PHOENIX — Alex Cora often sees the positive in Red Sox losses, pointing out encouraging signs or noting that a play or two changed the course of a tough battle. His reaction Saturday night was different.

Cora didn’t have much to smile about after a 5-1 Red Sox loss in which two sloppy defensive plays cost his team greatly and an offense without Roman Anthony continued to sputter, striking out nine times and plating just one run. Even Ceddanne Rafaela’s phenomenal home run robbery on a Corbin Carroll fly ball in the fifth didn’t feel like a potential spark, Cora said, because of the disappointing at-bats up and down the lineup.

“We didn’t play well,” said Cora.

A Red Sox team that had largely played clean baseball over the past few months took a step back at Chase Field, with Trevor

See Full Page