BOSTON -- When the Red Sox limped home from a 1-5 season-opening road trip, they were reeling.
Now, after three wins at home over the Tampa Bay Rays, they're rolling.
See how quickly things can turn around early in the season?
The sense of panic that set after the Sox were swept in Detroit, then dropped two-of-three in Toronto seems to have dissipated as quickly as it began.
In little more 48 hours, the Red Sox have gone from the American League cellar to just a game under .500.
"We know we have a great team," said Dustin Pedroia after the Sox beat back Tampa Bay, 6-4. "When you open up on the road, it's tough (to be the opponent for two home openers). Their crowd's into it, everybody's into it. So it's good to be back home and kind of get settled in."
The Sox have done that almost from the beginning of the homestand. After spotting Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead in the second inning of the opener Friday, the Sox have been mashing the Rays' pitching, with 31 runs scored in the last 22 innings.
In that span, in fact, the Red Sox have scored more runs against the Rays' pitching staff than they did in all nine meetings between the two teams at Fenway last season.
Boston's starters, meanwhile, have given the Sox a chance in each of the first three games of the series. Take away the four run first inning off Clay Buchholz and a three-run fifth off Felix Doubront Sunday and the Rays have managed just three runs in the other 17 innings off Red Sox starters.
But it's been the offense that has provided the necessary spark. After being limited to just two homers on the opening road trip. the Sox have unloaded for seven homers in the last two games alone. The 31 runs scored, meanwhile, are the most ever for the first three home games in a season by a Red Sox team.
Not even the loss of offensive catalyst Jacoby Ellsbury has cost the Red Sox to date. They've actually scored more runs since he went down with a subluxation of the right shoulder since they had with him in the lineup.
"We know who we are," said Adrian Gonzalez. "This is who we can be. (If we) play solid games, have the pitchers pitch the way they've been pitching, and have those key hits, we're going to win more games than we lose."
Already, the Sox have rather quickly injected themselves into a crowded American League East race. Lagging behind when they returned to Boston, the division now features five teams either a game under .500 or a game over.
A poor series against the Rays might have buried the Sox in the division. Instead, a three-game winning streak has helped them pull out of the early-season tailspin.
"I never saw a lack of confidence in this team," said Bobby Valentine, reflecting on the poor start. "I never saw a lack of fight. We weren't getting the results and we know how important they are, especially early in the season. When you're playing a Tampa team that's touted to win 100 games in our division, you must feel pretty good about it when you come out fighting like we did."
