The Red Sox are off to a .250 start, and although it has only been four games, the Nation's finger already has inched closer to that panic button.
A loss, yes, even just one loss, to the Royals on this side of 1990 is a pretty tough pill to swallow for any team, let alone these $870 million Red Sox — but it's still too early to decide exactly who these Red Sox are. Three runs against a hurler like Kyle Davies, who went 8-9 with a 5.27 ERA in 2009 isn't going to cut it this summer, but plating nine runs on CC Sabathia and the Yankees' pitching staff on opening night is.
So what gives?
Boston's potent rotation, arguably the best in the bigs, has yet to notch a decision in the team's first four games. Each contest has been decided by two runs or less, with Friday night's 4-3 loss in Kansas City the only one-run defeat.
This makes it easy for Red Sox fans, who can blame the bats for the slow start (4.25 runs per game), but maybe they should wait until the squad gets into a rhythm before printing "Yankees" onto 2010 World Series gear. This is a new offense trying to adapt to a new, small-ball culture. Two days off in the first five days of the season may be a good way to ease a pitching staff into the start of the campaign, but it's not the ideal way for an offense to open a year.
Nevertheless, a couple of days off is no excuse for a team with a deep arsenal of arms and a balanced offense to skid past three games.
A series sweep at the hands of the Royals this weekend and a sub-.500 homestand that starts next week could be problematic for the crew. But for now, there's no reason to panic — not even in Boston.
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