Roman Anthony Gets Brutally Honest As Red Sox Hit New Low Point

Roman Anthony's throws from the outfield have become one of the biggest storylines in a horrific start to the season for the Boston Red Sox.

On Monday, in an 8-6 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers, Anthony had a great chance to throw out the go-ahead runner at home plate on a line-drive single to left field. Instead, he spiked a ball weakly into the dirt, which trailed so far up the third base line that it rolled past catcher Carlos Narváez and allowed a second run to score.

“It was a terrible throw, again,” Anthony said, per Ian Browne of MLB.com. “We didn’t have a shot with that throw. Gotta be better. It was terrible.”

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Anthony's comments mark moment of clarity for Red Sox

Upon follow-up, Anthony provided a bit of insight as to why he thought the issue was persisting, but he wanted to make sure as well that it wasn't coming off as an excuse.

“Just struggling to get a grip [on the ball], but at the end, there’s no excuse,” Anthony said, per Browne. “It’s terrible. It’s bad baseball. It’s on me. It’s just a mix of everything. At the end of the day, it’s gotta be at least competitive, and it wasn’t. Again. So, it’s terrible.”

Anthony hasn't been the Red Sox's worst player by any means this season, but his defensive struggles are a microcosm for all that was expected to be a mark in the Red Sox's favor that has gone completely south during the team's league-worst 2-8 start.

Young star's struggles officially under a microscope

Anthony has now had four throws this season that generated headlines, beginning with the team's first loss of the season against the Cincinnati Reds on a Dane Myers walk-off, and culminating with his worst yet on Monday.

Manager Alex Cora didn't sugarcoat the situation before Saturday's game against the San Diego Padres, saying he thought the 21-year-old was struggling with his footwork. And if the story wasn't a big enough issue on its own, it's worsened by the fact that when Anthony plays left field, one of Jarren Duran or Masataka Yoshida is on the bench.

The noise has already grown loud for this Red Sox team and for Anthony as an individual, so whether it's grip, footwork, or the yips, something needs to change quickly.