TORONTO — This was the kind of loss you may remember in September. The kind that warns you of what not only the best of it can be for the Red Sox but also what the worst of it might be.

The Sox bludgeoned the Toronto Blue Jays yesterday at Rogers Centre, drilling six doubles and three home runs to score nine times and battle back from an early three-run deficit. Yet still they lost when their multi-million dollar closer blew not one but two leads in the final two innings.

But it wasn’t just Craig Kimbrel’s wayward and wandering curveball that caused a 10-9 defeat. If it were simply that you could shrug your shoulders and not think twice about what happened.

It was middle reliever Tommy Layne needing to get two outs to hold a four-run eighth-inning lead and getting none while giving up two runs, two hits and setting the table for trouble.

It was catcher Christian Vazquez trying to throw out pinch-runner Ezequiel Carrera with two outs and a one-run lead in the ninth and sailing the ball into center field, allowing him to advance to third. The fact Carrera would have scored anyway when Russell Martin doubled to left-center is beside the point. This isn’t a Sunday softball league. Worry about the out that counts.

Even though manager John Farrell later insisted that had the throw been on target, Vazquez would have thrown Carrera out, as former manager Jimy Williams used to say somewhat ineloquently, “If a frog had wings, he wouldn’t bump his booty.” In other words, so what if the ball ends up in center field?

Not long after the normally slick-fielding Vazquez lost track of a Kimbrel breaking ball, thinking it was in front of him when it rolled behind, a wild pitch that wasn’t all that wild allowed Martin to advance to third. Still, there were two outs, so all Kimbrel needed was to retire Devon Travis to take a game it looked like David Ortiz had won in the top of the inning with his 13th homer of the season into extra innings. Kimbrel nearly did. But nearly wasn’t nearly enough.

Travis Shaw made a brilliant diving stop of a pea Travis sent down the third base line with flames coming out the back, but the throw was low and toward the first base line and Hanley Ramirez couldn’t handle it, allowing Martin to score the game-winning run and remind everyone the Sox are dangerous to their opponents — and equally dangerous to themselves.

The Red Sox have been living high off the hog for two months because their lineup is bashing the ball at a record-setting pace, but they also have a bullpen that is suddenly suspect after the loss of Carson Smith for the season. And then there is their fielding. Though superior much of the season, it makes you gulp at times.

In concert, those things produced two errors, blew an 8-4 lead in the eighth inning, a 9-8 lead in the ninth and cost the Sox a game that should have been won. That isn’t the end of the world, but it was a reminder that this is a flawed assemblage in need of bolstering before the summer is out or the fall may come without them.

“In some key spots we gave up an additional 90 feet,” Farrell said. “Late in the game, we didn’t get an out when needed. It came down to execution.”

Because neither his pitchers nor fielders did, his team executed itself.

Although it was reasonable to expect Ramirez to dig Shaw’s low throw out of the dirt, it was admittedly a difficult play. The throw drifted toward the baseline, a tough play for first basemen far more experienced and adept than Ramirez. Still, he knew it had to be made.

“Tremendous play by Shaw,” Ramirez said. “I just wasn’t able to finish it. You hope you come back tomorrow and make it.”

You do but if you have to hope it’s a little concerning. Same is true of the bullpen, which between Layne, Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa allowed eight hits and six runs in 12⁄3 innings. Frankly, that ain’t much relief. Ortiz’ bomb gave Kimbrel a second chance but it didn’t end up any better than the first one, just doubly disappointing.

“They’re doing a heck of a job top to bottom,” starter Rick Porcello said of an offense that keeps them in every game. “They’re really swinging.”

That is what gives us hope. That so potent an offense can negate the weaknesses on display yesterday. It’s what made it an entertaining afternoon before it became a frustrating one.

“You turn the page and play tomorrow,” said Dustin Pedroia, who doubled twice and knocked in two runs. “We did a lot of good things. Everybody understands we got to play nine innings. We’ll show up and play tomorrow.”

That’s the surest bet. These Sox show up and play hard and then come back and do it again. Fortunately, it’s with David Price on the mound. After wasting their bullpen the last two nights in late-inning losses, they need an ace in the hole today.

And one on the mound.

Listen to Ron every 
Saturday at 1 p.m. on WMEX-AM 1510.