The above headline is a pretty simple question, right? And as is often the case, the answer is simple, too.

The Red Sox aren’t doing much right.

After going 6-1-1 over a span of eight series to improve to a season-best six games over .500, the Red Sox have gone into a nosedive over the last week, going 1-6 over their last seven games to fall back into last place in the ironclad American League East. Is this a cause for concern? Perhaps. Or maybe it is just water finding its level. The 2023 Red Sox, after all, looked like nothing better than a .500 team entering the season – yours truly, like many, had them pegged for 81-81 – and the Sox are now 22-20 roughly a quarter of the way through their season.

Ya, Mazz, the schedule just got tougher.

Well, yes and no. The schedule did, in fact, increase in difficulty. But the Sox went a combined 7-2 against Toronto, Philadelphia and Atlanta before the dreadful St. Louis Cardinals arrived in town, at which point the Sox started blowing leads and serving up longballs as if passing out Halloween candy.

So what gives?

Here’s an elementary assessment:

Kenley Jansen started blowing games

BOSTON, MA – MAY 13: Pitcher Kenley Jansen #74 of the Boston Red Sox looks on as his pitch violation allowed a St. Louis Cardinals batter to go to first base on a walk during the ninth inning at Fenway Park on May 13, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Up until the weekend, the Sox’ bullpen was the biggest reason for the team’s improvement from a year ago. Entering the Cardinals series, Sox relievers had the fewest losses in baseball and boasted a won-lost record of 8-1, which basically accounted for the entirety of the team’s turnaround in the standings. But after recording his 400th career save and hitting 99 mph on the radar gun on Wednesday in Atlanta, Jansen saw a drop in velocity and performance in consecutive weekend games against the Cardinals.

After failing to record an out and blowing the save on Friday, Jansen committed three pitch clock violations and walked three batters in another implosion on Saturday. Wilson Contreras of the Cardinals messed with Jansen’s delivery by delaying his arrival in the batter’s box, but Jansen still had the chance to close the game. He didn’t.

Gopher balls

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 14: Corey Kluber #28 of the Boston Red Sox throws a pitch in the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park on May 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)

When the Red Sox stunk up the joint during the pandemic season, know what their biggest problem was? Their pitchers couldn’t keep the ball in the ballpark. And they’re having the same problem now. Over the last eight games, Sox pitchers have allowed a whopping 15 home runs in 70 innings, bringing their season total to 60. In all of baseball, only the dreadful Oakland A’s (75) and Chicago White Sox (66) have allowed more home runs than the Red Sox – and those clubs are a combined 23-62 this season. In that context, how the Sox are two games over .500 is anybody’s guess.

Among Sox pitcher, Corey Kluber (above) ranks first with 11 home runs allowed, having served up at least one home run in each of his eight starts this season. (That streak is the longest in baseball.) On Sunday, Kluber gave up home runs to Paul DeJong and Kevin Knizner total 848 feet. You can see them here:

The bats have cooled

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS – MAY 14: Masataka Yoshida #7 of the Boston Red Sox hits the ball in the 5th inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park on May 14, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Gaelen Morse/Getty Images)

Overall, the Red Sox have produced one of the better offenses in baseball this season, but of late the thunder has quieted. Collectively, the Sox are batting just .235 with a .671 OPS over the last seven games, during which they have averaged fewer than three runs per contest. Masutaka Yoshida has proven to be especially streak at the start of his major career, batting just .167 over his first 13 games, .479 over his next 16 games, then .158 (and counting?) over his last five. As Yoshida goes … so go the Red Sox?

The defense is still shaky

BOSTON, MA – MAY 13: Enrique Hernandez #5 of the Boston Red Sox stands at second base after his throwing-error allowed a runner to score during the ninth inning of their 4-3 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park on May 13, 2023 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)

Here’s the problem with bad pitching and shaky defense: when you don’t hit, you can’t win any other way. Though Jansen was melting down on Saturday, the Red Sox still had a chance to escape the ninth inning, albeit on a difficult double play ball. Even if shortstop Enrique Hernandez had eaten a potential double play ball, the Red Sox could have been tied entering the bottom of the ninth. Instead, Hernandez tried to turn two and threw the ball away – his ninth error of the season – producing two runs and turning a 3-2 Red Sox lead into a 4-3 deficit.

For the season, the Red Sox are 20-4 when they score five or more runs – the 10th best mark in baseball. When they score four or fewer, they are a mere 2-16, a .111 winning percentage that ranks 28th in baseball, ahead of only the Kansas City Royals (3-25) and Oakland A’s (2-26).