The reinforcements have arrived, along with the welcome home of Carlos Pena, delivering a walkoff homerun on a series we absolutely need to sweep if we want a shell of a chance of winning the Wild Card.
Sunday, we saw the return of shortstop Alex Gonzalez and outfielder Wily Mo Pena.
Monday saw the return of Trot Nixon, Manny Ramirez, and Jason Varitek.
Tuesday, today, will be the triumphant return of David Ortiz.
As the game was going on Monday night, the Red Sox find themselves a shocking nine games out of first places, and less shocking, but still shocking, 6.5 games out of the wild card, which the White Sox are leading (or clinging to, as the Twins are a half-game back).
These players will help ressurect a dormant offense, as the Sox are hitting just .194 over the last 14 games (scoring 1.9 runs per game).
With the offense back to normal, is it possible we could see a wild card run?
Possible, but not probable. If this White Sox series was a little later, I would say yes, but they’re catching the Red Sox when they’re trying to assimilate all the hitters back into the lineup.
Not to mention that the pitching staff is still in tatters, as Julian Tavarez has suddenly become a starting pitcher.
How in tatters is our rotation? Well, let’s see who is in the rotation for starters.
Josh Beckett
Julian Tavarez
Kason Gabbard
Kyle Snyder
Kevin Jarvis
Kevin Jarvis? It’s already hard to stomach Julian Tavarez in a relief option, albeit a starting option (although I do give him his due for a great start last night). It’s already hard to see a struggling rookie in Kason Gabbard. I don’t have much problem with Kyle Snyder, he alternates being hammered with being brilliant. But all four? In one rotation?
Tim Wakefield, where art thou?
Jon Lester, where art thou?
David Wells, where art thou?
Curt Schilling, where art thou?
Matt Clement, where art thou?
Jonathan Papelbon, where art thou?
Bronson Arroyo, where art thou?
Five hurt, two traded, one of the hurt being Jonathan Papelbon becoming an ubercloser and then coming down with tightness in the arm that has yet to subside.
We got crippled on offense, to be sure. Having our #3, #4, #5, and #6 hitter back is going to mean a lot.
But make no mistake, we got crippled on pitching, too. We have a real shot at the wild card because of our offense, to be true, but our offense is not the worldbeater it once was, and it’s going to need our pitchers to step up.
I’d love for it to happen, but a Beckett, Tavarez, Gabbard, Snyder, and Jarvis rotation will not make that happen. We need Wakefield and Schilling back as soon as possible, with Papelbon back closing games.
Until then, this coming from an eternal optimist, it’s all wishful thinking.
