In the “big series,” the Red Sox’s biggest current problem has already appeared in the first game

BOSTON – Red Sox slugger Tyler O’Neill stressed that this final three-game series before the All-Star break against the Royals is important.

“This is a team we want to beat,” O’Neill said. “They’re definitely in the running and they’ve played well all year, as have we. So you know it’s a big series.”

O’Neill added that he was hoping for “better results” on Saturday after Boston lost the first game here at Fenway Park 6-1 on Friday night.

The Red Sox and the Royals are now tied for the third and final AL Wild Card spot, although Boston (51-42) is one game ahead of KC (52-43) in the loss table.

Friday’s problem will keep cropping up. Boston fell to 12-15 against lefties, compared to 39-27 against righties.

The Red Sox faced All-Star left-hander Cole Ragans, who allowed just one run, four hits and one walk in seven innings, with seven strikeouts and 23 swings-and-misses.

Manager Alex Cora, who called Ragans “one of the best in the league,” said right-handers Rob Refsnyder, Connor Wong and O’Neill all had good batting chances against left-handers.

“The performance of (left-handers) Raffy (Devers) and Jarren (Duran) is obviously lower,” Cora said.

Against left-handers, Boston ranks 17th in the major leagues in batting average (.245), 12th in on-base percentage (.323) and 17th in slugging percentage (.389).

“We just have to find a way to make it work,” Cora said. “I think the last good game against the left-hander was in Cincinnati (against Nick Lodolo on June 23). We’ve played some of them and they did a good job. We just have to keep working. Today we changed the lineup. The umpire was on base twice as the first batter. So we just have to be patient and keep working.”

Devers is hitting just 26-for-108 (.241) with a .303 on-base percentage, .398 slugging percentage and .701 OPS against left-handers, compared to 88-for-305 (.289) with a .372 on-base percentage, .577 slugging percentage and .949 OPS against right-handers.

He hit a single against Ragans in the fourth inning, but Ragans got Devers to swing five times.

The All-Star third baseman, who hit 1-for-4 with two strikeouts, declined to speak to the media, something he has done several times this season after losses.

“That’s part of the season,” Cora said of Devers’ performance against left-handers. “He gets hot and starts hitting the ball in the air.”

When asked about Boston’s problems with left-handed pitchers, O’Neill said, “I haven’t noticed anything special. I know we have a good lineup and we have a lot of depth and a lot of potential here. We’ve just run into some good pitchers lately. Some good teams and stuff. So I’m just trying to get better.”