alex Cora focused on the fact that his team went 4-for-23 with runners in scoring position, a stat that has continued to haunt the Red Sox all throughout this disappointing season.

“We just have to get better,” Cora said, per MassLive's Sean McAdam. “We hits some balls hard and we had some good at-bats, but we didn’t cash in.”

Meanwhile, the 11th inning provided an extra gut punch in the form of umpire inconsistency. Home plate ump Junior Valentine ruled two close pitches balls with the bases loaded, resulting in Zack Kelly walking Junior Caminero and forcing in the go-ahead run. Both were balls, according to the automated strike zone.

But in the bottom of the 11th, Valentine called strike three to Romy Gonzalez on a pitch that was nearly identical to one of the balls to Caminero, and would have gone for a walk to load the bases and put the winning run on base with one out. One pitch later, the game was over.

Cora understandably got himself ejected screaming at Valentine only seconds after the call.

“It was a ball. That pitch was a ball,” Cora said, per MassLive's Chris Cotillo. “It was down. He was really good, actually, during the day. But it was down.”

Anthony will be a tremendous big-leaguer, and that likely means better days ahead for the Red Sox. But it can be hard to envision when the team continues to come up small in big moments.

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