"The starting pitching became entirely ineffective, with Jon Lester and John Lackey suffering down the stretch. Lackey's ERA in the month of September was 9.13. Lester? He allowed four or more runs in three straight starts. Josh Beckett? Nursing a bum ankle and knee. The pitching was so strapped for Major League talent that Erik Bedard, Kyle Weiland, even Andrew Miller had to step into the rotation."
"The offense dropped from an OPS+ of 142 in July to 120 for September/October. Sure, that's still better than league average, but it's a drop-off regardless. Marco Scutaro, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carl Crawford looked clueless at the dish. Adrian Gonzalez's power was sapped by injuries. A team bereft of leadership and character-not from the manager who shouldn't have been let go, but from a group of players who would become infamous for chicken and beer and for slacking off on days off."
A nine-game lead on September 2, 2011 evaporated as the Red Sox collapsed down the stretch. Starting pitching became ineffective with John Lackey posting a 9.13 ERA in September and Jon Lester allowing four or more runs in three straight starts. Josh Beckett battled ankle and knee issues while Erik Bedard, Kyle Weiland, and Andrew Miller were pressed into the rotation. The bullpen struggled, highlighted by Daniel Bard giving up 14 runs in 11 late-season games. Offense declined from an OPS+ of 142 in July to 120 in September/October, with Marco Scutaro, Jacoby Ellsbury, and Carl Crawford slumping and Adrian Gonzalez hampered by injury. Poor clubhouse leadership and character compounded the on-field problems, enabling rival teams to apply pressure and produce an epic collapse. A 2025 Red Sox team that was within 2.5 games of the division lead is now showing similar faltering, with starters and bullpen concerns renewing worry.
Read at Over the Monster
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