‘It’s the same thing’: Red Sox terrible in key offensive moments in shutout loss to Blue Jays

It’s not getting any better for the Red Sox.

In a 3-0 loss to the Blue Jays on Wednesday night, the Red Sox put together a stunningly ineffective offensive performance — in the moments when it mattered most, at least.

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The Sox stranded 13 runners on base. In 12 at-bats with a runner or runners in scoring position, they had zero hits.

“It’s the same thing we’ve been through literally the whole season,” said Wilyer Abreu, who had two of the team’s seven hits. “Because we always put the runners in scoring position, but we couldn’t get the hit to drive in runs, so we keep working hard.”

Isiah Kiner-Falefa said: “It’s almost getting to the point where the moment those at-bats come up, there’s almost more pressure. You’re pressing a little bit to come through for the team, just because it’s almost rare to come through.”

In an eminently winnable game at Fenway Park, against seven Toronto pitchers, the chances were many.

The Red Sox left two men on base in the first inning, one in the second, another in the third, two more in the fourth, three in the fifth — more on that later — and a pair in the sixth. At that point, they trailed the Blue Jays (36-38) by only two runs headed to the late innings.

“You’re almost trying to be too perfect, and next thing you know, you’re either behind or chasing,” Kiner-Falefa said. “You’re starting to feel it. So there’s no hiding that. I think everybody feels that in those situations.”

In the seventh, a one-out single yielded nothing more. In the eighth, the same.

In the ninth, finally, the Red Sox went down in order for the first time all night. Louis Varland struck out Ceddanne Rafaela, Abreu, and Willson Contreras, who swung like they wanted to go home. It took 10 pitches.

The Sox also went 1 for 12 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base in the series opener Tuesday.

“Sometimes it happens,” interim manager Chad Tracy said. “I know that’s not a good answer, but sometimes it happens.”

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The updated feats of futility:

▪ At 29-42, a season-worst 13 games below .500, the Red Sox are the last team in the American League with fewer than 30 wins.

▪ The Sox are 9-31 when the opposing team scores first.

▪ They are 1-36 when trailing after seven innings.

▪ Out of 12 series at Fenway Park, the Sox have taken just two.

▪ The Red Sox are 6-16 against AL East opponents.

As for the fifth inning: With the bases loaded and two outs, in perhaps the biggest at-bat of the night, the Red Sox turned to Nate Eaton, a utility man, in place of Masataka Yoshida. It was his first at-bat in a week.

“It’s tough,” Tracy said of Eaton’s assignment with no recent work.

Since Toronto had a lefthander, Mason Fluharty, in the game, Tracy didn’t want Yoshida to bat. In response to Eaton’s insertion, the Blue Jays went to a righty, rookie Spencer Miles.

“It’s very much pick your poison,” Tracy said. “You’ve got a left-on-left with a guy that strikes a lot of lefties out, or right on right.”

Eaton hit the ball hard, but straight into the ground, at first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. A footrace to the bag ended with head-first slides from both players. Guerrero’s glove beat Eaton’s hand.

“It almost happened,” Tracy said.

Lefthander Jake Bennett pitched well, holding Toronto to two runs and three hits in 5⅓ innings. He struck out five and walked none.

His only imperfect full inning proved painful. The Blue Jays parlayed two hits with four stolen bases to create two runs. A double steal turned Guerrero’s would-be inning-ending double play into an RBI groundout.

The steals were a product of Bennett’s slow delivery, Tracy said. Also, behind the plate was Mickey Gasper, who has thrown out just two of 14 attempted base-stealers this season.

“Definitely that’s one thing to build upon,” Bennett said of his inability to control the running game. “If I’m a little bit quicker, maybe hold some of those at first, get some double plays. So that’s definitely something I’ll be working on.”

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Add it to a long list for these Sox.

“They want it bad,” Tracy said. “You can feel the frustration.”