By Steve Keating
TORONTO, April 11 (Reuters) – In 100 years of baseball at
Fenway Park, Boston Red Sox fans have seen many highs and lows,
but the team’s flat start to the season may sting more than
usual with the city prepared to mark a special occasion.
Following a 3-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday,
the Red Sox return to Boston for their home opener with a 1-5
record that has not exactly left Beantown in a party mood for
next week’s centennial celebration of Fenway Park.
America’s oldest ballpark has survived worse calamities,
including an 86-year World Series drought, last year’s slightly
more woeful 0-6 start followed by a season-ending collapse that
cost them a playoff berth.
But as Boston prepares to take on the Tampa Bay Rays in
their home opener on Friday and host the hated New York Yankees
on April 20 for Fenway Park’s official 100th anniversary, Red
Sox Nation seems more ready to panic than party.
“I don’t know (how the fans will react),” Boston pitcher Jon
Lester said after taking the loss in his seventh career complete
game despite allowing just three hits and striking out six Blue
Jays in eight innings. “Hopefully it’s good, hopefully they see
that we’re grinding it out leaving everything on the field.
“We’re not playing good right now. Nobody in this clubhouse
wants to start slow regardless of years past … but we’re all
going to show up Friday, we’re all going to strap it on, we’re
all going to keep grinding it out.”
The problems behind Boston’s early struggles to the 2012
Major League Baseball season are many.
Boston limped into the new campaign with a number of key
injuries, losing closer Andrew Bailey to a thumb injury while
Japanese starter Daisuke Matsuzaka continues to recover from
surgery on his right elbow.
Slugger Carl Crawford is also not ready to return to the
lineup after undergoing left wrist surgery and new manager Bobby
Valentine has already faced criticism for some of his decisions.
The Red Sox have shown plenty of grit with late-game rallies
– one of which produced a 4-2 win over the Blue Jays on Monday –
but have mostly lamented a lack of early run production that has
left starting pitchers digging out of holes.
Players insist the one thing they have not lacked is effort
but that was not enough to lift the mood in a glum clubhouse as
the Red Sox quietly packed for the trip home.
“We might be losing games but guys aren’t dogging it out
there,” Red Sox third baseman Kevin Youkilis said after going
hitless in four at-bats on Wednesday. “Guys are busting their
asses, guys are trying.”
As Boston heads to the cozy confines of Fenway Park, a quick
glance at their upcoming schedule shows a turnaround to get out
of the American League (AL) East basement will not come easy.
Following the four-game set with the AL East-leading Rays,
the Red Sox host the AL champion Texas Rangers for two games
before the weekend visit by the rival Yankees.
“We’re not worried about the teams we’re playing against, we
just worry about playing the game,” said Youkilis. “this is the
Boston Red Sox. You watch us over the years and we are always in
it.”
(Editing by Frank Pingue)
