They didn't hit, or more accurately, didn't hit enough, despite scoring seven runs.
They certainly didn't pitch well enough, handing the opponents a 3-0 head start in the first and a 6-1 lead by the third.
But what really cost the Red Sox in their 9-7 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays was their generally sloppy play: inattentive at times, poor fundamentals at others, and in the end, some honest-to-goodness head-scratching decisions.
The Rays are plenty good enough that they don't need any additional help from the Red Sox, who were only too happy to make things easier for a club that took an 11-game winning streak into Wednesday night.
It's one thing to lose, as the Red Sox have been doing routinely against the Rays the last few years. But the Sox compounded matters by helping to beat themselves, too.
"At this level, when you give them 27 outs, they're going to cash in,'' lamented Alex Cora.
And indeed, the Rays did.
It should be noted that the Sox fielded a lineup that was hardly their regular alignment. The night saw the Sox start Bobby Dalbec at short, move Kikรฉ Hernandez to center for the first time this season, with Yu Chang starting at second and Raimel Tapia in left over Masataka Yoshida (hamstring).
"Obviously, we played with the personnel we played with today,'' said Cora, "but still, there were routine plays we didn't make.''
There were physical mistakes. It didn't take long for Dalbec, making his second career start at short, to get exposed. Dalbec failed to get his glove down on a ball behind the second base bag in the first inning, resulting in an error, a baserunner and unearned run as part of a three-run Tampa Bay first inning.
In the fourth inning, as Vidal Brujan squared to put down a safety squeeze with runners at the corners, first baseman Triston Casas crashed toward the plate even though Chris Sale was clearly better positioned to handle the bunt toward the mound. That left second baseman Yu Chang, back at double play depth, being forced to run about 80 feet to first, where he was too late to receive a throw from Sale, loading the bases.
Want more? In the eighth, with the Sox having fought back to within a run but the Rays threatening to add an insurance run with Wander Franco on third, Randy Arozarena hit a line drive to right. Alex Verdugo raced and made a diving catch of the ball. That left the sprawling Verdugo in poor position to get off a throw to the plate, but fortuitously for the Red Sox, Franco mistimed things and was late getting back to third to tag up.
Verdugo's throw was a weak one because he had to scramble to his feet, but Casas, after cutting the ball, didn't relay a throw to the plate and instead held onto the ball as Franco scored. That run proved critical because it gave the Rays some additional breathing room heading into the ninth.
"I guess,'' concluded Cora, "I've got to do a better job coaching them and just be on top of it because at this level, you can't (make those mistakes). We will score runs. Of course, (the Rays) are really good at what they do pitching-wise, but if you give the opposition more than 27 outs, they're going to cash in.''
As costly as those mistakes were, perhaps the low point came in the ninth inning. And oddly, Cora staunchly defended it.
Trailing by two, the Red Sox got a leadoff single from Reese McGuire, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Chang, the next hitter, decided to bunt because he noted Tampa Bay third baseman Taylor Walls playing back. The bunt got fielded by Walls and Chang was easily thrown out at first.
The Red Sox had advanced the runner, but they use up a precious out. And it didn't matter that Chang was bunting for a hit rather than dropping down a sacrifice. It was still a poor decision.
Had they been down by a run, that would have been understandable. But what value was there in moving the baserunner 90 feet while also giving up one of just three outs remaining. The play logically and empirically reduced the Sox chances of winning, going from a 13.4 percent win probability to 8.5 percent.
Need more? When the next two hitters -- Hernandez and Alex Verdugo -- were retired, it resulted that the game ended with Rafael Devers, easily the best offensive weapon the Sox have, on the on-deck circle.
"(Walls) was way back there,'' said Cora. "It was a good baseball play. And (Walls) made a better baseball play (in fielding it).''
For that matter, it's worth asking why Chang (0-for-9 this season) was hitting for himself in the first place, with Rob Refnsnyder and Christian Arroyo on the bench, available to pinch hit.
It was that kind of night.