The Boston Red Sox watched their offense go cold at the worst time possible, going 1-5 on a crucial road trip to fall farther behind in the American League wild-card race.

The six-game stretch concluded with an 8-3 loss to the New York Mets on Wednesday night. Boston’s lineup grounded into three inning-ending double plays, left six runners on base and went just 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position. That trend played a role in the Red Sox falling back to .500 (70-70) for the first time since mid-June.

Boston scored just 15 runs over the six-game road trip in Detroit and New York, averaging just 2 1/2 runs per game. The one player that found a way to still produce with the bat in his hands was Jarren Duran, who’s done that all season long.

Duran capped the trip with another productive night on Wednesday, driving in a run on a ground-rule double before coming around to score on a sacrifice fly in a multi-hit night. The Red Sox outfielder scored four of the 15 runs for Boston during the stretch, quite literally offering their only offensive consistency (8-for-22, 1 HR, 4 RBIs).

The 2024 MLB All-Star Game MVP ended Wednesday hitting .294 with 21 HR and a .877 OPS for the Red Sox in a season that might me slipping away.

If the Red Sox have any hopes of restoring any remaining playoff chances if it’s not already too late, the Boston bats need to support Duran entering a series against the MLB-worst Chicago White Sox at Fenway Park.