Just rambling on about the Red Sox

Looking at the next couple of weeks ahead, this could be the make or break section of the 2008 season for the Boston Red Sox, in terms of the AL East anyway. Worrying about the playoffs can come later, right now Boston has to worry about getting there at all, locked in a fierce AL East battle with the upstart Rays and the 'Dad's Army' Yankees.

A few weeks ago in a post about not panicking, I suggested that the Sox were about to hit a relatively smooth stretch in the schedule. The stretch is just underway, starting with a little frolic in Kansas.
  • Mon, Aug 4 @ Kansas City
  • Tue, Aug 5 @ Kansas City
  • Wed, Aug 6 @ Kansas City
  • Fri, Aug 8 @ White Sox
  • Sat, Aug 9 @ White Sox
  • Sun, Aug 10 @ White Sox
  • Mon, Aug 11 @ White Sox
  • Tue, Aug 12 Texas
  • Wed, Aug 13 Texas
  • Thu, Aug 14 Texas
  • Fri, Aug 15 Toronto
  • Sat, Aug 16 Toronto
  • Sun, Aug 17 Toronto
  • Mon, Aug 18 @ Baltimore
  • Tue, Aug 19 @ Baltimore
  • Wed, Aug 20 @ Baltimore
  • Fri, Aug 22 @ Toronto
  • Sat, Aug 23 @ Toronto
  • Sun, Aug 24 @ Toronto
Doesn't that look like a seven and six game winning streak in the space of two weeks waiting to happen?

Manny is gone, and Jason Bay is in the house, it's no longer the Boston Red Sox featuring Manny Ramirez, it is the 25 men of the Boston Red Sox on the same page. All you need to know about the clubouse is that nobody, not one player, has said anything close to 'I miss Manny.' Imagine that. The clubouse, to a man, appears totally happy with life without Manny.

It is showing on the field. The Sox are playing well, scoring runs in bunches, running the bases well and pitching great. If they manage to maintain this level of baseball over the next couple of weeks they could go some way to making the race for the AL East even tighter still.

On the mound tonight for Boston? Jon Lester and his superb 10-3, 3.15 record. Have a look at what the rivals are wheeling out tonight. The Yankees Ian Kinsler is dragging a over-seven era to the mound, and only against the hottest team in the AL right now, the Angels.

Time to stick the knife in the back of Dads Army, put those Yankees to bed and catch up on those feisty Rays.


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