CINCINNATI — Two games into their season, the Red Sox have had a heck of a month: a well-rounded win, a walkoff loss, a managerial ejection.
Justin Slaten gave up a game-ending single to Dane Myers, sending the Sox to a 6-5, 11-inning loss against the Reds on Saturday in a wildly eventful second game of the year.
It was the last twist in an afternoon-turned-evening full of them, including the Red Sox running out of ball-strike challenges in the third inning, manager Alex Cora getting ejected by plate umpire CB Bucknor for arguing balls and strikes in the eighth, and Wilyer Abreu hammering a towering tying home when the Sox were down to their last out in the ninth.
Trevor Story committed a throwing error, hit the Sox’ first home run of the year, and struck out four times, including on a check-swing call that motivated him to lash out at Bucknor, bringing Cora out of the dugout.
“A crazy game, a fun game,” said Story, still annoyed but certainly calmer in the clubhouse afterward at Great American Ball Park. “I wouldn’t really call it a clean game.”
In extra innings, the Red Sox struck out three times in five at-bats against righthander Connor Phillips, upping their total to 15 on the day. They didn’t advance the automatic runner past second base either time; Story’s lineout to second resulted in Ceddanne Rafaela getting doubled off to end the top of the 11th.
And so the Red Sox finished just short. In a one-run loss, they left 11 runners on base and went 2 for 14 with runners in scoring position.
“We have to be better,” Cora said. “We’ve been talking about putting the ball in play, and we didn’t do it.”
Story was at the center of the Red Sox’ frustrations with Bucknor and the strike zone. For the last out of the top of the eighth, he tried to check his swing, but Bucknor deemed him not to have done so — infuriating Story, who barked at the umpire and didn’t return to the dugout until Cora physically separated him from Bucknor.
Cora, voicing the qualms of his angry dugout, took up Story’s case until Bucknor booted him.
Bucknor had a bad day behind the plate, with the teams combining to challenge eight pitches, six of which were overturned. Since the Sox ran out of pitch challenges early, they had plenty of time for frustration to fester.
“[Bucknor] has one job to do, it’s call balls and strikes,” Cora said. “It wasn’t his best day.”
The Red Sox managed just fine against Reds righthander Brady Singer, plating three runs in four innings. But Sonny Gray was at least as bad in his adventurous team debut that had a little bit of everything: four runs (three earned) and six hits in six innings, a walk, the Story error leading to a run, a defensive miscue from Gray, and zero 1-2-3 innings.
The lowlight came on Eugenio Suárez’s bouncer back to the mound during a roller coaster opening inning. Gray fielded it, considered throwing to catcher Carlos Narváez, didn’t throw, and instead tried to tag runner Matt McLain (coming in from third base) with the ball in his bare hand. But Gray whiffed on making contact and dropped the ball as McLain slid in.
“Looking back, I could have slowed it down, fielded the ball, and gave it up to Narvy,” Gray said. “I just never felt like I got a clean grasp of the ball. Weird play.”
Gray needed 35 pitches to get through the first, during which the Red Sox made two mound visits (out of four total allowed in regulation) and lefthander Jovani Morán warmed up in the bullpen. After he wiggled away, he threw just 45 additional pitches across the next three frames.
“I don’t feel like I put us in a good position to win the game, if I’m being honest,” Gray said. “The bullpen did an incredible job. They gave us a chance.”
At the forefront of that effort: righthander Ryan Watson, who held the Reds scoreless for 2⅓ innings in his major league debut.
He inherited a two-on, two-out jam and walked his first hitter to load the bases, then got Suárez to two strikes — one more away from escaping.
On each of the next two pitches, Bucknor rung up Suárez on strike three. Both times, Suárez tapped his helmet to activate the automated ball-strike challenge system. And both times, the call was overturned to a ball, running the count full. Suárez grounded out to second to end the inning, allowing an amped Watson to finally retreat to the dugout.
“Super emotional,” Watson said. “It’s one I won’t forget for sure, but it was a lot of fun … That’s probably the loudest I’ve heard a stadium while pitching, so it was intense.”
Tim Healey can be reached at timothy.healey@globe.com. Follow him @timbhealey.