It’s been a familiar refrain this season, but the Boston Red Sox have to find a way to produce more offense.
That will be among Boston’s goals Thursday afternoon, when the Red Sox wrap up a three-game series against the visiting Toronto Blue Jays. Toronto will be seeking a sweep after winning 6-1 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Wednesday.
Boston has left 13 runners on base in each of the first two games of the series while going a combined 1-for-24 with runners in scoring position. The Red Sox stranded at least one runner in each of the first eight innings of their shutout loss on Wednesday.
“Got a really good effort out of Jake (Bennett, the starting pitcher), and again we had our opportunities,” Red Sox interim manager Chad Tracy said. “In the first six innings (we) had a lot of guys in scoring position, so it was similar (to Tuesday).
“I just think (the players are) pressing, in general. They want it bad. You can feel the frustration. They know we’re getting the chances. They’re working hard at it, and we’re getting some spots and not getting a hit, but then we’ll have a stretch where it will come.”
Boston has failed to score more than three runs in 39 of its 71 games. Thanks to the current three-game losing streak, the Red Sox are a season-worst 13 games below .500.
The Red Sox enter the Thursday contest with a .695 OPS (25th in the majors) thanks to a .314 on-base percentage (21st) and a .381 slugging percentage (26th).
“We took some walks, we got some baserunners,” Tracy said. “Some of the opportunities that we created were the result of taking walks and getting a guy out there. We need to drive a ball with two outs, one out and find a gap. Usually you get one swing and it turns things, but just a struggle right now.
“We had some stretches in the latter part of May where it felt like we came through a lot, and right now we’re struggling. There’s a lot of baserunners out there in scoring position and you’re looking for a knock. So we’re gonna keep plugging away at it.”
Toronto’s Andres Gimenez had two hits, three stolen bases and two runs on Wednesday. He had a solo home run and a double while scoring twice on Tuesday. Gimenez entered the series batting .179 (12-for-67) with one homer and one steal over his previous 22 games.
“I’ve been working a lot in the (batting) cage and obviously it feels great when you’re helping the team win,” Gimenez said. “(Stealing bases) feels great. That’s something that I do. That’s how I play. If I’m healthy and my legs are feeling good, obviously it’s part of my game.”
The Thursday pitching matchup features Boston’s Sonny Gray (8-1, 3.03 ERA) and Toronto’s Trey Yesavage (3-3, 3.78) in a battle of right-handers.
In his past eight starts, Gray is 6-0 with a 2.36 ERA, and he won each of his past three outings. Most recently, he threw six innings of one-run ball to beat the Texas Rangers 10-1 on Friday.
Gray is 4-4 with a 2.91 ERA in 15 career appearances (14 starts) against the Blue Jays.
Yesavage wasn’t effective but earned a win his last time out, permitting five runs and walking six in five-plus innings during an 8-5 victory over the New York Yankees on Friday.
He faced Boston for the first time in his career on April 28, and he fired 5 1/3 shutout innings en route to a 3-0 victory in Toronto.
The Blue Jays had lost four of their past six games before arriving in Boston this week.
–Field Level Media
