With big bats lacking, Chad Tracy has brought back small ball to kickstart the Red Sox offense

Baseball teams use sacrifice bunts less often than they do fax machines these days.

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There were 1,200 sacrifices in 2015, and only 560 in 2025. The advent of the universal designated hitter in 2022 was a factor, but it was more that teams came to believe that advancing a runner 90 feet was not worth the cost of losing an out.

The Red Sox were part of the trend. They had 30 sacrifices in 2015, then only 24 over the next three seasons combined.

But interim manager Chad Tracy, saddled with a roster lacking the power to take advantage of Fenway Park, is bringing back small ball — or at least the possibility of it.

It worked against the Braves in an 8-0 victory on Wednesday night.

In a scoreless game, Masataka Yoshida singled and Mickey Gasper drew a walk to open the bottom of the fourth inning. Nick Sogard fouled off a bunt, then was able to get one down to the left side.

Third baseman Austin Riley only had a play at first. An error and four consecutive singles led to the Red Sox scoring six runs and snapping a four-game losing streak.

“Smart player,” Tracy said of Sogard. “He sees what’s happening on the field. He’s usually a step ahead.”

Tracy said the bunts are a product of his telling certain players to look for opportunities within games. Sogard’s sacrifice was the eighth of the season for the Sox, six of them coming under Tracy in 27 games.

That may not seem like a lot over a third of the season. But if the Sox finish with 24, it would be nine more than last season and their most since 2015.

“I like it,” said Wilyer Abreu, who had a two-run single in that big fourth inning. “That’s something we need. It’s part of the game we haven’t used too much over the last few years. It’s good to have a guy like Sogard who can do that.”

Abreu is typical of most players in that he has rarely sacrificed, only three times in 764 major and minor league games. It’s a skill that is taught only out of obligation these days. Teams much prefer their players to swing as hard as they can and get the ball in the air.

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The Sox also are on pace to steal 120 bases, which is a surprise considering they traded David Hamilton (who had 22 last season) and Trevor Story had only four before he landed on the injured list.

This is not to suggest the Red Sox are transforming into a modern-day version of the 1959 Go-Go White Sox, a team that bunted and ran its way to 96 victories and the American League pennant.

But they need to do something to salvage their season before it’s too late. Maybe Willson Contreras will hit 30 home runs this season, but that could be it.

The Red Sox had 15 hits on Wednesday, all of them singles until Jarren Duran homered to right field in the eighth inning.

“That’s crazy,” Tracy said.

Even Duran seemed more excited about Sogard’s bunt.

“We were able to cash in and keep doing our thing,” he said. “I love guys like Sogie coming up and putting the bunt down and causing havoc and doing the job and getting guys over and stuff like that.

“That’s the small things we’re going to have to do as a team, and for him to do that is awesome.”

Maybe it’s a trend. The Rays, always at the forefront of innovation, lead the majors with 18 sacrifices — two more than they had all of last season.

The six-run fourth inning was the biggest for the Sox since the 10 they scored in the top of the 10th inning at Baltimore on April 25 in a 17-1 victory.

Alex Cora and six of his coaches were fired that night. Tracy, presumably, will survive to manage against Chris Sale on Thursday afternoon.

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