NEW YORK — Manager Alex Cora spoke with a sense of urgency after the Red Sox’ 4-1 loss to the Mets here at Citi Field on Monday.
“We’ve gotta show up tomorrow and try to win a game, man,” Cora said. “We’re running out of time. Let’s put it that way. I know what the other teams are doing. They’re not playing well either. But the days that we don’t take advantage of it is a wasted day. So we’ve got to come here and find a way to win a game tomorrow.”
Kansas City, which is in control of the third Wild Card spot, lost its sixth straight game Monday. But the Red Sox still remain 4 ½ games behind the Royals because they have lost nine of their past 12 games dating back to a 12-2 loss to the Diamondbacks at Fenway Park on Aug. 23.
Only 24 games remain.
Boston is 17-25 with a negative-36 run differential during the second half.
“We’re not playing well right now,” Cora said. “It’s not going our way right now.”
The Twins, who are in control of the second AL Wild Card spot, won 5-4 over the Rays on Monday. Boston now trails Minnesota by 5 ½ games.
The Tigers, who won two of three games against Boston over the weekend, are only a half game behind the Red Sox in the Wild Card standings. The Mariners are only one game behind Boston.
Red Sox starter Brayan Bello failed to be the stopper Monday. He allowed four runs on seven hits and one walk while striking out four in 5 innings. Bello said the players feel the same urgency that Cora does.
“Right now we know that every game matters,” Bello said through translator Carlos Villoria Benítez. “And every outing for me is important. So yeah, we’re all aware of what’s going on.”
The Red Sox have scored just three runs total in their past three games. They have just 16 hits in those 27 innings.
“Obviously it’s been a tough stretch,” Bello said. “We haven’t been able to score too many runs. … I feel like we all need to come together. The pitchers need to do their job keeping the opposition under control. And the offense needs to score more runs.”
Defense also was an issue again Monday. Jarren Duran misplayed a ball in center field in the third inning that helped Francisco Lindor score all the way from first base to give the Mets a 2-1 lead. Tyler O’Neill then bobbled a ball in left field on a double by Luis Torrens in the fourth inning. That allowed DJ Stewart to score from first base and gave New York a 3-1 lead. O’Neill was charged with an error.
“It obviously bounced a little different off the dirt,” O’Neill said. “Just kind of kicked up on me. Went off the heel of my glove.”
Red Sox righty Kutter Crawford (8-12, 4.12 ERA) will pitch opposite Mets lefty David Peterson (8-1, 2.83 ERA) at 7:10 p.m. Friday.
“We want to win every day, of course,” O’Neill said. “Obviously it doesn’t happen like that all the time. So all we can do is show up every day and prepare to win. Let the game take care of itself from that.”
