WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (81-66) lose the series finale in Sacramento, 5-4, on a Lawrence Butler walk-off single off Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth:

1) The finale of a three-game series at Sutter Health Park was a slog that featured collisions in the field, horrible baserunning, a prolonged lack of situational hitting and a combined 12 pitchers used by the two teams (including seven by the Sox). In the end, the difference was Butler smacking a single the other way to end the game with Shea Langeliers on third.

2) It turns out Chapman is human, after all. After not giving up a hit in 14 ⅔ straight innings dating back to July 23, Chapman’s streak was broken when Langeliers led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a double into the left-field gap. Langeliers advanced to third when Brent Rooker flew out to left, then Butler got a 1-2 fastball right down the middle and smacked it the other way to end the game.

Chapman suffered his first loss since May 14. It was just the second time he has given up two hits all season, with the other instance coming May 27 in Milwaukee. Chapman’s minuscule ERA rose to 1.14.

3) Boston’s offense hit the brakes after the fourth inning, as Athletics pitchers combined to retire 15 in a row. That changed against Elvis Alvarado, who couldn’t preserve a 4-3 A’s lead in the ninth. David Hamilton led off with a single, but was thrown out trying to steal second. Then, the pinch-hit heroics started.

Carlos Narváez worked a pinch-hit walk, then Rob Refsnyder, hitting for Connor Wong, laced a game-tying double into the right field gap that plated the speedy Ceddanne Rafaela, in to run for Narváez. That mini-rally extended the game, only for the A’s to erase it minutes later.

4) Justin Slaten’s performance is becoming an issue for the Red Sox down the stretch. Because of his track record, he was heralded as a bullpen savior as he approached his return from a three-month injured list. In a handful of appearances since coming back in late August, though, he has struggled a lot.

Five days after allowing four runs and four hits in a brutal inning in Arizona, Slaten took the fifth inning Wednesday with a one-run lead and was hit around. Jacob Wilson led off with a single, then took third when Rooker doubled and barely beat a throw to second. Slaten walked Butler before Steven Matz entered and gave up a two-run, first-pitch double to Tyler Soderstrom. That handed the A’s the lead, and it could have been worse (see below).

Slaten has allowed seven earned runs and 12 hits in just 5 ⅓ innings since returning. The Red Sox need to get him on track before October.

5) The loss dropped the Red Sox to 3 ½ games behind the Blue Jays in the AL East race and a half-game behind the Yankees, who are in control of the first wild card spot. Those teams play later Wednesday.

Boston did lose a game to the Rangers, who are now four games off the pace as they sit on the outside looking in as it pertains to the wild card race. A massively important series awaits the Red Sox at home beginning Friday when the Yankees come to town.

The Red Sox finished their six-game road trip to Arizona and Sacramento at .500, going 3-3. They are 37-38 on the road in 2025.

6) A bright spot was the long-awaited Red Sox debut of Kyle Harrison, who came in with Boston trailing late and pitched well.

Harrison pitched the final three innings for Boston, all scoreless. He gave up three hits, walked no one and struck out two. Harrison’s 49th and final pitch induced an inning-ending flyout from Wilson with runners on the corners.

Harrison isn’t fully built up after weird stops and starts over the last couple weeks. But he could be a factor in late September, especially because he likely doesn’t have the same innings limits as rookies Payton Tolle and Connelly Early, who just debuted.

7) In an abbreviated start, Tolle struggled. He allowed two Athletics batters — Shea Langeliers and Nick Kurtz — to hit their 30th homers of the season. Tolle threw 33 pitches over two innings and allowed three hits while striking out a pair. He didn’t have a walk.

Homers are going to be an issue early if teams sit on Tolle’s fastball. Kurtz’s blast was a heater right down the middle. It’s not clear when Tolle will pitch next, though he’d be ready to go Tuesday when the Sox have an opening in the opener of a home series against the A’s.

8) The ball carries at Sutter Health Park, and apparently so do gloves. On Langeliers’ blast in the first, Jarren Duran drifted back and had a chance to rob it, but slammed into the wall, missing the ball as his glove went over the wall. He was able to retrieve it.

The shot was the Athletics’ first run of the series.

9) A Red Sox offense that rolled in the first two games of the series had plenty of chances but didn’t cash in much against Mason Barnett, old friend Sean Newcomb and a parade of A’s relievers. Overall, the club was 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position — all before the fourth inning — and tallied seven hits.

The early runs were courtesy of a Nate Eaton double (on a high pop-up in which Kurtz and Zack Gelof collided and yes, it should have been an error), a Trevor Story RBI double and a Duran RBI groundout. Then, things came to a halt before the ninth.

Athletics pitchers retired 15 straight hitters before Hamilton led off the ninth with a single off Alvarado.

10) It really isn’t overstating it to say that A’s third base coach Eric Martins had one of the worst sends in baseball history during that fifth-inning rally. On Soderstrom’s double to left, Martins sent Butler to try to score from first despite the fact cutoff man Trevor Story already had the ball as Butler rounded third. The second out of the inning was a costly one with slugger Nick Kurtz due up next.

Butler then atoned for his coach’s mistake with the game-winning hit, the second walk-off of his career.

11) The Red Sox are off Thursday before beginning a key three-game series against the Yankees over the weekend at Fenway. Boston will start Lucas Giolito, Brayan Bello and Garrett Crochet in the three games.

The rivals will get underway at 7:10 p.m. ET on Friday night. That game will exclusively air on Apple TV+.

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