Throughout the winter and all spring, the Red Sox dodged talk about having a hangover from their World Series victory.

Yesterday, they staggered through a loss that had hangover written all over it.

Sloppy defense, weak at-bats and a mounting case of injuries third baseman Will Middlebrooks is on the disabled list now with a strained right calf wasted another strong start from Jon Lester as the 2-4 Red Sox lost their third in a row at Fenway Park to the Brewers, this time by a 4-0 score.

The Sox are winless at home this year and this three-game skid matches their longest from last year. Tonight against the visiting Texas Rangers, a fourth consecutive loss would spark a wave of references to last years squad.

I know there are a lot of comparisons to, Well, this is what you did last year; therefore this is what you have to do this year for this to happen, which I dont think anybody would draw up, What happened in 2012, therefore 2013 would happen. So we understand this is a brand-new season; it means anything can happen, said Daniel Nava. But if we lose four straight and then we win 12 straight, that could be a quote: You guys never lost four, but you won 12 in a row. Anything can happen.

Nava committed one of two errors by the Red Sox, misjudging a sinking line drive to right field by Milwaukees Mark Reynolds and allowing the ball to skip by him in the second inning. Jonathan Lucroy trotted home from third, but Khris Davis also scored all the way from first on Reynolds single plus Navas error for a 2-0 Brewers lead.

Davis had reached on the previous at-bat when neither Jonathan Herrera, a replacement for Middlebrooks at third base, nor Lester could decide what to do with a perfectly placed bunt.

In the eighth inning, catcher David Ross errant throw to second on a stolen base attempt sent Ryan Braun to third. Aramis Ramirez RBI single scored Braun with the second unearned run charged to Lester.

The effort is there, and obviously they dont want to not get any runs on the board, said Lester, who has allowed just one walk in his two starts this season and has a 2.51 ERA to go with his 0-2 record.

David Ortiz acknowledged that, perhaps, with some late travel Thursday from Baltimore, followed by Fridays ring ceremony and then some irregularly spaced start times, the Sox were left with their heads spinning and the Brewers most definitely were not.

More here:

Red Sox still winless at home as Brewers complete sweep