| 28 September 2010
Daisuke Matsuzaka surprised me with eight solid innings against the Yankees on Sunday and it looked like the Sox were going to make things difficult on the Yanks and Rays down in the final week of the season.
Then Paps and Okie blew it, and it appeared that this improbable run was finally over.
But Clay Buchholz and the Sox continued to fight last night, beating the White Sox 4-1. Coupled with a Yankee loss to the Blue Jays, the Sox remain mathematically in the playoff picture and 5.5 games out of the Wild Card spot.
Buchholz was sharp, allowing 1 run on 5 hits through 8 innings of work. He lowered his ERA 2.33 - just .02 points behind Felix Hernanadez for the AL's top spot - and earned his 17th win of the season. Buchholz remains in the CyYoung conversation, but with just 120 Ks on the year and Sabathia (20) and Lester (19) with the edge in wins... I'm not sure he'll get many votes.
That said, we all hoped for good things from Buchhy this season, but 17 wins and possible the best ERA in the AL was not something I was expecting. With Lackey and Beckett stinking up the joint, Theo looks like a genius right now for not trading Buchholz.
I still think Lester can make a real run the CYA. He'll make his last start of the season on Thursday against fellow lefty John Danks and the White Sox while Sabathia pitches tonight against Kyle Drabeck and the Blue Jays.
There's no way Sabathia (196) will catch Lester (220) in the K category and Lester's 2.96 ERA beats C.C.'s 3.26... if Sabathia looses and Jon wins - I think it comes down to Lester and Felix Hernandez (12-12, 2.31, 227).
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