Is five games enough to write off the Red Sox’s hopes for a World Series in 2011? Probably not. But the Sox will have to defy history to be crowned world champions after their abysmal 0-5 start to the season.
After losing their first four, Peter Abraham of Boston Globe’s Extra Bases dug into the numbers to show that the Red Sox have the odds against them this year. Abraham points out that no team has ever started a season 0-4 and reached a World Series.
In fact, only two of 128 playoff teams since 1995 ever even reached the playoffs after an 0-4 start, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. That would be the 1999 Diamonbacks and the 1995 Reds.
Wednesday night, Daisuke Matsuzaka was the latest Red Sox pitcher to be pummeled by an opponent. In this case the Indians, who knocked out Matsuzaka after he allowed three earned runs on six hits and 96 pitches in five innings. Boston again fell to Cleveland 8-4.
Abraham adds that typically 0-4 teams are bad teams that don’t usually have a chance to win the World Series at all. But what about 0-5 teams?
…and the Yankees are on the docket this weekend!!! The Red Sox season could be over before May 1st. I guess Buck was wrong, Epstein isn’t a genius even with a $200 mil payroll.
make that 0-6 now.
the key word is “yet” the redsox have beaten odds before, and can do it again.