The Red Sox entered their series against the Yankees with a huge opportunity on their hands. Having swept the season series against New York thus far with an 8-0 record against the Yanks in 2009, Boston had a great chance to close in on New York's 2.5 game lead in the AL East.
Boston came in hoping for the best and got the worst. Swept by the Yankees, shut out twice, and more pitching woes for the Sox.
It seems clear to me that New York is the favorite to win the AL East at this point. With strong pitching and even stronger hitting, they clearly look like the stronger team this season. Boston is 6.5 games back now, and tied with Texas in the Wild Card chase. Behind Texas in this race is Tampa Bay, just 1.5 games back.
In their latest series against the Yankees, the Sox didn't do anything right. Their hitting was stifled as they got shut out in two of the games. But I'm not worried about their hitting, that will come around. What I'm worried about now is their pitching. Prior to the trade deadline, most analysts would agree that the depth of the Sox pitching staff was the strength of the team.
Now, with Wakefield and Dice-K on the DL, Buchholz struggling, and Smoltz being designated for assignment (after eight dismal starts), the Sox need some immediate pitching help. If they don't get any, they might not even make it to the playoffs.
In other baseball news, the Washington Nationals have been on fire lately! And yes, that means more than two wins in a row. In fact, the Nationals have won eight straight games! They've also gone 12-4 since July 25, the best record out of all MLB teams in that span. Too bad they still sport the worst record in the majors, but at 40-72, they are improving, at least. They've gotten excellent hitting out of their lineup, especially from Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman, and they've averaged 7.06 runs per game since July 25, also the most in the majors.
Moreover, their bullpen has been fantastic. Prior to the All-Star break, the Nats bullpen ERA was 5.71 and they had only attained 14 saves in 34 opportunities. After the break, their bullpen ERA has been 2.98. A lot of their wins can be attributed to their new closer, Mike MacDougal, who's done exceptionally well closing out ball games.
Just as hot as the Nationals would be Mark Reynolds, who seems to be responsible for as much offense over the last 10 days as the Boston Red Sox combined. With 8 HRs during this period, he's made fantasy GMs thrilled, and their opposition miserable. I'm in that miserable category.
Boston came in hoping for the best and got the worst. Swept by the Yankees, shut out twice, and more pitching woes for the Sox.
It seems clear to me that New York is the favorite to win the AL East at this point. With strong pitching and even stronger hitting, they clearly look like the stronger team this season. Boston is 6.5 games back now, and tied with Texas in the Wild Card chase. Behind Texas in this race is Tampa Bay, just 1.5 games back.
In their latest series against the Yankees, the Sox didn't do anything right. Their hitting was stifled as they got shut out in two of the games. But I'm not worried about their hitting, that will come around. What I'm worried about now is their pitching. Prior to the trade deadline, most analysts would agree that the depth of the Sox pitching staff was the strength of the team.
Now, with Wakefield and Dice-K on the DL, Buchholz struggling, and Smoltz being designated for assignment (after eight dismal starts), the Sox need some immediate pitching help. If they don't get any, they might not even make it to the playoffs.
In other baseball news, the Washington Nationals have been on fire lately! And yes, that means more than two wins in a row. In fact, the Nationals have won eight straight games! They've also gone 12-4 since July 25, the best record out of all MLB teams in that span. Too bad they still sport the worst record in the majors, but at 40-72, they are improving, at least. They've gotten excellent hitting out of their lineup, especially from Adam Dunn and Ryan Zimmerman, and they've averaged 7.06 runs per game since July 25, also the most in the majors.
Moreover, their bullpen has been fantastic. Prior to the All-Star break, the Nats bullpen ERA was 5.71 and they had only attained 14 saves in 34 opportunities. After the break, their bullpen ERA has been 2.98. A lot of their wins can be attributed to their new closer, Mike MacDougal, who's done exceptionally well closing out ball games.
Just as hot as the Nationals would be Mark Reynolds, who seems to be responsible for as much offense over the last 10 days as the Boston Red Sox combined. With 8 HRs during this period, he's made fantasy GMs thrilled, and their opposition miserable. I'm in that miserable category.
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