| 29 September 2009
After winning seven of eight at Fenway Park just two weeks ago, the Red Sox have slipped into a bit of funk with six games left in the regular season.
Should we be worried?
The Sox dropped two in Kansas City, but the Royals were red hot, having won nine of the previous twelve games before that series. Not surprisingly, Tim Wakefield struggled in his start with a bad back and everyone knew Greinke would be trouble, so maybe a split with KC isn't all that concerning.
But then the Sox got swept by the Yankees. Both teams were already starting to rest their key players, but a win against the team we will likely have to beat to get to the World Series would have been nice. Instead the Sox got swept for a second time and finished with a 9-9 season series record.
Jon Lester got plunked in the knee early in Game 1, but he struggled before that and Joba Chamberlain, who was awful in a handful of starts leading up to this game, held us to three runs through six and got the win.
Then Sabathia and the Yankees held us to two hits and no runs the following day.
Worried yet?
Daisuke looked sharp in that game, but that would be all the good news to come out of that series, as the Sox went on to lose Game 3, wasting a solid outing from Paul Byrd. The Sox had the projected playoff lineup in for that game - making me wonder if this is what the ALCS is going to look like... if we can get past the Angels.
As if a 2-5 record on the road trip wasn't bad enough, Josh Beckett was a scratched from last night's start due to back spasms and the Sox lost 11-5 to the Jays. Tito says it has more to do with being uncomfortable on the plane than anything, but I'm already having flashbacks to the 2008 playoffs where an injured Beckett just couldn't get it done.
In 2007, when Beckett was unstoppable, the Sox gave the Commander a short mid-season break that paid huge dividends in October... You don't typically want your ace getting shut down the week before the postseason, but maybe the rest will do him some good.
Speaking of aces... Tito also said that Jon Lester looks good after injuring his leg and should be cleared to make his next start and the Game 1 start in the ALDS. That's some good news, but I'll feel better after I see him face live batters.
Bottom Line: I know we're just going to see more and more bench players going forward and that last win to clinch the wild card spot will come soon, but I'd feel alot better about things if we finished up strong before the playoffs.
You guys tell me... are you worried?
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