BOSTON -- Payton Tolle, Boston’s No. 1 prospect per MLB Pipeline, brought some much-needed energy and electricity back to Fenway Park on Thursday night.
If only he could have brought some hits.
The deep freeze of the offense continued for the Red Sox (9-16) in a 4-2 defeat that left them swept by the rival Yankees at Fenway for the first time since September 2021.
When Tolle, promoted earlier in the day for his season debut to replace the ailing Sonny Gray, walked off the mound after six brilliant innings, he was clinging to a 2-1 lead.
The big left-hander held the Bronx Bombers to three hits and one run, walking one and striking out a career-high 11 over 93 pitches.
“He was really good. The fastball played early, then he started mixing up his pitches. He was impressive. He was under control,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. “The moment wasn’t too big for him. Pounded the strike zone, which is the most important thing.”
After loading the bases with nobody out in the fourth, Tolle appeared to be in trouble. Instead, he went strikeout, short flyout, strikeout. No runs came across. And it looked like he was breathing fire as he charged back into the dugout.
“Yeah, think about just being an energy-giver,” said Tolle. “Don't be an energy vampire. So yeah, there's definitely some of that.”
After spending the final month of last season with the Sox, Tolle returned for the first time in 2026. And he did so with authority.
How was this for an introduction?
Tolle electrified the Fenway Park faithful by striking out the first five batters he faced. In the top of the first, Amed Rosario went down swinging on a 97.9 mph heater, Aaron Judge swung through an 84.4 mph curve and Ben Rice whiffed at a 98.7 mph fastball.
The momentum continued in the second inning, when Tolle caught Giancarlo Stanton looking at 98.6 mph and struck out Randal Grichuk on 98.7 mph heat.
The crowd roared with approval on each punchout. Trent Grisham at last made contact, grounding out to first to end the second inning.
Tolle became the first Red Sox pitcher to open a start with five straight strikeouts against the Yankees since Casey Fossum on Aug. 27, 2002.
This wasn’t close to the same Tolle who pitched for the Red Sox late last season. That guy relied on power and had trouble with his secondary stuff.
This pitcher had polish and offspeed pitches that played.
“Yeah, I joked with one of our strength and conditioning coaches that I actually pitched today instead of just threw,” Tolle said. “I think the offspeed pitches, they came up big for me in some spots, but also with sinkers and cutters, too. It helped to have wrinkles.”
Catcher Carlos Narváez, who aided the cause of his batterymate with a solo shot that gave the Sox a 2-1 lead in the fifth, could see the difference from 2025.
“Electric,” said Narváez. “His fastball was in great shape. He was using all of them. The four-seam, sinker, cutter. And second time through, we mixed a little bit of the curve and changeup.
“He was competing. Gave us some energy. We love it. We need it right now. Unfortunately, we didn't get the win, but his stuff was elite.”
But Cam Schlittler, the pride of Walpole, Mass., wouldn’t let it happen. Following up his overpowering performance that eliminated the Red Sox in Game 3 of last October’s American League Wild Card Series, the flame-throwing righty allowed two runs (one earned) over eight innings.
In this three-game series, the Red Sox generated three runs and 13 hits. It was rare to see a rivalry series so tilted in one direction.
“They pitched a lot better than us and got clutch hits, and we got swept, that’s it,” said Cora.
While the Red Sox continue to remind everyone -- including themselves -- that it is early, that will only be true for so long. Now, they’re off on a six-game road trip to Baltimore and Toronto, where they will at last try to get on the run that has eluded them for a month.
“We've been saying it's early, but we cannot have that mentality,” said Narváez. “We work every single game, every single day, and it’s just about time [to snap out of this]. At the same time, we’re grinding. The most important thing is the next three games, and then the next three games. That's got to be the focus right now.”