The best editions have hammered the ball all over the place, thriving on that one misplay by the visiting side on a ball down the line. It’s a difficult place to play, especially for those who don’t call it home. And the fans always let them know about it, which never helps the cause for the visitors.
The 2011 version, however, has displayed much cleaner, crisper play on the road while it was relatively mediocre at home. Relative, that is, to past years, which include many 50-plus win seasons at the Fens. And it limped to the finish line with what has to go down as one of the more disappointing stretches of baseball in Fenway Park history, a fall from grace that may one day be mentioned with the "Boston Massacre" of 1978 and the five-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees in August 2006.
Including a crippling 6-4 loss to Baltimore on Wednesday, the Sox lost seven of their last 10, 10 of their last 14 and 14 of their last 21 at home. They finished with a 45-36 Fenway Park record, the worst mark since 2002, a season that still ended with 93 wins thanks to a 51-30 road record.
Boston's last road trip was a disaster, too. When the club came back to open a 10-game, nine-day homestand on Sept. 13, it was slumping, but at least it was presented with a great opportunity to take control of the sinking ship with a strong showing at Fenway, something that used to be commonplace.
Instead, the 3-7 homestand featured a nauseating run of poor play, misfortune, inconsistency and uncertainty.
During the homestand, the Sox outscored opponents 68-63, but that's only because two of the wins featured 18-run outbursts. Those offensive explosions, however, only served to cover up the problems that have plagued the team since the calendar turned to September.
The rotation had a 6.84 ERA during the 10-game stretch. The offense hit .251 outside of the 18-run mirages. The defense committed an astounding 15 errors. Opponents stole 18 bases. Boston stole five. Critics have plenty from which to choose.
"We're all struggling now," designated hitter David Ortiz said. "There's nobody that you want to be blaming things on. … I can't tell you exactly what's going on right now."
It was extremely atypical for a Red Sox team, especially one with talent, to play so poorly at a place that usually breeds consistent one-sidedness in favor of the home team.
"We certainly haven’t put our best foot forward," manager Terry Francona said.
The Yankees clinched the American League East on Wednesday. In a way, that’s a good thing. Now, even if Boston does get into the postseason, it is assured of starting it on the road, away from what used to be a house of horrors for opponents but has become one for the Sox.
