Well, if there’s a bright spot, it’s that Tampa Bay isn’t alone in being the league’s only winless team and alone in the cellar of the AL East: the Red Sox are also a shocking 0-6. Only 46 teams since 1900 have started the season with six straight losses. The last division winner to begin the following season 0-6 was the 1997 Cardinals. Following Thursday’s 5-1 loss to the White Sox, Tampa Bay hasn’t even held a LEAD yet. The last team to not hold a lead through six games was the 1992 Tigers. The Rays have been held to one run in five of the six games so far and their season high for hits in a game was only six. They have scored a major league-worst eight runs — seven fewer than the next-closest team — and also rank last in batting average (.145), slugging percentage (.253) and on-base percentage (.217).

Offense has been the strength for Chicago as the White Sox lead the major leagues with 45 runs scores. Slugger Adam Dunn, out since an emergency appendectomy on Tuesday, is hopeful of playing tonight but that’s considered highly unlikely and he probably will sit through the weekend. On Thursday, Paul Konerko went 2-for-4 and drove in a run, giving him six straight games with an RBI to start the season — a new franchise record. Konerko is hitting .360 with eight RBIs in this young season.

Tonight’s pitching matchup certainly appears to favor Chicago. The Sox start lefty John Danks (0-1, 3.00). In his first start vs. Cleveland he struck out eight and allowed just two runs over six innings but still lost. Tampa Bay goes with James Shields (0-1, 2.45). He was awful last year but did fare well in his opener, allowing two runs and striking out seven against Baltimore. . Shields is 2-2 with a 5.05 ERA against the White Sox.

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