Red Sox Notes: Alex Cora Acknowledges Month-Plus-Long Trend From Offense

The Boston Red Sox provided the bare minimum for offensive production -- one hit -- against the Tampa Bay Rays in Thursday night's 2-0 rubber match loss, adding further damage to the team's already-crippling postseason hopes.

"(I saw) the same thing that's been happening for a month and a half," Red Sox manager Alex Cora told reporters, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "We're not executing. At one point, like I said, we were the best offense in baseball against righties and now we're not producing runs. ... I think it started with Houston at home (in August) and we haven't been able to produce consistently. There's big games here and there but I think overall we haven't been able to produce."

Cora added: "Right now, we're collectively slumping."

Boston had nothing for Tampa Bay starting pitcher Zack Littell throughout the right-hander's dominant seven-inning performance. Littell kicked off the one-hitter by striking out seven batters and walking none before the Rays leaned on their bullpen to close out the Red Sox, which proved to be a cakewalk. Boston was held hitless for the final five innings of the night, putting just a single runner on base and striking out 11 times in 28 at-bats. The Rays reduced the Red Sox to the worst offensive showing of Boston's 2024 season, and it didn't help the club's case for the American League wild-card either.

Instead of coming with in three games of the Minesotta Twins, who lost earlier Thursday, Boston dropped back to four games out in the race. With nine games left to go, the odds seems bleak, but the team isn't completely out just yet.

"There's a chance," Cora said, per NESN. "... But Detroit is tied and Seattle is ahead of us so it's a uphill battle, it's tough. Realistically, it's very tough but we still got three games against (the Twins)."

Here are more notes from Thursday night's Red Sox-Rays game:

-- Brayan Bello pitched a quality 5 2/3 innings on the mound, allowing one earned run off five hits and two walks while striking out seven Rays hitters on 101 pitches. Although Bello supplied a very feasbile performance on the mound, the right-hander saw his season record fall to 14-8 with the loss, and explained that a discussion occurred before it was official that he'd pitch in Tampa Bay.

"There was a conversation that we had in New York with (Andrew) Bailey and he asked me if I was going to be ready to pitch here and I said, 'Yes, whatever the team needs, I'll be ready,'" Bello said through Spanish translator Carlos Villoria, as seen on NESN's postgame coverage. "And I was ready to pitch here for sure."

-- Rookie infielder Nick Sogard recorded the only base hit, a third-inning single, to save the Red Sox from getting no-hit by the Rays.

-- Boston has hit .219 with 50 extra-base hits and 173 strikeouts while averaging just 3.4 runs through the last 17 games, going 6-11 across the stretch.

-- The Red Sox committed as many errors as hits they collected on Thursday night, raising the team's season total to an MLB-leading 109. They've also lead baseball in unearned runs (90) surrendered, leading the second-place Washington Nationals by 12.

-- Boston finished the seven-game road trip at 2-5, batting .179 with a minus-5 run differential, averaging 2.7 runs per contest.

-- The Red Sox will return to Fenway Park to face the Minnesota Twins. First pitch on Friday night is set for 7:10 p.m. ET, and you can watch the game, plus a full 90 minutes of pregame coverage, live on NESN.