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Dustin May’s first start as a member of the Boston Red Sox didn’t go quite as hoped. Making his debut six days after being acquired from the Dodgers, May labored through 3 ⅔ innings Wednesday night at Fenway Park, allowing three earned runs on six hits with one walk and two hit batters in Boston’s 7-3 loss to the Kansas City Royals. He needed 91 pitches to get just 11 outs and was tagged with the loss as the Red Sox had their seven-game winning streak snapped.
“Started off good. Then just fell apart and the wheels fell off in the fourth,” May said postgame. “Just lost myself mechanically. It’s been a minute since I’ve been on the mound for some depth. But no excuses. It’s got to be better.”
The fourth inning was where things unraveled. After issuing a leadoff walk to Adam Frazier — whom he promptly picked off — May surrendered three consecutive singles that gave Kansas City the lead for good. His final pitch of the night struck Bobby Witt Jr., ending a frustrating first impression with the Fenway faithful.
“I like it a lot,” May said of pitching in Boston. “I haven’t had much success in my two outings [at Fenway], but it’s great. Fans are great, atmosphere is fantastic, and I’ve got to pitch better for them.”
Dustin May feels optimistic about next start for Red Sox
May’s cutter was a point of emphasis in his Boston debut. He threw it 27 times (30% usage), significantly more than he ever did in Los Angeles, where it was mostly used as a secondary option. Boston’s pitching staff encouraged the adjustment.
“They kind of wanted me to get my feet wet for the first one, then dig in a little bit,” May said. “They had the idea. In L.A., it was more so just use it as an influence, but they like it as a weapon pitch and I kind of agree.”
Despite the shaky results, Red Sox manager Alex Cora saw positives.
“He threw strikes. A lot of foul balls,” Cora said. “The pitch count got up there. They didn’t hit him hard, just put the ball in play. That’s what they do. I was pleased with the strike-throwing.”
May wasn’t the only Boston arm to struggle. Jordan Hicks gave up a back-breaking three-run homer to Jonathan India in the seventh inning, stretching the Royals’ lead to 7-2. The Sox were hit by pitches five times — a franchise record and one short of an MLB mark.
The night also nearly saw a storybook moment. Just hours after signing his eight-year, $130 million extension, Roman Anthony launched a deep drive to right in the fifth that Royals outfielder Mike Yastrzemski leapt up to rob at the wall — denying Boston of a potential game-tying homer.
The Red Sox (64-52) now turn the page to a challenging West Coast swing, beginning Friday in San Diego. May’s next scheduled start will be Tuesday in Houston, where he’ll look for a bounce-back performance.
“It’s about making adjustments,” May said. “And I’ll be ready next time.”
