A nine-game lead. Remember that? September 2nd, 2011. Everyone was absolutely riding easy. Tito looked like he was going to be able to ride with his club to a postseason slot. Even with all the team’s issues throughout the season, it was all within the Red Sox’s hands.

And they blew it.

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. It wasn’t clear that Lackey was even healthy enough to start the final game of the season. How about the bul

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