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The Boston Red Sox Wednesday, May 26, 2021 * The Boston Globe Atlanta survives early flurry, keeps Red Sox in check for series-opening win Alex Speier Already, the Red Sox have proven capable of defying the measured expectations that greeted them at the start of the season. After a residence of more than six weeks in first place, their talent will no longer be overlooked. Still, their recent slip from atop the AL East has likewise offered a reminder. As the Sox hope to transform from early-season surprise to season-long contender, they do not have the luxury of fumbling opportunities in an ultra-competitive division. Tuesday night, a 3-1 loss to Atlanta at Fenway underscored the point. The Sox had an immediate chance to seize control of the game from opposing starter Charlie Morton. Instead, they blew it in a way that seemed at once impossible, yet somehow familiar. Despite six of the first eight Sox hitters reaching base, that game-opening pressure turned into just one run through two innings — and none thereafter. “When you have a man on third, I think we have to bear down, we have to put the ball in play,” said manager Alex Cora. “For us to keep the line moving and win close games, we have to do that. We haven’t been doing that for a while.” In the bottom of the first, the Sox loaded the bases (single, walk, error) with no outs. But that golden promise — a situation that, on average, produces more than two runs — soon proved a ruse.
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