Todd Walker giveth, Todd Walker taketh away. That was the story line from the first two games of the American League Division Series, a series that came to Boston with the A’s leading two games to none.

A year ago, the Red Sox made the decision that they needed more offense from second base. Rey Sanchez was terrific in the field, with only four errors all last year. That wasn’t enough to overcome a season in which Sanchez hit only .286, with an OPS (on-base percentage plus slugging percentage) of .663.

Enter Walker, who was a vital cog in a Boston offense that set a modern-day record with eight hitters driving in 85 or more runs. Walker hit .283 in 144 games this season. More importantly, his OPS came in at .761, a big bump from what the Sox got from Sanchez a year ago.

Was it enough to make up for Walker’s defense? That was the question following the Sox back from the West Coast Thursday night.

At first look, it seems that Walker’s defense was adequate. He had 16 errors, and a fielding percentage of .975. Not bad, unless you compare it to the .991 fielding percentage his predecessor turned in playing 100 games at second last year. Sanchez also played 10 games at shortstop, and his fielding percentage dipped to .972 in those games.

A closer look further highlights the disparity between the two gloves. Walker committed an error every 8.68 games, while Sanchez booted one every 25 games. Walker took part in 78 double plays in his 139 games at second; Sanchez 61 twin kills in 100 games.

Clearly, Sanchez was the better fielder. Still, the Sox won 93 games with him and didn’t make the playoffs. With more bang from the position, the Sox finished 2003 with 95 wins and a wild-card berth.

Walker’s defense came under a much more powerful magnifying glass this week.

Red Sox Nation obsessed over his throwing errors in Games 1 and 2. The one in Game 2 was especially costly, allowing two runs to score and dropping the Sox to a 5-0 deficit.

It was only the second inning and 14 hours after suffering a heart-breaking Game 1 loss that proved too much to overcome.

Though Walker was nearly the offensive hero in Game 1, with four hits and two home runs, it wasn’t enough. In the postseason, pitching and defense lead to wins, and the Sox’s weaknesses in those two areas were exposed for all to see.

Walker is a free agent after this season.

His offensive contributions to this team can’t be overlooked, but that offense may not be enough to bring him back for another season in Boston. His bat was a big help, but in the playoffs, it wasn’t big enough to overcome his glove.

Lewiston native Tom Caron covers the Red Sox for NESN.