The 2017 Boston Red Sox season was the 117th season in the team's history, and their 106th season at Fenway Park. They finished with 93 wins and 69 losses, the same record as their previous season, two games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees. It was also the team's first season in 15 years without David Ortiz, due to his retirement. The Red Sox won their second straight American League East championship, the first time the team won the division (which was established in 1969) in consecutive years; it was their ninth division title overall. In the postseason, they lost the American League Division Series in four games to the eventual 2017 World Series champions, the Houston Astros.
Offseason
October 2016 On October 16, general manager Mike Hazen left the Red Sox for the Arizona Diamondbacks.
November 2016 On November 3, Brian Bannister was promoted to vice president of pitching development, in addition to his role as assistant pitching coach. On November 4, bench coach Torey Lovullo left the Red Sox for the Arizona Diamondbacks to take over as manager. On November 11, the Red Sox appointed Gary DiSarcina, former Lowell Spinners and Pawtucket Red Sox manager, as their new bench coach. On November 15, DH David Ortiz officially retired.
December 2016 On December 6, the Red Sox traded 3B Travis Shaw with prospects RHP Josh Pennington, SS Mauricio Dubon and a player to be named later to the Milwaukee Brewers for reliever RHP Tyler Thornburg. The Brewers later received $100 instead of the PTBNL. On December 6, the Red Sox traded prospects 3B Yoan Moncada, RHP Michael Kopech, CF Luis Alexander Basabe and RHP Víctor Díaz to the Chicago White Sox for starter LHP Chris Sale. On December 8, the Red Sox acquired Josh Rutledge in the Rule 5 draft from the Colorado Rockies. Rutledge played parts of the 2015 and 2016 seasons with Boston. On December 8, the Red Sox signed free agent 1B Mitch Moreland to a one-year, $5.5M deal. On December 20, the Red Sox traded RHP Clay Buchholz to the Philadelphia Phillies for 2B Josh Tobias.
Regular season Opening Day, April 3 vs. Pittsburgh Reigning AL Cy Young winner Rick Porcello made his first opening day start of his career, going 6 innings, allowing three runs on six hits in the win. The Red Sox bats could only get one hit off of Pirates starter Gerrit Cole through 4 innings but then strung together six 2-out hits. Jackie Bradley Jr. started the rally with a triple of the right field wall, Pablo Sandoval legged out an infield single, Sandy León laid down a bunt down the third base line, Dustin Pedroia with a single down the middle, which plated Pablo Sandoval, Andrew Benintendi with a three-run shot in the Pirates bullpen and Mookie Betts reached second on another infield single and a throwing error by the shortstop Jordy Mercer. Hanley Ramírez made the third out and Cole's day was over. Pittsburgh got to Porcello in the seventh, where he gave up three hits and three runs, two of them inherited by Matt Barnes. Barnes eventually got out of the inning. Neither team would score in the remainder of the game and Craig Kimbrel closed out the game on one hit and one hit batsman.
Opening Day lineup
15 Dustin Pedroia 2B16 Andrew Benintendi LF50 Mookie Betts RF13 Hanley Ramírez DH18 Mitch Moreland 1B 2 Xander Bogaerts SS19 Jackie Bradley Jr. CF48 Pablo Sandoval 3B 3 Sandy León C22 Rick Porcello P
April April 3–6, vs. Pittsburgh In his Red Sox debut, Chris Sale struck out seven Pirates batters in his 7 shut-out innings. He received no run support until a three-run walk-off shot by Sandy León in the 12th inning. Game three of the series was postponed and rescheduled for April 13. Red Sox won the series 2–0 (8–3 runs) April 7–10, in Detroit In the series opener, Steven Wright gave up four runs in 6 innings. Down by four runs going into the eighth, the Red Sox put a five spot on the board, including a three-run shot by Pablo Sandoval, only to have the bullpen give up two more runs to win it for the Tigers. In game two, Boston took an early 1–0 lead, but that's all they would get. Detroit scored four times against Eduardo Rodríguez and dropped two games in a row. With several players already down with the flu, Andrew Benintendi threw up during the sixth inning in the outfield but could finish the game. Rick Porcello gave up eleven hits but the Tigers could only push four players across the plate. In late game heroics, Boston scored four times to take the lead in the eighth. Craig Kimbrel gave up one run but eventually closed the game. Chris Sale went 7 innings, striking out 10 Tigers and allowing only two runs in the final game of the series, but that was enough for Detroit. Boston only scored once on a bases loaded, nobody out situation against Justin Verlander in the second inning. Red Sox lost the series 1–3 (14–17 runs) April 11–12, vs. Baltimore Drew Pomeranz went 6 innings of one-run ball in his season debut. Boston up by one run, scored three runs each in the seventh and eighth inning to put the game out of reach. In the second game of the odd two-game series against a division rival, Steven Wright was pulled after 1 innings, giving up 8 runs on as many hits. The bullpen allowed four more runs over the course of the game. A rally in the middle innings, where Boston scored 5 runs in three consecutive innings, fell way short. Red Sox tied the series 1—1 (13–13 runs) April 13, vs. Pittsburgh In the makeup game from the opening series of the season, Eduardo Rodríguez allowed two first innings runs before settling in. Down by two runs coming into the eighth, the