Red Sox… please tell me you hit rock bottom

KIM KLEMENT/USA TODAY SPORTS

9 in a row.

9 losses in a row. That’s 10% of a 90 loss season. I would expect this kind of streak from the 2012 Bobby Valentine fiasco. But these are the supposed defending World Champion Red Sox.

And today was brutal. Up 5-0 before the Rays even came to bat? That’s a day where everyone should relax and think “I got this.”

They didn’t have it for 5 innings! And they didn’t score for 14 of the 15 innings played today.

Forget defending a World Series. They have to make sure they don’t slip under .400! It is early but not THAT early.

They are in the cellar alone. The Astros are the only AL team with a worse record that the nominal defending champs… AND THEY ARE TANKING THE SEASON!

The Astros, Cubs and Diamondbacks are the only team worse than the Red Sox right now. Are the jockeying for position for a top draft pick in 2015? Are they making sure they don’t trade away any prospects?

I don’t know about you, but I was hoping they’d be contending until… oh I don’t know… JUNE!

Let’s get to the updated Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder tally.

An explanation of what this is all about can be found HERE.

 

 

GIANTS DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

The Twins pulled within 1 in the 9th, but Vogelsong, Sandoval and the Giants won again, 2-1. DODGED BULLET

24 Dodged Bullets 13 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: + 11

 

A’S DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

Cespedes’ bat was alive but R. A. Dickey kept the A’s flailing until the 9th. Toronto won 5-2. TEETH GRINDER

17 Dodged Bullets 17 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: EVEN

 

RED SOX DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

A 5-0 first inning lead against David Price? The Red Sox find a way to turn that into a loss. Andrew Miller throws the ball away in the 15th to give the flopping champs their 9th straight loss, 6-5, in Tampa. TEETH GRINDER

14 Dodged Bullets 19 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: -5

 

Every time the Red Sox hit what I think is bottom, they grab a shovel and keep on digging!

Sully Baseball Daily Podcast – May 24, 2014

Dan Epstein, the author of the book Stars and Strikes, is the guest on today’s episode of The Sully Baseball Daily Podcast.

We talked about baseball during the Bicentennial, the Bird in Detroit and other baseball details of the disco era.

Buy a copy of his book on Amazon by clicking HERE.

Felix Hernandez, Chris Davis, Mark Reynolds, Gavin Floyd, John Lackey, Giancarlo Stanton and Lonnie Chisenhall all added to their totals for Who Owns Baseball

Red Sox used more than 10% of their alloted losses in 8 days

 

AP Photo

Do the math.

If the Red Sox want to make it to the playoffs, they need to win around 90 games.

That means they can lose no more than 72 games in 162 games. A team can lose 44% of their games and still punch a ticket for October.

But it is best to spread out those losses… a lot. Not shove them all together in a stretch in May.

The Red Sox have dropped their last 8 games. That’s more than 10% of the games they can lose in a season and still have a reasonable shot to make the post season!

Last year, the Giants were the defending World Champs but a disastrous July derailed their hopes to make it back to the playoffs. Will this defending champs look back to a horrific end of May and say the same thing?

Meanwhile the A’s have a pair of hard ones to swallow and the Giants keep on going.

Let’s get to the updated Dodged Bullet/Teeth Grinder tally.

An explanation of what this is all about can be found HERE.

 

 

GIANTS DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

23 Dodged Bullets 13 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: + 10

 

A’S DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

A’s come from behind rally falls a run short as the Blue Jays hold on, 3-2. TEETH GRINDER

17 Dodged Bullets 16 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: +1

 

RED SOX DODGED BULLET – TEETH GRINDER Tally

John Lackey pitches 7 shutout innings but the Rays walked off a 1-0 winner, sending the Champs to an 8th straight loss. TEETH GRINDER

14 Dodged Bullets 18 Teeth Grinders

TOTAL: -4

 

If the Red Sox don’t start winning soon, this defense could be over before the 4th of July!