BOSTON -- A 15-hit attack by the Red Sox would seem to indicate the offense was the story on Thursday night at Fenway Park.

Indeed, it was. Just not in the way you would have thought.

While losing to the Blue Jays in 10 innings for the second straight night -- this time by a score of 6-5 -- the Red Sox had exasperating stretches of situational hitting, or lack thereof.

The 15 hits were offset by going 3-for-20 with runners in scoring position.

“We know what the job is, we know what needs to get done,” said Red Sox hitting coach Pete Fatse. “I think it’s just a matter of execution, honestly. We’ve just to keep working hard to get better at it.”

What made Thursday’s defeat so tough was how tantalizingly close Boston was to winning the game multiple times.

In the bottom of the eighth inning of a tie game, Reese McGuire got a gift triple when Teoscar Hernández misplayed his liner in the right-field corner. Off the bench came Kiké Hernández to pinch-run with nobody out. All that was needed for the Red Sox to take the lead was a bleeder somewhere, a sacrifice fly or, even better, a hit.

Instead, Bobby Dalbec and Tommy Pham both struck out, and Rafael Devers grounded out to end the frame with Hernández getting stuck at third. Devers, who hasn’t been producing at his expected clip this month, slammed his helmet down in frustration.

“I think in general our job is to go out and win ballgames. And when you’re in a position to do that, especially whether we’re playing from behind or we’re tied, maybe it’s a little bit of pressing,” said Fatse.

There was yet more agony in the ninth. J.D. Martinez ripped a leadoff single to center. Xander Bogaerts followed with a double down the line in left, and it was second and third with nobody out. Pinch-runner Alex Verdugo stood on third, poised to score the walk-off run. It never happened.

This time, the sequence was a strikeout by Franchy Cordero and a bad-luck double-play ball off the bat of Hernández, with Matt Chapman again proving why he’s one of the best defenders at the hot corner in the Majors.

“We’ve got to be better, man. That’s the bottom line,” said Red Sox manager Alex Cora. ”That’s the difference with them.”

By them, Cora was referring to the Blue Jays, the team the Red Sox are 3-13 against this season.

When the Jays had their chance to move ahead in extra innings, they did so without the benefit of a hit. Danny Jansen moved automatic runner Cavan Biggio to third on a grounder to short. And George Springer hit a grounder that put Bogaerts in an awkward enough spot that he had to make an off-balance throw, with Biggio beating the tag at the plate with a headfirst slide. 

At 60-65, Boston is now eight games back in the American League Wild Card standings with 37 games left. At this rate, it would take something just shy of a miracle for the Sox to make it to the postseason.

The team’s fading playoff hopes have put the microscope on the underachieving offense the past couple of days, but the truth is that it has been a big problem for two months.

Since June 27, the Red Sox are 18-34. Uncoincidentally, that is the same date the team’s offense started a downward spiral that hasn’t really stopped.

Over those 52 games, Boston has the following rankings among MLB’s 30 teams in key offensive categories: 21st in OPS (.687), 23rd in homers (46), tied for 20th in runs (207), tied for 26th in walks (129) and 25th in OBP (.300).

Though time is slipping away, Fatse is hoping the team can at least finish strong at the plate.

“I think we’re right there. We are. We’re a swing away, we’re an at-bat away in most cases,” Fatse said. “I think it’s just a matter of time for this group. I think you see Raffy, he’s been looking really good [lately]. The middle of the lineup, J.D. and Bogey have started to trend to get back to what they’re capable of doing, having the quality at-bats that we know they’re capable of having. I think it’s just a matter of time before we start seeing more crooked numbers, honestly. We just have to keep coming to work every day.”