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If the Red Sox lose today, they will not only be just the sixth World Series champ to get swept in their first postseason series the next season, which I've already mentioned. If they lose by six or more, runs it will go down as the most lopsided playoff in history.
There are three series that ended in a sweep and had a run differential of 18 runs (1884 World Championship series Providence over the old NY Mets, 3-0; 1932 World Series Yankees over Cubs, 4-0; 1989 World Series Oakland over San Fran, 4-0).
Also, Chicago has outscored Boston 19-6 yet far. That's a 6.5 run differential per game, higher than any other series that ended in a sweep.
Here are the most lopsided sweeps in playoff history:
| Yr | Round | Winner | W | Loser | L | T | Winner R | Loser R | Diff | Diff/G |
| 1884 | WS | Providence Grays | 3 | New York Metropolitans | 0 | 0 | 21 | 3 | 18 | 6.00 |
| 1932 | WS | New York Yankees | 4 | Chicago Cubs | 0 | 0 | 37 | 19 | 18 | 4.50 |
| 1989 | WS | Oakland Athletics | 4 | San Francisco Giants | 0 | 0 | 32 | 14 | 18 | 4.50 |
| 1928 | WS | New York Yankees | 4 | St. Louis Cardinals | 0 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 4.25 |
| 1970 | ALCS | Baltimore Orioles | 3 | Minnesota Twins | 0 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 17 | 5.67 |
| 1981 | ALCS | New York Yankees | 3 | Oakland Athletics | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 5.33 |
| 1990 | ALCS | Oakland Athletics | 4 | Boston Red Sox | 0 | 0 | 20 | 4 | 16 | 4.00 |
| 1995 | NLDS | Cincinnati Reds | 3 | Los Angeles Dodgers | 0 | 0 | 22 | 7 | 15 | 5.00 |
| 1976 | WS | Cincinnati Reds | 4 | New York Yankees | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 3.50 |
| 1990 | WS | Cincinnati Reds | 4 | Oakland Athletics | 0 | 0 | 22 | 8 | 14 | 3.50 |
| 1995 | NLCS | Atlanta Braves | 4 | Cincinnati Reds | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 3.50 |
| 1997 | NLDS | Atlanta Braves | 3 | Houston Astros | 0 | 0 | 19 | 5 | 14 | 4.67 |
| 2000 | NLDS | St. Louis Cardinals | 3 | Atlanta Braves | 0 | 0 | 24 | 10 | 14 | 4.67 |
| 2002 | NLDS | St. Louis Cardinals | 3 | Arizona Diamondbacks | 0 | 0 | 20 | 6 | 14 | 4.67 |
Here's to a 7-0 shutout by Freddy Garcia at Fenway.
But wait, what light through yonder suckage breaks? It is the East and Clement is the sun. The Red Sox team ERA of 9.00 in the division series is in range of the highest for a team in a postseason. In the 1999 ALDS, Cleveland had a 9.63 team ERA, and in the 1932 World Series the Cubs had a 9.26 ERA.
| Yr | Round | Team | ERA |
| 1999 | ALDS | Cleveland Indians | 9.63 |
| 1932 | WS | Chicago Cubs | 9.26 |
| 1989 | WS | San Francisco Giants | 8.21 |
| 2002 | ALDS | New York Yankees | 8.21 |
| 2004 | ALDS | Anaheim Angels | 8.13 |
| 2000 | NLDS | Atlanta Braves | 7.92 |
| 1970 | ALCS | Minnesota Twins | 7.71 |
| 1993 | WS | Philadelphia Phillies | 7.57 |
| 1960 | WS | Pittsburgh Pirates | 7.11 |
| 2004 | NLDS | Atlanta Braves | 7.04 |
Make that a 12-0 shutout.
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