On 01 September 2011, Boston was 83-52, 1-1/2 games ahead of New York in the American League East Division and nine games ahead of Tampa Bay for the wild card; the results are well-documented since then.
A quick look at the win/loss splits over that time:
- Overall, the Red Sox are 19-39 through last night’s series-opening loss to Cleveland. Boston is a dismal 8-21 at “friendly” Fenway Park and has only won once at home since a 6-4 victory over Tampa on 15 April; since then, they are 1-11.
- The team has exactly one win in the month of May, an 11-5 win over Kansas City this past Monday. They have been outscored 38 to 55 in that stretch.
- The Red Sox have had only two winning streaks in this span: a three-game winning streak to open a four-game series with Tampa at home between 13 April and 15 April, and a six-game streak on the road in Minnesota and Chicago between 23 April and 28 April. All wins in September were sandwiched around losses.
- Not to anyone’s surprise, losing streaks have been the norm: taking the break between the seasons into account, they have had three five-game stretches, one four-game stretch, three three-game stretches, and four two-game stretches. Only twice have they cushioned two wins around a loss.
- In six extra-inning games, Boston has one win, a 7-4 win on 25 September against New York. In one-run games, they are 3-4 this season and 5-11 overall. In games decided by five or more runs; they are 11-11; in games decided by 10 or more runs, they are 3-3.
Other oddities:
- The Red Sox have not looked forward to the weekend for some time; the Sox are 3-6 on Saturdays and 2-7 on Sundays.
- Day baseball has been another source of frustration; with the lights off, the Sox are an abysmal 4-19.
- Surprisingly, travel has not been a factor; last night’s loss to Cleveland was the first of the 2012 season to start a series in a new city after Boston won its first six series openers at a new ballpark. Overall, the team is a modest 7-5.