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| JON LESTER / COVERS.COM |
Good game yesterday. The Red Sox’s Jon Lester improved to 8-2 after a brilliant seven innings thrown. He gave up a scant three hits, walked three (still those control problems, but he’s racking the wins up) and struck out six. It’s great to see Lester developing like this in a pennant race.
The off-day of the Yankees mean the Red Sox increase their lead to two games over the Yankees. I still think that come-from-behind win that last game against the Yankees really made a statement, to take the series three games to two.
David Ortiz provided offense yet again in this game, homering twice to bring him within one homer of 50, and Manny Ramirez contributed a few RBIs in the trouncing of the Athletics, 9-0. Everyone in the game had a hit, and Jason Varitek continued his August resurgence, collecting two hits.
In relief of Lester, Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen handled the hitters with relative ease. I credit Delcarmen and Hansen stepping in prominent relief roles so well to the handling of Jason Varitek.
The Yankees seem to be scuffling, even with the addition of Abreu. Mike Mussina being placed on the DL doesn’t help matters either.
It seems as if the tide is finally turning in the AL East – for the first time in a long time, the Yankees are the ones with the injuries, while the Red Sox have been relatively injury free the entire season. The one injury that hurt the most (Trot Nixon) ended up being nullified by Wily Mo Pena stepping in. It’s a deep ballclub with pitching, hitting, and the majors’ best defense. This is exactly what Theo envisioned when he built this ballclub – a club built for the here, the now, and the future.
Tomorrow, we’re seeing Josh Beckett against Kirk Saarloos. Beckett was 11-4 with a 4.75 ERA before the All-Star Game, and we needed him to step up the second half. He has, going 5-2 with a 3.17 ERA and is locating his fastball where he wants it and mixing in enough changes and curveballs to keep the hitters honest.
September is fast closing in, and we can bring up a few recruits to help round this club out for the playoff run. I could see Dustin Pedroia and David Murphy on the offensive end, while Jermaine Van Buren makes his sixth trek of the year up from Pawtucket, and hopefully Craig Breslow, who’s been squeezed out of a roster spot but dominating in Pawtucket.
It looks as if the Red Sox will lock horns with the wild card winner, which so far looks to be the Minnesota Twins. We can definitely take them, so the World Series should be in our sights.
We could be looking at our second World Series in three —-
Oh, we’re in second place with a 71-60 record, and dangerously falling into third? We’re 8-19 in August and 18-27 since the All-Star Break? 55-58 in the American League, really? Josh Beckett is getting worse? Every single starter has been hurt?
Can I go back to bed?