Worst Red Sox road trip in 64 years has exit door beckoning for Mike Napoli, others

HOUSTON -- This date in history, July 23, 1967: The Boston Red Sox sweep a doubleheader from the Indians in Cleveland to run their winning streak to 10 games, and an estimated 10,000 fans showed up at Logan Airport to hail the return of their heroes.

This date in history, July 23, 2015: The Red Sox end their first winless trip in 64 years, one that began with a walkoff home run by Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels in the Big A and ended with a walkoff home run by Jose Altuve of the Houston Astros in the Big OJ. After spending a sleepless night in Houston, the Sox, losers of eight in a row, will return home to Logan Airport, where they can expect to be greeted by a few seagulls, a couple of security cops, a confused group of Bulgarian tourists and the bus drivers assigned to take them to Fenway Park for a game Friday night against the Detroit Tigers.

It was two weeks ago Friday that the Red Sox began a series with the New York Yankees, audacious enough to think that despite their losing record and flawed roster, they could become relevant again in the American League East. Now, after their longest losing streak of the season, including all seven games they played on alien turf following the All-Star break, the Sox return home, shorn of pretense, drained of dignity and faced with impending deconstruction.

Fenway Park might be listed on the National Register of Historic Places, but no such protection exists for those wearing the uniform of the worst team in the American League, which is not harsh judgment but statement of fact. Twelve games under .500 at 42-54, the Sox have the worst record in the league. They are now 12 games behind the Yankees in the AL East, with 10 weeks of meaningless baseball still ahead of them.

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