Already, the Red Sox have proven capable of defying the measured expectations that greeted them at the start of the season. After a residence of more than six weeks in first place, their talent will no longer be overlooked.
Still, their recent slip from atop the AL East has likewise offered a reminder. As the Sox hope to transform from early-season surprise to season-long contender, they do not have the luxury of fumbling opportunities in an ultra-competitive division.
Tuesday night, a 3-1 loss to Atlanta at Fenway underscored the point. The Sox had an immediate chance to seize control of the game from opposing starter Charlie Morton. Instead, they blew it in a way that seemed at once impossible, yet somehow familiar.
Despite six of the first eight Sox hitters reaching base, that game-opening pressure turned into just one run through two innings — and none thereafter.
“When you have a man on third, I think we have to bear down, we have to put the ball in play,” said manager Alex Cora. “For us to keep the line moving and win close games, we have to do that. We haven’t been doing that for a while.”
In the bottom of the first, the Sox loaded the bases (single, walk, error) with no outs. But that golden promise — a situation that, on average, produces more than two runs — soon proved a ruse. Though Morton forced in a run by hitting Rafael Devers on the foot with a pitch, that event was bookended by a Xander Bogaerts strikeout and Christian Vázquez lining into an inning-ending double play.
Danny Santana, in his first Fenway plate appearance as a Red Sox, lined a Morton changeup to right for a leadoff triple in the second. A walk put runners on the corners, but Bobby Dalbec struck out and Kiké Hernández grounded into another inning-ending double play.
That futility — 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and two double plays — in situations where a mere ball in play can score a run has proven unexpectedly common for one of the game’s highest scoring offenses. The Red Sox entered Tuesday at or near the bottom of the league in average (.246, 25th), on-base (.284, 27th), and slugging (.275, 30th) with a runner on third and fewer than two outs, while posting the 10th highest strikeout rate (23.9 percent) in such moments.
Since May 7, they’re 2-for-27 with a .074/.152/.111 line, 10 strikeouts, and four double-plays in 33 such plate appearances.
“We haven’t done the job,” Cora lamented. “In an era or a year that is hard to hit, and runs are at a premium . . . it’s very important to make contact with a man on third.
“We’ve been preaching this since spring training and we haven’t been able to do it so far this season,” he added. “We have to put the ball in play. That’s very important for us.”
The inability to do so on Tuesday allowed Morton (3-2, 3.98) to settle into a comfortable rhythm. He retired 17 of 18 batters from the second through seventh innings, and finished having allowed just one unearned run on three hits and two walks while striking out nine.
Meanwhile, Atlanta’s offense went to work against Garrett Richards on an off-night. The Sox righthander yielded three runs over 5⅔ innings. Despite featuring his best fastball velocity of the season (up to 97 mph), he spent most of the night fighting his lack of control (four walks) and the absence of feel for his slider and curveball.
“I didn’t really have much tonight,” said Richards. “Just kind of made it work, tried to go as long as I can. Tonight was just an off night. Just didn’t really feel good, just didn’t have great . . . stuff.”
Richards opened the third with a leadoff walk to nine-hole hitter William Contreras, which was followed by a one-out single through the shift by Freddie Freeman and a ringing RBI double to center by Marcell Ozuna that tied the game.
Ozzie Albies then pulled a grounder into the shift, deep enough to permit Freeman to cross the plate with a 2-1 advantage. But Hernández, seeing from second that Ozuna got a bad jump, alertly made the long throw to third to cut down the slugger.
“One of the best plays I’ve seen,” said Cora. “To do it from the shift, first time I’ve seen that. Amazing play.”
The play came with consequence beyond the run and the out for Atlanta, as Ozuna dislocated his left ring and middle fingers when his hand got caught in Devers’ spikes. Ozuna left the game and will head to Atlanta to see a specialist.
Atlanta added another run in the sixth, a rally set in motion by a one-out single from former Sox third baseman Pablo Sandoval, who responded to the zealous boos of 9,357 Fenway patrons by going 3-for-4. Sandoval advanced to second when Richards issued another two-out walk to nine-hole hitter Contreras, his last batter.
Reliever Hirokazu Sawamura proved unable to fulfill the daunting task for which he was summoned. Superstar Ronald Acuña Jr. stayed on a down-and-in splitter and ripped it down the left field line for a run-scoring double that put Atlanta ahead, 3-1.
That was plenty for Morton and his bullpen, as Atlanta did not permit a runner to advance past first the last seven innings. Lefty Will Smith closed out the game with two strikeouts in a perfect ninth.
The Sox dropped to 13-13 at Fenway, while missing out on a chance to reclaim first place when Tampa Bay’s 11-game winning streak was snapped with a loss to the Royals. One of several missed opportunities on the night for the Red Sox.
Alex Speier can be reached at alex.speier@globe.com. Follow him @alexspeier.