2014: Red Sox Ignominy

the year 2013 was a great one for the Red Sox. Every night was highly entertaining theater with different heroes emerging in every game. i wrote a lot last year about how fondly I will always remember last years team, just for being so much darn fun to watch on a nightly basis. 2014, has been the exact opposite. As of this writing, the Red Sox are 61-79, 22 games out of first place. The offense, which finished 1st in MLB in runs scored last year, is 24th this year. The pitching staff, which finished 14th in ERA last season, is 22nd this season. I thought itd be "fun" (call me a masochist) to take a look back at the specific games that made this season the disaster that it was. And there were plenty of game that perfectly showcased just how putrid this team really has been.

1. April 4th Vs Milwaukee Brewers: 6-2 loss. In the home opener, the game was tied 2-2 heading into the 9th innings. These were the types of games the Red Sox thrived on winning dramatically in last year. Right off the bat however, we saw this year would be different. Newly signed Edward Mujica came into the game and imploded, giving up 4 runs in the 9th inning. Mujica was expected to be a solid new addition, but pitched horrendously the first two months of the season, posting a 7.29 ERA through June 4th. Hes been better since, but those first two months were a disaster for him, and this game was the start of that.

2. April 12th @ Yankees: 7-4 loss. John Lackey, one of the Red Sox aces responsible for their amazing season last year, gives up 5(!) home runs in this game to the Yankees en route to a 7-4 loss.

3. April 24th Vs Yankees: 14-5 loss. 14 runs allowed to the Yankees. Enough said. This game was a disaster from start to finish.

4. May 9th @ Rangers. 8-0 loss. The first of several times this season where the Red Sox came so close to being no-hit.  Yu Darvish held Boston hitless until there was two outs in the 9th inning when David Ortiz hit a single for the only hit.

5. May 22nd Vs Blue Jays: 7-2 Loss. This game capped off an 0-6 homestand, the longest winless homestand for the Red Sox in nearly 30 years. The Red Sox never lost more than 3 in a row all last season, home or away.

6. May 25th @ Rays: L 8-5. The 10th straight loss for the Red Sox which practically put them in the grave before summer even started.

7. June 30th Vs Cubs: 2-0 Loss. It was Jake Arrietas turn to nearly no-hit the Red Sox, as his bid went into the 8th inning before Stephen Drew finally ended it.

8. July 2nd Vs Cubs: 16-9 loss. Allowing 16 runs and getting swept at home by one of the worst teams in the league should have been the final nail coffin in the season, but that was still to come because a win streak in Mid July kept a bit of hope.

9. July 24th @ Blue Jays: 8-0 Loss. This was the final nail in the coffin. Three straight losses in Toronto were capped off by this one. Losing that three in a row meant once and for all the Red Sox season was lost and they responded by trading away many players.

10. July 28th: Vs Blue Jays: 14-1 loss. Another mauling, and once again it was the Jays doing the job. This was the game that was the final nail in the coffin for Felix Doubront in Boston. Doubront was a high prospect expected to be a great pitcher for years to come, but while he showed flashes of brilliance in 3 seasons, he was wildly inconsistent. Finally, in July he was removed from his starters role and demoted to the bullpen. Doubront was vocal in his dissaproval of this, and in his first game out of the pen, this game, he allowed 6 runs without recording an out, many think on purpose as an act of defiance. On purpose or not, he was traded for practically nothing right after the game to the Cubs.

11. August 9th @ Angels: 5-4 loss. Just a 19 inning loss, nothing particularly excruciating when compared to the others.

12. August 21st Vs Angels: 2-0 loss. It was Chris Shoemaker this time who nearly no hit the Red Sox, Making it to the 8th inning before Will Middlebrooks picked up the only hit of the game for Boston.

13. August 22nd Vs Mariners: 5-3 loss. With a 3-0 lead heading into the 9th inning, it looked like the Sox would pick up a rare win. However Koji Uehara imploded in the 9th, giving up 5 runs, all with 2 outs and a win was not to be. It was the 6th straight loss for Boston.

14. August 30th @ Rays: 7-0 loss. The Red Sox get one hit. it is the 14th time this season the Red Sox record 3 hits or less as a team, a franchise record in the modern era. It happened only twice last season.


So there you have it, the 14 games out of 79 losses that stick out the most as showcasing this teams ineptitude. I am sure there will be more lowlights over these last 23 games before this season mercifully ends.