A three-game sweep at the gloves of the Tampa Bay Rays was the last thing that I was expecting to happen down in Tampa. The Sox scored a paltry five runs in the 29 innings they played against the Rays (Game 1 was an 11-inning affair). Do you see anything wrong with this distorted and grotesque stat line? I sure do, their freaking bats hibernated, the pitching was woeful and the clubhouse is flu-stricken. Oh, and to add a little more hot sauce to the salsa, designated hitter David Ortiz is sidelined with a bruised knee! He should be back tonight.

The Sox currently resemble a small snowball rapidly roaring down a hill getting bigger with every rotation. They are on a five-game losing streak, and they are visually beaten down while the rest of the American League is just beginning to hit their stride. The sad thing about this whole ordeal is that it’s only the month of April.

Those of you baseball fans who have ever attended a Cape Cod League Baseball game know it’s a great take. It is quality baseball played by college kids who use wood bats, just like the pros. Admission, to all games,  is free and run by volunteers. The CCL has produced over 200 MLB players over the years including World Series MVP Mike Lowell and Red Sox Captain Jason Varitek.

Now Major League Baseball is saying that it’s going to withhold its yearly $100,000 donation to the league unless they start purchasing all their merchandise (for six CCL teams that share nicknames with MLB teams) through a more expensive MLB-licensed vendor. Teams such as the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox, Orleans Cardinals and Harwich Mariners.

Why after all these years is MLB doing this? Your guess is as good as mine.