BOSTON -- As the Red Sox head out of town for their final road trip of the season, there is an uncomfortable feeling in the air surrounding a team that is clearly out of sync heading into the final nine games of the season.
Not long ago, a postseason appearance seemed a near certainty for Boston.
Things have become a shade or two below certain, as a 5-3 defeat Thursday at Fenway Park in the rubber match of a three-game series against the Athletics has dropped the Sox (83-71) to the third American League Wild Card spot, with the sizzling Guardians (who have won seven straight and 11 of their last 12) lurking just 1 1/2 games out of the playoff picture. Boston does hold the tiebreaker over Cleveland by virtue of winning the season series, 4-2.
Manager Alex Cora’s team starts a three-game series against the Rays on Friday night. After an off-day on Monday, Boston goes to Toronto for a three-game series before finishing the season at home with a three-game set against the Tigers.
Coming off a 5-4, walk-off win in 10 innings on Wednesday, the Sox hoped to notch their first two-game winning streak in over a week.
Instead, starting pitcher Brayan Bello lost whatever momentum that was gained the day before by giving up three runs in the top of the first on five straight hits.
David Hamilton and Trevor Story hit solo homers to help get the Red Sox a little closer. However, the sure-handed Story also made two errors, which played a role in the Athletics’ fourth and fifth runs.
The biggest issue of late -- the club’s inability to get that big hit with men on base -- continued in this one, with Boston hitting 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position. Neither hit drove in a run.
A bright spot amid another tough defeat was the sparkling relief debut by lefty Payton Tolle. The club’s No. 2 prospect struck out the side in order in the fifth, capped on a 99.6-mph heater he blew by Nick Kurtz. Tolle went three innings, allowing three hits and an unearned run with no walks while punching out four.