September 3, 2008
Sports Redux: Birdshot
Dustin Pedroia. It's never gonna get old. Once again slipped into the cleanup spot due to Kevin Youkilis' absence, Dustin rose to the occasion again, homering and driving in five runs as the Red Sox torched Baltimore last night, 14-2.
This was a nice gift for Jon Lester, as the Sox posted four in the third and six in the fourth off of hapless O's starter Radhames Liz. David Ortiz got the party started with a 2-run double, then added the same again in the fourth, setting the stage for Pedroia's 16th home run of the season. 10-1 after 4, goodbye Liz, hello coasting to the win.
Terry Francona was able to get Lester out after five, and Delcarmen (yup), Smith, and Pauley nailed down the win. But Pedroia couldn't not hit even if he didn't want to, so he drive in another run, and is now up to .330 for the season. We may be days away from (assuming another lineup switch) somebody walking Dustin to get to Ortiz. Also congrats to Jonathan Van Every, who notched his first big league RBI, singling in Kevin Cash in the seventh. Daisuke gets the ball this afternoon in the series finale.
By no means are we ready to root for the Yankees as spoilers (we never will be fully ready), but they did give the Sox a little help, maybe, by beating Tampa Bay 7-2. So the Sox are within four of the Rays with six head-to-head games left. Seven back of the wild card, the Yanks are, in the words of the Post, "like a drunk looking to live...taking life one day at a time". OK then. The Twins and White Sox both lost, so they're still tied for first in the ALC and second in the Wild Card.
Bill Belichick is pumped for this weekend. "There are a number of things that we are still looking at and talking about. Whether some of those will actually happen or not, I am not sure," says the Coach, and we couldn't agree more. Everyone's optimistic that Tom Brady will play and be effective, but nobody's officially saying anything until Coach Bill releases the all-important injury report on Friday. We're betting $100 that Brady will be listed as "probable".
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Pedroia continues to be amazing.
I will never root for the Yankees. I was hoping that the Rays would sweep the Yankees. Now I hope that TB wins tonight and tomorrow, but I fear that NY will sweep them.
The Red Sox have enough games left with TB to overtake them on their own.
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Pedroia is the one constant for the Sox offense in a season when, literally, every member of their regular batting order from Opening Day has been hurt or struggling or pouted their way out of town. He's a legit MVP candidate.
The Sox bullpen has it's act together now, too. Paplebon is solid, Delcarmen and Okajima have been very effective (look it up) lately. Delcarmen has 9 scoreless appearances in his last 10 games. Okajima is 8 for 10.
I don't root for or against the Yankees. But, it's kind of crazy to say you want the team AHEAD of the Sox to keep winning. I'm confident of the Sox chances against the Rays and it's better for Boston if their lead shrinks before they meet again.
The Red Sox simply need to take care of their own business and get everyone healthy for the playoffs. I'll take my chances with the Red Sox as a wildcard with their full complement of players against any team in baseball, even the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, California, U.S.A, North America, Planet Earth, Milky Way.
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Crazy though it may be, I have been on the receiving-fan end of too many Red Sox embarrassments at the hands of the Yankees and hearing the comments of their arrogant fans (not all are arrogant but too many are) to ever, EVER root for the Yankees.
This is especially so (a) while the Yankees have not yet been mathematically eliminated and (b) since the Red Sox have their destiny in their own hands with 6 games yet to be played versus the Rays.
Nice description of the whatever-Angels-of-wherever by the way. I hope that the Back Bay Red Sox of Boston, MA can beat them in the playoffs. I don't think that the Tampa Bay no-longer-Devil Rays of Saint Petersburg can beat the Angels.