Ladies and Gentlemen... the Red Sox are the worst team in baseball!

Did Kyle Farnsworth really shut the Red Sox down?

THAT Kyle Farnsworth? The guy with great stuff who constantly was beaten like an egg? He shut down Jacoby Ellsbury, J. D. Drew and David Ortiz 1-2-3 in a one run game?

Did the Red Sox blow ANOTHER well pitched game by Jon Lester?

Yeah yeah yeah, I know it is only April. But need I remind you of 1996? The Red Sox were the defending Division Champs, but dropped the first 5 games of the year.

By April 17th, they were 2-12.
They were still 10 games under .500 in June. But in the second half, they caught fire.

They went 22-9 in August,.
In the second half, they played at a .636 clip. No team was hotter in the second half.

Here's the problem. They finished the season 85-77, 3 games back of the Wild Card winning Orioles.

Imagine if they had a mediocre start. They would have probably made the playoffs.

It's early but ask the 1996 Red Sox if the games count.
Let's update the tally.

DODGED BULLET GAMES - 2

April 8 - 9-6 win against the Yankees. (The Sox end their 6 game losing streak with a slugfest. John Lackey stinks but Phil Hughes stinks even more.)
April 10 - 4-0 win against the Yankees. (Beckett and Sabathia duel in a game that was 1-0 until the late innings.)

TEETH GRINDER GAMES - 4

April 1 - 9-5 loss in Texas. (The Sox tie Opening Day in the 8th with an Ortiz homer only to have Bard implode and the Sox let up 4 in the bottom of the 8th.)

April 5 - 3-1 loss in Cleveland. (The Sox drop their 4th straight as the bats are dead in Cleveland.)
April 7 - 1-0 loss in Cleveland. (Sox blow a great Lester performance on a squeeze bunt and Darnell McDonald overrunning the bag to end the game.)
April 12 - 3-2 loss to Tampa Bay. (A solid Lester performance is wasted as Kyle Farnsworth of all people shuts down the Sox.)

Back down to -2.

Kevin Kennedy was inexplicably canned after the 1996 season.

I think Francona is fine but let's start winning. I don't want to have to make up those games later.