Pirates allowed three men to reach with one out, two via base on balls. Mookie Betts scored the go-ahead run from first on a Hanley Ramírez double, but the close play at the plate was successfully challenged. Xander Bogaerts eventually drove in Hanley and Craig Kimbrel shut the door. Red Sox won the series 1–0 (4–3 runs) April 14–17, vs. Tampa Bay Rick Porcello was shelled for 8 runs in innings, the most since April 19, 2015 vs. Baltimore. Down by 8 runs coming into the ninth, the Red Sox rallied for three, but that was all they could get. The doubles streak of Mitch Moreland ended after seven consecutive games. Chris Sale pitched another gem in his third start and won his first game of the season. He allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings, striking out 12 Rays batters. Moreland scored twice, on a solo shot in the second and a Sandy León groundout, providing the only runs for Boston. Drew Pomeranz didn't make it through the fifth with five allowed runs, but the Red Sox out-hit the Rays 17–7. Pablo Sandoval ripped his team-leading fourth home run of the season onto the green monster. On Patriots' Day, the Red Sox played their traditional 11 am game and quickly scored four runs in the first two innings, after Tampa Bay took a two-run lead in the first. Steven Wright gave up three runs, one of them earned, in six innings of work. The bullpen kept the Rays off the scoreboard and Craig Kimbrel struck out the side for his sixth save of the season. Red Sox won the series 3–1 (18–19 runs) April 18–20, in Toronto Brian Johnson outpitched Marcus Stroman in a game where both teams connected for 27 hits. The Jays rallied for three runs in the ninth, but came one run short. Rick Porcello allowed three unearned runs but received no run-support and the Red Sox where shut out for the first time this season. In the rubber match, Chris Sale pitched another great game with 8 shut out innings, striking out 13. The save streak of Craig Kimbrel ended on 25 on a lead-off home run by Kendrys Morales, he eventually got the win, striking out five of the seven batters he faced. Mookie Betts drove in three in the tenth on a two-out double. Red Sox won the series 2–1 (12–11 runs) April 21–23, in Baltimore The Red Sox where shutout for the second time in three games. Dustin Pedroia had to leave the game in the eighth, after a controversial slide with his raised cleats into second base by Manny Machado. The Red Sox could not hold on to their 2–0 lead in the second game. Baltimore scored four times in the fourth and Steven Wright was pulled early. Eduardo Rodríguez pitched six shut out innings, allowing only one hit. He was aided by six runs and the first 5-for-5 performance by Andrew Benintendi of his career. Matt Barnes was ejected in the eighth on would be retaliation pitch against Machado, which hit his bat just inches away from his head. Barnes was eventually suspended for four games. Red Sox lost the series 1–2 (8–8 runs) April 26–27, vs. New York The first game of the would-be three-game series was rained out and rescheduled for mid-July. In both games Rick Porcello and Chris Sale were given virtually no run support. Both allowed three runs, two earned. Sale struck out ten, but allowed 8 hits. Down just 0–1, Sale was back on the mound for the ninth, in which he gave up three straight hits, before being pulled with no outs recorded. Red Sox lost the series 0–2 (1–6 runs) April 28–30, vs. Chicago (NL) The bats came to life with the reigning World Series champion in town. Boston scored five in the first off Jake Arrieta. The Cubs rallied in the seventh but came up short. An early 3–0 lead was lost in the seventh on account of two errors in the same play by the Boston defense. Steven Wright started his last game of the season, he opted for season-ending surgery five days later. The Red Sox got to their former closer Koji Uehara in the eighth inning, with the game being tied at two, for four runs. Hanley Ramírez hit home runs in back-to-back games. Eduardo Rodríguez pitched another good game with one run allowed over six frames. Matt Barnes became the team's leader in pitcher wins with 3. Red Sox won the series 2–1 (15–13 runs)
Composite line score April
*Extra innings without runs are not displayed
May May 1–4, vs. Baltimore Mookie Betts got plunked by a 95-mph Dylan Bundy fastball in the first game of the series, but no warnings were issued and there weren't any further actions by either team. Rick Porcello gave up two runs in six innings. Baltimore scored three times in the 8th inning, aided by three Red Sox errors. Chris Sale threw behind Manny Machado in the first inning and both benches were warned. Orioles reliever Donnie Hart threw a pitch at Andrew Benintendi's head but was not ejected nor disciplined for his action. Sale picked up the win, allowing only three hits in 8 innings. He struck out 11. Kevin Gausman was ejected in the second inning of game three, in which he hit Xander Bogaerts with a 77-mph curveball. Later in the game, Adam Jones was ejected for arguing balls and strikes with homeplate umpire Sam Holbrook. Drew Pomeranz became the first Red Sox starter with three wins in his 5 innings of work. The bullpen pitched a shutout and Craig Kimbrel picked up his tenth save of the season, striking out the side on 12 pitches. In the final game of the series, emotions cooled down and there were no further retaliations. Kyle Kendrick, in his first start for Boston, surrendered six runs in the loss. Baltimore connected for 17 hits. Red Sox tied the series 2–2 (14–17 runs)
May 5–7, at Minneapolis