The Boston Red Sox’s first-round playoff exit took an odd turn after images circulated online showing what appeared to be a substance on starting pitcher Sonny Gray’s neck during his Game 2 outing against the New York Yankees.
Boston lost the game, extending a run of early postseason exits that stands in sharp contrast to the franchise’s championship years in 2004, 2007, 2013 and 2018. The Red Sox, once dominant over the Yankees and the sport, have struggled to keep pace with their longtime rival in recent seasons.
Social media users began circulating photos from the broadcast showing what looked like a caked-on substance on the back of Gray’s neck, with the images appearing most noticeably starting in the fifth inning of his start. The pictures quickly drew accusations that Gray may have been using a foreign substance, commonly referred to as pine tar or “sticky stuff,” to improve his grip on the ball.
Jomboy Media, a company in which Major League Baseball holds a stake, posted a video on the matter accusing Gray of using sticky stuff. Gray himself did not address what was on his neck during his postgame press conference, and umpires did not raise any concerns about it during the game.
Gray, 36, has pitched for most of the season with a similar habit of touching his neck, a mannerism observers say dates back to his first start in Cincinnati in March. Whether that gesture is related to the substance seen in the viral images is unclear.
Questions have also been raised about Red Sox manager Chad Tracy’s decision to pull Gray from the game after roughly 70 pitches, handing the ball to a bullpen that went on to struggle in relief. Gray had appeared to be pitching effectively at the time he was removed.
Gray has suggested this season could be his last in the major leagues, raising questions among observers about why he would risk using an illegal substance in what might be his final postseason start. Pitchers are also subject to routine on-field checks for foreign substances after each inning, a practice that has made such violations harder to carry out undetected compared to past seasons.
No formal findings or statements from MLB regarding the images have been reported.
