To find the last time the Boston Red Sox started the season off at Fenway Park this poorly, you’ll have to go back before the creation of Israel.
The 2021 Red Sox started the season off with a three-game set against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park. They promptly went 0-3 while allowing 18 total runs. It’s the first time since 1948 that the Red Sox started the regular season with a three-game losing streak at home, and the first time since 2012 that they started 0-3 in general. That was the Bobby Valentine season, when they finished 69-93.
Last weekend’s season-opening series culminated with an inauspicious Red Sox debut for starter Garrett Richards, who allowed six earned runs in two innings during the team’s 11-3 loss. Boston was also largely quiet offensively, plating just five total runs over the course of the three-game series.
On the bright side, the 1948 team turned out to be good. They went 96-59 and finished second in the American League. This was back when the playoffs were literally just the World Series. The Sox finished second to the Cleveland Indians, which robbed fans of a Boston vs Boston World Series – the Boston Braves were the NL champions that season.
So, there’s your baseball history lesson for the day. Hopefully the 2021 version of the Sox ends up closer to the 1948 club than to 2012. But they’re going to need to turn it around immediately if they want to retain any confidence or interest that fans have in the season.
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Matt Dolloff is a writer and podcaster for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Have a news tip, question, or comment for Matt? Yell at him on Twitter @mattdolloff and follow him on Instagram @mattydsays. You can also email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.