The Boston Red Sox have started the season poorly, winning just one of their first four games on the road against the Seattle Mariners.
It wasn't the type of performance fans expected after a 2018 season in which the Red Sox won a franchise-record 108 regular-season games and then the World Series.
Red Sox manager Alex Cora wasn't pleased with his team's play in Seattle, but he's still confident in his group and had a simple message for the team's critics.
“Whoever is doubting us, check what happened last year,” Cora told reporters after Sunday's 10-8 defeat at T-Mobile Park.
Cora later added: "It's easy to second-guess now what we did. Nobody second-guessed us last year. It's a program -- you have to be disciplined. That's the way I see it."
Starting pitching has been the main culprit of Boston's lackluster start. Red Sox starters have given up 22 earned runs and eight home runs in four games. There's still no reason to be overly concerned -- after all, it's four out of 162 games. Still, the Red Sox need much better outings from these veteran starters, especially ace Chris Sale.
Luckily for the Red Sox, they don't have much time to dwell on their opening series versus the Mariners. The Red Sox are in Oakland for the start of a four-game series against the Athletics -- another good AL West team -- on Monday night. David Price will make his first start of 2019 as the Red Sox aim to get back on track.
Boston Red Sox
Find the latest Boston Red Sox news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.