When the season started, one of the most hyped Red Sox teams in recent memory became a story for all the wrong reasons. Chapter 1 of 2011 fell under the category of a nightmare that included an 0-6 start for the first time since 1945, and a 2-10 record for the fourth time in club history and first since '96.
Right then and there, Boston made itself a must follow. Would manager Terry Francona's team succumb to its early hole and play well below expectations? Or would it show its resilience by not only digging out that hole, but coming back in a big way?
More than halfway home, the Red Sox gave the answer that all their fans were hoping for.