Red Sox’s Slump Intensifies Struggles With Runners In Scoring Position

The series against the Toronto Blue Jays just proved to be the latest example.

For a team with as many clutch offensive comebacks this season as the Boston Red Sox, they haven’t gotten there by way of driving home runners in scoring position.

Especially lately, it’s been quite the opposite.

In a doubleheader Saturday, Boston had opportunities late in both games. In Game 1, the top of the sixth was wasted in a 1-0 loss that ended with a Toronto walk-off. Same thing in the seventh and eighth frames of Game 2, which the Red Sox managed to take in extra innings, despite some baserunning errors.

Boston stranded 28 men on base in the four-game series, adding to existing concern. As The Boston Globe’s Alex Speier noted in a column Monday, an underlying issue all season is surfacing in a big way during this slump.

(Rafael) Devers (.154 average, .688 OPS), (J.D.) Martinez (.233/.639), Alex Verdugo (.143/.412), and (Xander) Bogaerts (.067/.361) have all struggled with runners in scoring position since July 6. From July 22-Aug. 6, the Sox have been among the worst in baseball in virtually every statistical category with runners in scoring position.

Over a stretch from July 25-Aug. 5, the Sox built their identity around squandered scoring opportunities. In 22 plate appearances with runners on third and fewer than two outs, they scored just four runs (two on sacrifice flies, two on ground outs), going 0 for 17 with two walks, one hit batter, 10 strikeouts, and two double plays.

Boston must rise to the occasion and drive runners home if they want to maintain striking distance of the Tampa Bay Rays, who sit first in the American League East.

The Red Sox begin a four-game series with the Rays on Tuesday after a day of rest.