Hardball Heaven

Strap yourselves in boys and girls - it's gonna be wild and woolly for the next couple of weeks in the AL East. The seemingly insurmountabe 14 1/2 game lead the Sox had on the Yankees has almost entirely dissolved - and really, it's surprising that the Sox even still have a lead. The Yankees have put on a show since the All-Star break, and the Sox have been in a daze.

Looking at the schedules the rest of the way, I'd give the Yanks an edge in terms of competition. The Sox get one day off, while the Yanks get none.

RED SOX:
9/21-23 @ Tampa Bay
9/25-26 Oakland
9/27-30 Minnesota

YANKEES:
9/21-24 Toronto
9/25-27 @ Tampa Bay
9/28-30 @ Baltimore

The D-Rays have been tough on the Sox lately, and it won't be easy tonight against Scott Kazmir. Thankfully, we have our ace Josh Beckett on the mound going for his 20th so it should be a good one. Bet the under. The Sox need to take 2 of 3 from Tampa, and then need to at least split the six games against the A's and Twins at Fenway. Both teams are out of the postseason mix, but they do have guys named Haren and Santana.

The Yanks, meanwhile, get the Blue Jays in the Bronx this weekend and then travel to Tampa and Baltimore to close out the regular season. They should catch a break in Baltimore, as the Orioles have shut down their two stud pitchers - Erik Bedard and Jeremy Guthrie - for the remainder of the season.

Schedules aside, what the Red Sox really need is to get healthy. They're missing a third of their lineup with Manny, Youkilis, and Coco Crisp all out. At this point, all the talk in Boston is about whether winning the division matters. Those who say it doesn't are full of shit. Of course it does - the Sox haven't won the division since 1995, they've pretty much led wire to wire, and they deserve it. I don't want to see them have to travel to Anaheim for the first round of the playoffs. If they don't win the AL East, we all know they're in the playoffs as the wild card. Not a bad consolation prize, but certainly not the way to enter the dance.

I know, I know - anything can happen. The 83-79 Cardinals proved that last year. I just want our team back, and then let's go from there.