McAdam: Red Sox failing to cash in at the plate

It would be easy to say the Red Sox are in an offensive slump.

Easy, but incorrect.

True, the Red Sox have scored just eight runs in the last four games, three of them losses.

But slumps happen when you amass three or four hits, pile up double-digit strikeouts and slumber through 1-2-3 innings. That's not what's happened to the Red Sox of late.

They've had their hits, and had their chances. They simply haven't taken advantage.

Take Sunday's stinker, which resulted in a 5-2 loss to the lowly Chicago White Sox.  While the Red Sox didn't homer -- as they did, twice, in Saturday's win -- they had eight hits and four walks. Three of their hits were doubles. But all that got them was two runs and plenty of frustration.

That's been a familiar pattern as the Red Sox, almost inevitably, see their run production dip in the last little bit. I say "inevitably'' because all good hitting teams go through slowdowns -- even ones that have been leading the league in all the important categories.

The Sox had 11 at-bats with baserunners in scoring position Sunday and produced just one hit -- a second-inning single from Rafael Devers which scored J.D. Martinez from second. That was it for the afternoon.

Actually, that's been it for the last four days. The Sox managed a win thanks to the homers Saturday, but since the Thursday night loss to Detroit, the Red Sox are 2-for-37 (.054) with runners in scoring position. On Sunday, they stranded a season-high 12 baserunners. On Friday, that number was 10.

"We went 1-for-23 with men in scoring position for the whole series,'' lamented Alex Cora. "That's the story of the whole series. We had our chances; we didn't take advantage of them. That's how we lost the series. It is what it is. You're going to run into that from time-to-time. But when you have 23 men in scoring position and only get one hit, this is going to happen.''

"This,'' of course, is a couple of losses to a team that, on paper, the Red Sox have no business losing games to, let alone two in the course of three games.

It may well be that, that after surviving the loss of Mookie Betts for almost two weeks, his absence is beginning to hit home. Andrew Benintendi, who had been doing a remarkable imitation of Betts for the first 12 days, has come back to earth a bit over the weekend, with just three hits in 11 at-bats.

Beyond Benintendi's cooling off, there may be others in the lineup, whether purposely or not, trying to make up for his absence.

"I can agree with that,'' said hitting coach Tim Hyers. "Guys are trying to do their part and maybe a little bit more. Not that any players are talking about it, but it could be unconsciously they want to pick up the slack. (I've noticed some guys) trying to do too much, expanding the zone, not allowing the game come to you, as often as we have, maybe, in the past. That cost us a little bit in this series.''

While the Red Sox continue to be evasive about a timetable for the return of Betts, Cora said the outfielder enjoyed a good day of work and continues to make progress as he attempts to battle a left abdominal strain. There's no assurance he'll play in Baltimore, though he did travel with the team.

And there are some other encouraging signs. Devers, for one, is 6-for-17 in his last five games and is making more regular contract. While the bottom third of the order has stirred awake in the last three weeks, it's now the middle of the lineup that could stand some improvement, led by Devers and Eduardo Nunez.

More than anything, a well-timed hit here or there could be put to good use. And it would help, too, if the Red Sox could fall out of the habit of falling behind early, since that not only requires them to play from behind, but also makes it easier for hitters to convince themselves that they have to help the team catch-up all by themselves.

That, in turn, leads to chasing pitches, or being over-eager at the plate.

"I think it's just that part of the season where you hit a little speed bump,'' concluded Hyers, "so we'll try to put it back together in Baltimore.''