Neil Warnock’s side were undone by a Nathan Collins header inside the opening 20-minutes of the match.
The result sees Boro stay 10th in the Championship table while Stoke move up to 5th.
Scroll down and click through the pages to see our Boro player ratings from the match...
. Marcus Bettinelli - 7
Will be disappointed with the opener but responded well with a series of good saves. Photo: Alex Pantling
. Djed Spence - 6
Showed decent attacking endeavour but was often let down with the ball at his feet. Solid defensively. Photo: Getty Images
. Paddy McNair - 6
Was comfortable in possession but lacked conviction defensively. Photo: Alex Pantling
. Dael Fry - 5
Had a rare shot on goal which led to a penalty appeal in an otherwise quiet afternoon for the defender. Booked for a rough challenge. Photo: PA
. Marc Bola - 5
Put in a dangerous ball late on but didn’t offer enough at either end over the 90-minutes. Photo: Clive Brunskill
9. Marcus Tavernier - 5
Was a creative threat as he tried to make things happen but very little came off. Photo: Getty Images
10. Marvin Johnson - 5
Put some decent balls into the box but couldn’t find a man. Was defensively poor on occasions when Boro needed him to show some composure. Photo: George Wood
11. Chuba Akpom - 4
A poor headed clearance led to Stoke’s opener. Almost scored an own goal only to have his blushes spared by Bettenelli. Subbed with 25-minutes to play after offering very little. Photo: Getty Images
12. Patrick Roberts - 6
Added a bit of urgency in the final third as Boro pushed for an equaliser. Photo: Naomi Baker