163 (Day 4)

Even the worst team in baseball wins 40 games. For example, the 1962 Mets were 40-120 (two rainouts that weren't made up, I presume). So the Sox can get started any day now, right? Well, they could if they got some pitching. Their two "aces" have both been shelled, and the vaunted bullpen hasn't fared much better. Yesterday, Jon Garland couldn't hold a 3-0 lead, which came courtesy of a Jim Thome home run, and the bullpen couldn't preserve the victory for him when he departed in the sixth with a 7-5 lead. The relievers allowed three more runs to cross the plate, and Cleveland held off a bottom of the ninth attempt to rally for an 8-7 Indians' win.

The Update warned you that the pitching was suspect -- not that anyone who kept track of the Cactus League in the slightest needed a warning -- and that hitting wasn't going to be a problem. In fact, the Update looked at a small but hopefully significant sample from last year -- the first 50 games -- to see how the Sox would have done if they'd scored seven runs, like they did yesterday. The answer is: The team would have rung up a record of 41 wins, 6 losses, and 2 ties. Now, no one expects them to score seven runs every game, but the point is you can't afford to waste that kind of offense by throwing batting practice to the other team.

Now, it's up to Mark "I'm in my contract year" Buehrle to right the ship. Go get 'em, Mark. Go Sox.