Boston Red Sox: The Best and Worst Performances in the Sweep by Detroit

It seems that we have been down this road before. The Boston Red Sox, with their huge payroll and World Series aspirations, open the season on the road against another playoff-hopeful team and got swept, starting the season 0-3.

It happened in Texas last year and it has happened again in Detroit in 2012. Poor pitching, lackluster hitting and shaky defense all contributed to doom the Sox to their second successive 0-3 start.

So let's take a look at those most to blame and, because there were some bright spots along the way, those who performed well despite their teammates' failings.

Ryan Sweeney, RF

Game 1: 2/4, 3B, RBI

Game 2: 2/3, BB

Game 3: 1/4, R

Looking at his career to this point, it would be foolish to believe Ryan Sweeney can keep this up. As one of only three Red Sox players with a hit in each game this season, Sweeney has got off to a surprisingly good start (aside one botched play in left field).

While he hit only .265 last season, he has the capability to hit closer to .300. Sweeney batted .293 in 134 games in 2009.

David Ortiz, DH

Game 1: 1/3, 2B, RBI

Game 2: 1/3

Game 3: 3/6, 2B, RBI

Along with Ryan Sweeney, David Ortiz was the other Red Sox player to have hit in all three games in Detroit. After infamously bad Aprils in 2009 and 2010, it's great to have Papi swinging well right out of the gate.

Adrian Gonzalez, 1B

Game 1: 1/3, BB

Game 2: 2/4

Game 3: 2/6, HR, 2 RBI, 2 R

Adrian Gonzalez shares the honor of leading the team in hits with Sweeney and Ortiz, with five. The biggest of the lot was a tie-breaking, two-run home run in the seventh inning on Sunday. The blast was the only time the Sox went deep off Tigers pitching.

Vicente Padilla, RP

Game 1: 0.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 BB

Game 3: 4.0 IP, 2 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 4 K

OK, Vicente Padilla did not impress on Opening Day. He allowed Austin Jackson to triple, intentionally walked Miguel Cabrera and was taken out of the game. Jackson later scored on a sac fly.

It was Game 3 where Padilla shone. After Clay Buchholz left the game having given up seven runs on eight hits and two walks in four innings, Padilla came in and totally shut down the Tigers.

Padilla held them to just two hits, both of which were singles. He also struck out four in what was Boston's best pitching performance of the series.

Jon Lester, SP

Game 1: 7.0 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 3 BB, 4 K, ND

Jon Lester got the ball for his second Opening Day start. A notoriously slow starter, he has struggled in April throughout his career but kicked off the season in impressive fashion this time around.

We saw in the last two games of the series how potent the Tigers will be this year, but Lester handled them very well, keeping the game scoreless into the seventh.

Kevin Youkilis, 3B

Game 1: 0/4, 2 K

Game 2: 0/4, 2 K, GIDP

Watching Kevin Youkilis hit was simply painful. He looked totally lost, taking pitches which were straight down the heart of the plate and swinging wildly at ones out of the zone.

After striking out four times in eight at-bats and failing to reach base at all, Youk was benched for Sunday's game.

He has missed portions of the last two seasons with injuries so one has to consider the fact that he's nursing some kind of ailment. He didn't look hurt this weekend, though. He just looked bad.

Cody Ross, RF

Game 1: 0/4, K

Game 2: 0/4, 2 K, GIDP

Game 3: 1/1, R

Since Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney were acquired around the same time to play the same position, it is likely that the two will be compared to each other for the length of their Boston careers. In the first weekend, though, it was Sweeney who came out better.

Ross was hitless in each of the first two games and only reached base for the first time when he singled as a pinch-hitter for Sweeney.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia, C

Game 1: 0/3, K

Game 2: 1/3, 2B, K, Error

Game 3: 0/1, K

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was not one of the worst offenders, but going 1-for-7 with three strikeouts isn't particularly good, either. His most memorable contribution was a throwing error.

You can't blame him for the poor pitching, though. Boston's pitchers would have been terrible with anyone behind the plate.

Josh Beckett, SP

Game 2: 4.1 IP, 7 H, 7 R, 1 BB, 3 K, L

With the way 2011 ended, this was really the first opportunity Josh Beckett had to endear himself to Red Sox Nation again. He did himself no favors.

Beckett tied a career high with five home runs allowed, and by the time he was replaced by Scott Atchison in the fifth, he had put Boston in a 7-0 hole and the Sox couldn't recover.

He saw three doctors in the last two weeks of spring training for a potential thumb injury. He started the game, so it was natural to assume he was OK. After a start like that, it would probably be better if he were injured. That would explain it, at least.

Clay Buchholz, SP

Game 3: 4.0 IP, 8 H, 7 R, 2 BB, 2 K, ND

A back injury cut Clay Buchholz's 2011 season short but the last time he had a full season, he put up the second-best ERA in the American League. After a terrible start against Detroit, his ERA this season is 15.75, which isn't really what you want.

The Sox will go precisely nowhere if Buch and Josh Beckett cannot give them anything. They are two of the most pivotal players this season and if they struggle like they did this weekend, nothing good will happen in 2012.

Mark Melancon, RP

Game 1: 0.1 IP, 2 H, 1 R, L

Game 3: 0.2 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BS, L

When closer Andrew Bailey went down with an injury, Mark Melancon was one of the contenders to replace him after a reasonably effective 2011 with the Houston Astros.

Opening Day saw him take the loss after the runner he left on base scored once he had been relieved.

Sunday was worse, though.

After Boston had fallen behind and clawed its way back multiple times, the Sox had a two-run lead in the 11th inning. Enter Melancon for his first save opportunity of the season.

He allowed the Tigers to get within a run, but then took them right down to their last strike before surrendering a two-run homer to Alex Avila.

Alfredo Aceves, RP

Game 1: 0.0 IP, 1 H, 1 HBP

Game 3: 0.0 IP, 3 H, 3 R, BS

Oh my.

Alfredo Aceves had a very good 2011 but his versatility kept him out of the rotation, where he really wanted to be. He missed out on a starting job this year, too, and became the closer when Andrew Bailey went on the DL. His first two appearances will have done nothing to silence his doubters.

Aceves has faced five batters so far and the easiest way to illustrate his ineptitude is to look at all five in turn.

Opening Day

Aceves entered a tie game in the ninth with runners on first and second.

He hit Ramon Santiago with a pitch to load the bases. (Pitches: 3)

Austin Jackson singled to win the game for Detroit. (Pitches: 4)

Sunday

Aceves had his first save opportunity, coming into the game in the ninth with a three-run lead.

Austin Jackson singled. (Pitches: 3)

Brennan Boesch singled. (Pitches: 3)

Miguel Cabrera homered to tie the game. (Pitches: 1)

Aceves has faced five batters, allowed them all to reach base, allowed four runs to score, blown a save and cost the Red Sox two games. And he managed it all in just 14 pitches.

Adam MacDonald has been a featured columnist for the Boston Red Sox since October 2010. He also writes about cricket a fair bit. He likes video games and sandwiches. You can follow him on Twitter, or tell him how awesome/terrible this article was, by clicking here.