The Red Sox had a chance to salvage what started off as a nightmare road trip. Having lost the first four games in excruciating fashion, Boston bounced back in a big way Tuesday and even gained ground on every team they’re chasing in the playoff hunt. Another win on Wednesday would’ve given them a series win over Colorado and set the Red Sox up for a big homestand leading into next week’s trade deadline.

Instead they face-planted in humiliating fashion.

The Red Sox were completely demolished in Wednesday’s series finale, losing 20-7 in the club’s most lopsided defeat of the season. The 20 runs allowed were a season-high, as were the 21 hits allowed and four errors committed.

It was the club’s worst defeat since losing 28-5 to the Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park on July 22, 2022, and also tied the Rockies franchise record for most runs scored in a game.

Colorado wasted no time jumping in front, with Ezequiel Tovar leading off the first with a solo home run, and they kept coming like an avalanche from there. Nick Pivetta needed 38 pitches to get through the bottom of the first, allowing three runs in the process, and he ultimately made it just 2.2 innings while allowing eight runs (seven earned) on 10 hits.

The exclamation point came when Rockies catcher Jacob Stallings struck for a three-run home run to make it an 8-1 Rockies lead in the bottom of the third, and Ryan McMahon added a two-run home run of his own off Red Sox reliever Bailey Horn in the fourth.

The runs kept coming from there, and Brenton Doyle turned what was already a blowout into a true laugher when he struck for a grand slam in the bottom of the sixth to make it 19-3 Colorado.

Doyle finished 2 for 5 with five RBI, Brendan Rodgers went 4 for 5 with four runs scored and two RBI, and Stallings went 3 for 4 with two doubles, a home run and four RBI.

From the Red Sox point of view, there weren’t many silver linings to hold on to.

Rafael Devers, who started at designated hitter after suffering an injury scare on Tuesday night, had a productive game at the plate, going 3 for 3 with two doubles. Jarren Duran hit a solo home run, tallied his 12th triple of the season and recorded three RBI, and Dominic Smith, Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong each tallied an RBI as well. Smith even threw a scoreless eighth inning of relief.

Duran’s home run off Colorado starter Cal Quantrill also came shortly after the Rockies pitcher instigated a benches clearing altercation in the fourth inning by shouting at Red Sox catcher Reese McGuire as he walked off the mound.

Benches clear in Red Sox-Rockies game after Cal Quantrill calls out Reese McGuire

Beyond that, Wednesday was a disaster.

The good news is the Red Sox will have an extra day to gather themselves before opening a crucial weekend series against the New York Yankees at Fenway Park. Reports also broke prior to first pitch that Alex Cora and the Red Sox are close to finalizing a three-year contract extension that will keep the manager in Boston into next year and beyond.

Report: Red Sox and Alex Cora finalizing three-year contract extension

That’s obviously a much more consequential development than one lopsided loss, but in the short term Boston has now gone 1-5 to start the second half and the road will get much tougher from here. This weekend will mark the first of nine straight series against teams who are competing for a playoff berth, a make-or-break stretch that could determine whether Boston plays meaningful baseball in September or falls out of the hunt.