Over six months and 162 games, there’s no such thing as backing into the playoffs. But the Red Sox are not exactly charging into history this week.

Eduardo Rodriguez could not get through the second inning on Thursday night as the Houston Astros embarrassed the Sox, 12-2, before a crowd of 34,222 at Fenway Park.

Only the out-of-town scoreboard had good news as the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Yankees, 9-5. Now the magic number to clinch the American League East is down to 1 for the Sox.

Over the next three days any Red Sox win or Yankees loss ends the race.

The Yankees play the Toronto Blue Jays at 1:05 p.m. Friday. If the Yankees lose, the Sox would clinch the division championship before they play the Astros at 7:10 p.m.

The Sox have lost three of their last four games, giving up 34 runs. It’s reminiscent of last season when the Sox ended the regular season with losses in five of their last six games.

Doug Fister, who played for the Astros last season, starts for the Sox on Friday against Charlie Morton.

The Astros wrapped up the AL West long ago. But they are competing with the Cleveland Indians for the top seed in the league and looked like it, battering seven Red Sox pitchers for 17 hits.

Houston trails the Indians by one game. The second seed would face the Red Sox next week in the Division Series.

The Sox managed only six hits against Brad Peacock (13-2) and four relievers. Rodriguez was charged with five runs on six hits over 1⅔ innings.

In his previous four starts, Rodriguez had allowed five earned runs over 25⅓ innings.

For the Red Sox, it was yet another troubling performance by a starter. In the last five-game turn through the rotation, Sox starters have allowed 23 earned runs on 37 hits — eight of them home runs — over 19⅔ innings.

“You wouldn’t draw it up the last week of the season,’’ manager John Farrell said before the game. “But we’ve gone through stretches before where we’ve gone through a turn through the rotation where it’s been less than. So concerned? No. Is it ideal? No, it’s not.’’

It was ugly from the beginning for Rodriguez (6-7). George Springer drew a walk to start the game. Singles by Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa loaded the bases.

Rodriguez struck out Evan Gattis for the second out. But Marwin Gonzalez lined a three-run double to right-center.

Springer singled and Alex Bregman homered to left field with two outs in the second inning. When the next two batters reached, Rodriguez was taken out. It matched the shortest start of his major league career.

Trailing, 5-0, the Red Sox briefly showed some life in the second inning.

Mitch Moreland led off with a home run, his 22nd of the season. Singles by Christian Vazquez, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Xander Bogaerts gave the Sox another run.

With two outs, Dustin Pedroia represented the tying run. But he grounded out. Pedroia was 0 for 2 with a walk. He has one hit in his last 28 at-bats.

It only got worse from there. Blaine Boyer allowed four runs in the fourth inning as Houston sent 10 batters to the plate.

Rookie righthander Austin Maddox allowed a home run by Brian McCann in the sixth inning, ending a 17-inning scoreless streak that started his major league career.

Correa belted a two-run homer off Matt Barnes in the seventh inning.

Peter Abraham can be reached at pabraham@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @PeteAbe.