Red Sox' lead shrinks as offensive woes continue

As the Red Sox packed for what could be a critical seven-game road trip, they were careful not to include any unnecessary panic with the rest of their belongings.

They may have lost four straight and seen their lead over the Yankees shaved to just 2.5 games, their smallest margin since August 3. But there was no sense of impending doom.

To the contrary, John Farrell noted that the Red Sox have, for much of the season, played best when presented with challenges. Indeed, the last time the Sox had a similar four-game skid, they ripped off 17 wins in their next 23 games before the current streak interrupted.



“This is where our team has performed at its best,’’ said Farrell after a 2-1 loss to the Baltimore Orioles, “when we’re faced with some adversity, we band together and we rally round one another. We certainly know these seven games (are important). We’ve got a good challenge ahead of us, but I’ve loved the way we’ve responded to challenges throughout this year.’’

If nothing else, the Sox got their pitching back in order Sunday afternoon after yielding an ungodly 36 runs in their previous three games. Starter Doug Fister wasn’t as flawless as he was in one-hitting the Indians last week, but he didn’t suffer much drop-off, either. The Orioles got to him for two runs in the first on back-to-back doubles, but Fister didn’t allow another run through the seventh inning, keeping the game well within reach.

On most days, that is.

Time and again, the Sox gave themselves opportunities. They collected eight hits and worked seven walks, giving them baserunners in every inning until the ninth.

But the Sox couldn’t buy a big hit other than an RBI double from Rafael Devers in the sixth. They were just 1-for-13 with runners in scoring position for the afternoon.

Worse, seven of the first eight innings ended with a runner in scoring position. Twice, they left the bases loaded.

“More than anything, it was a day of frustration,’’ acknowledged Farrell. “We did a good job for ourselves creating opportunities, but we didn’t combine many. A two-out base hit was elusive.’’

It wasn’t for lack of effort. In the eighth, with the Sox trailing by one and a runner on first, a hard-hit ball off the bat of Eduardo Nunez turned right fielder Craig Gentry around. Gentry then had to fight the sun as the ball settled into his glove. Andrew Benintendi, the next batter, hit a liner to right, but this time, Gentry barely had to move to make the catch.

Other at-bats, however, weren’t nearly as competitive. In each of his three at-bats, DH Chris Young popped up to the infield twice and flied to shallow right in the third. Each time, he made the final out and for the day, stranded seven baserunners. For the season, Young is hitting just .198 (16-for-81) against lefties after posting a .980 OPS against lefties in the previous two seasons.

Unfortunately for Farrell, there aren’t a lot of other options for a righthanded DH against lefties. Hanley Ramirez usually plays first against lefties, with Mitch Moreland on the bench. The only other righthanded choice on the current roster would be one of the catchers.

How bad is the current funk with runners in scoring position? Aside from the 1-for-23 in that category in this weekend series with Baltimore, even Mookie Betts was affected. Betts came into Sunday with a .381 mark with RISP, the highest figure in the A.L. among qualifiers.

But even Betts had his own issues Sunday, flying out to right with two on the in the fifth and taking a called third strike in the sixth with the bases full.

Betts chose to dismiss the team’s struggles with men in scoring position as a temporary malady.

“A couple of days ago, we weren’t having this conversation,’’ he said. “It was just a couple of rough days. It happens; it’s the game of baseball.  We’re still in first and we have to worry about tomorrow.’’

But with their lead shrinking and a four-game set in New York on the horizon, the Red Sox would be wise to move quickly on their assertion that their offensive woes are, indeed, temporary.