The Boston Red Sox's Wild Card chase has been more of a crawl. If the team had any playoff dreams left, they died against the Twins on Sept. 20.
The Red Sox fanned 20 times over 12 innings against Minnesota's pitching. Twenty strikeouts in one game ties a franchise record, and Boston now averages over 11 strikeouts per game in its last 13 outings.
The Sox couldn't buy a hit at the right time against the Twins, who are fighting for their playoff lives. Minnesota struggled almost equally on offense, but Boston never capitalized. The Twins collected 13 hits on the night compared to the Red Sox's nine, and they left 15 men on base to the Sox's 17. Minnesota's bats came through late and it pulled off a 4-2 victory in 12 innings.
Soon after Boston's crushing defeat, Alex Cora announced that Rafael Devers' season may be over due to his shoulder injuries. His bat was critical to the Red Sox's hot streak in June and July in the lead-up to the All-Star Game, but he's batting just .196/.283/.304 in his last 30 games.
Red Sox struck out 20 times against the Twins' pitching on Sept. 20, which ties a franchise record
Red Sox struck out 20 times. Tied a franchise record.
— Tyler Milliken ⚾️ (@tylermilliken_) September 21, 2024
46 Whiffs.
9 hits tonight was just 1 short of your total against the Rays last series. This offense has been sickening to watch for a month now.
Simply torture. pic.twitter.com/Uy2XDLLuVJ
Offensive struggles have occurred up and down Boston's lineup. Triston Casas is batting .167/.222/.286 in his last 15 games and has struck out 43 times since he returned to the roster on Aug. 16. Jarren Duran has admitted to being a bit banged up and his slash line has slumped to .219/.254/.250 in his last 15 appearances. Tyler O'Neill has struck out 11 times with just one hit in his last seven games, and Ceddanne Rafaela and Wilyer Abreu are going through dry spells, as well.
Boston is four games out of the third Wild Card spot with two teams ahead of it in the standings. Even if the Red Sox win out, they don't control their own destiny on the road to the postseason — and the Tigers show no signs of slowing down.
Skipper Alex Cora and plenty of Sox players don't have an explanation for the sudden, universal drop in offensive production, but the issue must be remedied before next season if the Red Sox hope to contend against the slugging Yankees and Orioles. A fourth-straight late-season dropoff would be unacceptable.