SEATTLE -- In retrospect, the wheels began wobbling for the Boston Red Sox over a two-week stretch at the beginning of the month when they went 6-7 in 13 games against the four worst teams in the American League.

They became even looser when the New York Yankees stunned the Sox with a five-game sweep at Fenway Park last weekend.

And after Seattle polished off a three-game sweep of the Red Sox by winning, 6-3, yesterday at Safeco Field, it may be time to admit that the wheels have just about fallen off.

At least Boston didn't suffer the ignominy of being no-hit, though that issue was in doubt for 5 1/3 innings.

David Ortiz broke up that possible embarrassment with a towering solo homer with one out in the sixth off rookie right-hander Cha Seung Baek, who was making his second big-league start of the year.

Power-starved Mike Lowell added a solo homer in the inning for the Sox' only other hit, but the hopes of a fourth consecutive appearance in the postseason are looking more and more like a pipe dream for the battered, bruised and seemingly dispirited Red Sox.

Boston has been fading badly this month.

The loss yesterday dropped the Sox to 8-18 in August, the first time the team has dropped 18 games in a calendar month since June of 2000 (9-18), and the most losses for Boston in a month of August since the 1992 team went 12-18.

With only 32 games remaining, Boston has fallen back to 6 1/2 games (7 in the loss column) behind the Yankees in the American League East and also find themselves in third place, 5 1/2 games (6 in the loss column) behind wild-card leader Minnesota.

Boston is 2-4 on this road trip, with three games in Oakland remaining, beginning tonight. The Sox had a chance to pick up ground on the Yankees this week because New York only went 2-4 in its trip through Seattle and Anaheim, but Boston did likewise.

"The biggest thing now for us is to believe in ourselves," said manager Terry Francona. "It's not an easy task. We've painted ourselves in such a corner. We have to keep believing when it's not easy to believe.

"We made some mistakes today, but not for lack of effort. It's trying too hard. Everybody is trying so hard to pick up the other guy. You don't want to feel helpless. I never want to get into the mode where I talk about 'they.' It's 'we.' I'm responsible for this. I'll take responsibility for where we are and try to fix it regardless of how beat up we are. We have to try to make it stretch when it doesn't look like it can stretch," said Francona.

The players are trying to fight the temptation to try too hard, said Kevin Youkilis.

"We've had injuries, a lot of things coming about right now, but we just have to start making our own luck," said Youkilis. "We're in games, we're just not winning them. That's what makes a good ball team down the stretch. You have to win the close games."

One constant problem on this road trip has been a watered-down offense that just hasn't done much of anything. Over the six games, the Sox are batting a woeful .188 (36 for 191) after being limited to two hits yesterday.

Yesterday's game got away from starter Kyle Snyder and the Sox in the fifth inning.

Snyder was working in and out of trouble often over the first four innings, the result of infield singles and balls lost in the sun. But when he began the fifth, the game was tied at 1-1, with the Sox having scored an unearned run in the top of the inning.

The roof, however, fell in on Snyder. An infield hit, a double and a walk filled the bases for Raul Ibanez. And when Snyder threw a get-me-over, 2-and-0 cookie of a changeup, Ibanez launched it into the right-field seats for four quick runs and a 5-1 Seattle lead.

He stayed in for one more batter -- a single -- and ultimately was charged with another run, as the Red Sox fell into a five-run hole.

And with the way this lineup now is constituted, factoring in all the injuries, that was much too big a deficit for Boston to overcome.

skrasner@projo.com / (401) 277-7340