BOSTON — It’s not always pitching. It’s not always hitting. Sometimes a club’s defense proves crucial. If all three entities are in sync for a consistent amount of time, it’s a bonus.

The Boston Red Sox are trying to string every aspect of their game together for the stretch run, but fell a bit short yesterday as the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim squeaked out a 3-1 victory at Fenway Park.

The Red Sox received a sufficient spot-start from Julian Tavarez and the defense was outstanding. Unfortunately the offense, which had shown signs of life of late, was stagnant.

Boston closed out its homestand with a 4-3 record.

“We actually played a very inspiring game defensively,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona. “We didn’t have much to show offensively.”

The Sox embark on a three-city, 10-game road trip — to Tampa, Chicago and New York, and with Boston’s lead in the A.L. East being trimmed to four games (the Yankees won yesterday), the team needs to combine good pitching and defense with some timely hitting.

“Day in and day out it’s difficult,” said Coco Crisp. “One part of your game isn’t going to be on all the time, and today it was hitting. (Angels starter Joe Saunders) did a good job pitching.”

Saunders improved to 7-1 and kept Boston’s offense at bay through 7 2/3 innings, allowing only one run on six hits with seven strikeouts.

For Tavarez, it was only his second start since Aug. 1, and he suffered the loss despite a solid outing. The right-hander allowed only two runs on two hits in six innings. At one stretch, he retired 10 consecutive batters.

Anaheim’s margin of victory could have been a lot greater were it not for Boston’s stellar defense, provided mainly by second baseman Dustin Pedroia, third baseman Mike Lowell, Crisp in center field and newcomer Bobby Kielty in right.

With two runs already across in the top of the first inning, the Angels’ Casey Kotchman crushed a fly ball to deep right field. Kielty, making his Red Sox debut, sprinted back to the warning track and leaped to rob Kotchman of a home run before slamming into the wall in front of the visitors bullpen. If Kielty didn’t make that play to end the inning, the Angels would have had at least a four-run advantage.

Pedroia was outstanding in the field, recording five assists and three putouts, none of which was routine.

“Our team (defense) has been playing great,” said Pedroia. “Mike Lowell has been playing awesome and he’s been taking hits away. With Coco, he’s in another world out there. Anytime the ball goes out there, it’s an out. Everybody has been playing well.”

But no matter how well the defense played, you need at least some offense to win. “It’s been solid,” said Crisp of the defense. “It’s been one of the things that has kept us in games, and it kept us close today. It’s a key part of winning games, and playing solid defense goes slightly overlooked some times, as well as baserunning.”

The only offense the Red Sox were able to generate yesterday was an RBI single by Lowell in the bottom of the eighth. Boston had an opportunity in that inning to cut its deficit even more, but pinch-hitter J.D. Drew struck out looking with two runners and two outs.

Francona has routinely said his team plays one game at a time, and said yesterday it’s only Aug. 19. Pedroia told a group of local media after the game “to take the finger off the panic button.”

Finding a way to incorporate pitching, defense and offense into one package can be difficult at this point of the season, but if the Red Sox can get on a hot streak, all three will have to happen.

“It’s tough,” said Pedroia. “Guys get tired because we play a lot of games, but this team is focused. We’re playing well.”

jmcdonal@projo.com