The first two games of the Red Sox-Yankees series this week drew crowds of 34,391 and 34,049 to Fenway Park, both well short of a sellout. The raw weather was certainly a factor, but the rivalry has lost plenty of spark since the teams played in the American League Wild Card Series last fall.
The offseason brought only cautious, moderately priced improvement, not the big swing expected by Sox fans and rival organizations. That’s something ownership and chief baseball officer Craig Breslow will eventually have to acknowledge was a mistake.
The results have been predictable. The 9-15 Sox have the lowest OPS in the American League (.643) and the fewest home runs (13). Only three teams have fewer stolen bases.
Read more from Peter Abraham at BostonGlobe.com/Sports. | 
