Tuesday’s game featured a perfect encapsulation of the past month for the Red Sox — Xander Bogaerts drove in a run in the first inning to grab an early lead, then was forced to leave after he took the field due to a positive COVID test.
Bogaerts’ test result — which was revealed immediately after the Red Sox gave up six runs in the third inning — prompted NESN broadcaster Dennis Eckersley to call the game “a real low moment” in the season.
Bogaerts is the latest Red Sox player to test positive in an outbreak that continues to claim players — Kiké Hernández, Christian Arroyo, Martín Pérez, Matt Barnes, Josh Taylor and Hirokazu Sawamura are all on the COVID-IL, along with several Red Sox coaches.