Sonny Gray’s neck became an unexpected talking point in the Red Sox’s Wild Card loss to the Yankees, even as he turned in a steady outing on the mound.
Gray, who spent much of the 2026 season as Boston’s most dependable starter and posted career-best marks in wins and ERA in seasons where he pitched more than 65 innings, gave the Red Sox a workable performance in Game 2. He allowed two runs over 4.2 innings and struck out five, but it wasn’t enough to keep Boston alive against New York.
The controversy started with what viewers thought they saw on Gray’s neck. Throughout the game, he appeared to swipe at a strange substance on the right side of his neck, prompting speculation online that he may have been using sticky stuff to aid his pitches.
“Sonny Gray asks for a new ball and then immediately touches his neck. He was doing this all game 🕵️♀️ pic.twitter.com/1ryNUFnaeT”
That clip fed a Jomboy breakdown, where the host floated the idea that Gray could have been using a foreign substance to help his spin rates.
“Sonny Gray obviously had sticky stuff on his neck, a breakdown pic.twitter.com/ii41NNMsDK”
Still, there’s no way to know for sure whether the accusation holds up. Officials considered Gray’s outing legitimate, and one social media user noted that he has been seen wiping at his neck before. The gesture showed up multiple times in this start, including in the first inning, before the material on his neck was even visible.
“This video is for anyone who thinks Sonny Gray used pine tar tonight pic.twitter.com/DyQuzJLcy4”
Even so, the conversation took off across social media, with rumors that Gray had crossed the line by using pine tar to make his pitches harder to hit. Some, including Jomboy, also believed Red Sox manager Chad Tracy removed Gray early to shield him from cheating allegations.
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