ATLANTA - Boston Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington says he deserves most of the blame with his club struggling for the second straight year.

Entering Wednesday, Boston is 99-129 since winning the 2013 World Series under manager John Farrell.

The Red Sox, in last place in the AL East for the second straight season, entered Wednesday night 10 games under .500 and eight games behind division-leading Tampa Bay.

Cherington didn't take questions regarding Farrell's job security or poor player performance, focusing instead on his own job and the state of the franchise.

Boston snapped a season-high, seven-game losing streak with a 9-4 win Tuesday over the Atlanta Braves. The skid was the Red Sox's longest since they dropped eight straight last Aug. 17-24.