Boston visibly “frustrated” after 20 strikeouts

BOSTON – The Red Sox have been struggling offensively for a month now, and there seems to be no end in sight.

And a day after Boston allowed just one hit from the Tampa Bay Rays, Boston’s offense managed to top that poor performance and reach a new low.

The Red Sox struck out an incredible 20 times in a 4-2 12-inning loss to the Minnesota Twins on Friday night at Fenway Park. The incredible number of strikeouts wasn’t the only black mark for the Red Sox in this game. They also left 17 runners on base and managed 1 of 19 runners in scoring position.

After such an achievement, they could only feel one way.

“Frustrating, man. It’s as simple as that,” Trevor Story said. “It’s just hard to believe that we’re playing like that on offense. It’s hard to imagine because I know what kind of guys we have, what kind of hitters we have. But we’re in a slump right now that we can’t shake off.”

It seems like everyone in the Red Sox lineup is in a slump right now. Every player in Boston’s starting lineup struck out at least once on Wednesday, with Tyler O’Neill leading the way with four strikeouts. Boston’s second-through-four hitters – Rafael Devers, O’Neill and Triston Casas – combined for 10 strikeouts.

“We just didn’t get it done because we tried too hard or whatever,” Story said. “But if you can pinpoint it, you could solve it right away. All in all, it’s super frustrating.”

Boston still had plenty of chances to win on Friday despite the many strikeouts. They loaded the bases in the eighth inning, left runners on the corners in the ninth inning, and left four runners in scoring position in the first two innings of extra innings.

Story said it’s even more frustrating for the Red Sox because they’re getting strong starting pitchers during this difficult stretch. But whether it’s Boston’s rotation, bullpen or outfielders, there’s a general feeling that the Red Sox have all but given up on their playoff hopes.

“I think everyone is frustrated,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “We’re not going to split this up.”

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Here are more notes from the Red Sox game against the Twins on Friday:

— Devers has battled injuries for most of this season and left the game in the 11th inning with a right shoulder injury. Cora said his season is likely over and it will end on a sour note for Devers, who has struck out 11 times in his last 15 at-bats.

“No, he’s not feeling well,” Cora said. “You saw him pitch today. It was bothering him, in fact he felt it when he pitched inside. He’s going to get an MRI (on Saturday) and see how it goes, and that’s probably it for him.”

— Richard Fitts made franchise history by becoming the first Red Sox pitcher to throw five or more innings and allow zero earned runs in his first three career starts. The 24-year-old right-hander threw five scoreless innings in which he allowed five hits, one walk and three strikeouts. He began his MLB career by pitching 15 2/3 innings.

“That’s definitely something I hang my hat on, but I don’t want to play five innings. I want to play six, seven, eight innings,” Fitts said. “And that’s what I have to work on to get the lead and give us the best chance to win.”

— Story may be the only Red Sox player who has found his rhythm at the plate, going 2 for 4 with two walks and an RBI in the loss and now has a .375 batting average over his last seven games.

— Vaughn Grissom joined the Red Sox late Friday after Boston recalled him and placed Rob Refsnyder on the injured list with a strained right forearm. Grissom actually didn’t enter the game until the top of the 11th inning, when Devers came out to bat — hitting a ground ball that resulted in a fielder’s decision.

— The Red Sox will try to get revenge on the Twins on Saturday. Kutter Crawford will start for Boston, with first pitch from Fenway Park set for 4:10 p.m. ET. You can watch the game and an hour of pregame coverage on NESN.