Can the Red Sox still pull out the division?

[nickagneta]

The Red Sox are hot. Real HOT!! They have won 19 of their last 25 games and have all but won assured that the winner of the wild card will come from the AL East. But will it be them going to LA to play in the first round of the playoffs?

As of right now the Red Sox are 4 games behind the Yankees in the loss column with 14 games to play for the Sox and 12 for the Yanks. This week should go a very long way to determining who wins the East as the Yankees have to play in Anaheim against the Angels for three games and then come across the country to play Sox in Yankee stadium. Meanwhile, Boston has to play 4 games versus the lowly, as in 3rd worst team in the entire league, Kansas City Royals.

The Yankees also seem to be stumbling down the stretch. They've played .500 ball over the last 2 weeks and now have to face to two best teams in the league besides themselves while have to integrate a cross country trip in between.

Should be a fun week and I think this could be quite a wild ride over the last 2 weeks of the season. Come October, it would not surprise me to see the Sox hosting Detroit in the first round. These Sox are hitting, they have their defensive woes at shortstop solved, their bullpen, except for Delcarmen and Okijima, are almost un-hittable and their starting pitching over the last 3-4 weeks has easily been the best in the league. Potent combo and I think the Yankees are going to find this is more like the team they played in April and May and not the team they played in August.

[Roy Hobbs]

I just don't see it.  If the Yankees go a very pedestrian 6-6 the rest of the way, the Sox would have to go 12-2 to tie for the division title, I believe.  In other words, the odds aren't good.  At a minimum, it will take a sweep of the Yanks, and even that might not be enough.

That being said, the way the Sox are playing right now, they seem capable of beating anybody in the playoffs.  I haven't been this optimistic in months.

[jambr380]

They chose the right time to get hot. A few weeks ago, there was a good chance they could have lost out on a playoff spot, but when the Rangers really turned it on, so did the Sox and now they do have a 'chance' for the division. While I would love to see it, I am not too confident, but like, Roy, I don't think it really matters. They will beat the Angels, as usual, in the first round and then we will see if the new Yankees are also choke artists.

[PosImpos]

They won't win the division, but I think we can have some cautious optimism about winning in the playoffs.

If Wakefield comes back decent and Becket, Dice-K, Lester, and Buckholtz continue to pitch pretty well to very well, we will be in very good shape.

[Tai]

I agree with Roy here.

At this point, getting the division just gives them an easy opponent, but if the Red Sox ride this momentum to the postseason, who they play may be toast regardless.

Chances are that who they play in the ALCS, if they get there, will be the same opponent regardless. The Red Sox should just do their thing for the rest of the regular season, get the Wild Card, and prepare for the Angels.

[nickagneta]

While I agree with others that the Sox winning the division will be difficult, I'm not about to write it off. Would it surprise anyone if over the next week the Angels were to win 2 of 3 from the Yankees and then the Sox win 3 of 4 from the Royals? Is that so far fetched given where the teams are playing and who they are playing against?

If that were to happen before next weekend's games in Yankee Stadium, the Sox would only be 3 1/2 games out. The Sox have already swept two different 3 game series from the Yankees this year. The pitching matchups  of Lester,/DiceK/Wakefield vs CC/Joba/Pettitte certainly don't favor either team either way at this point. Would a Sox sweep of the Yankees, a team that in recent years hasn't exactly finished well, be out of the question? Recent finishes of just about .500 ball in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 by the Yankees and their current tailspin show that a Yankee swoon late isn't beyond the realm of believability.

But it all will come down to next weekend in my book. If the Sox can sweep, watch out!!

[xmuscularghandix]

While I agree with others that the Sox winning the division will be difficult, I'm not about to write it off. Would it surprise anyone if over the next week the Angels were to win 2 of 3 from the Yankees and then the Sox win 3 of 4 from the Royals? Is that so far fetched given where the teams are playing and who they are playing against?

If that were to happen before next weekend's games in Yankee Stadium, the Sox would only be 3 1/2 games out. The Sox have already swept two different 3 game series from the Yankees this year. The pitching matchups  of Lester,/DiceK/Wakefield vs CC/Joba/Pettitte certainly don't favor either team either way at this point. Would a Sox sweep of the Yankees, a team that in recent years hasn't exactly finished well, be out of the question? Recent finishes of just about .500 ball in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2007 by the Yankees and their current tailspin show that a Yankee swoon late isn't beyond the realm of believability.

But it all will come down to next weekend in my book. If the Sox can sweep, watch out!!

We can do it, lets get on this.

[Atzar]

Am I the only one who would rather face the Angels than the Tigers? 

Nobody on the Angels pitching staff concerns me, and they have no ability to turn games around with one swing of the bat - Vladi is a shell of his former self.  The Tigers, on the other hand, have Verlander, who may be the one pitcher in the AL who can beat Boston by himself regardless of who we throw at him.  Also, our own ace has been notably un-acelike lately.  If Verlander beats Beckett twice, they only have to win one more game.  Also, they do have guys who can change games with one swing.  Miggy goes without saying, and Granderson would be a superstar if he could outhit my girlfriend against left-handed pitching. 

In general - and mostly because of Verlander - I'd just rather face the Angels.  And that's not even taking into account our recent postseason play against them.

[Rondo2287]

Ya I also would also rather face the angels.  That angels team is much different this year than last year.  Their hitting is their strength and their pitching is suspect at best.  Their best pitcher gets smoked by the sox in the playoffs. The sox routinely dismiss the Angels in the playoffs every year.  And as Atzar pointed out the Tigers have Verlander who pitched a very very very dominating game against the sox earlier in the summer.  I think he hit over 100 in his last inning.  Playing Detroit in a 5 game series scares me alot.  I think you can pencil in JV for two wins and then Detroits just needs to run into one more. 

[ma11l]

I think the Angels would be a easier opponent, however I don't think either them or the Tigers are going to pose much of a problem for the Sox.  Since they are the best home team in baseball I would LOVE to have the home field against the Yankees.  Usually in baseball I would say it doesn't matter, but we are so good at home and at times mediocre at best on the road.

[nickagneta]

I think the Angels would be a easier opponent, however I don't think either them or the Tigers are going to pose much of a problem for the Sox.  Since they are the best home team in baseball I would LOVE to have the home field against the Yankees.  Usually in baseball I would say it doesn't matter, but we are so good at home and at times mediocre at best on the road.

Not to mention the 2nd best home team in the league by only a game or two is the Yankees.

[BudweiserCeltic]

Since we still have some head to head games against the Yanks, this is quite possible. More important to me though, is going into the playoffs with some momentum. That could be huge for us regardless if we end up winning the division or not.

[JSD]

It depends on how many head to head games are left against the Yanks.

[BudweiserCeltic]

It depends on how many head to head games are left against the Yanks.

14 games left. 3 h2h with the Yanks. 5 games back at the moment.

[nickagneta]

It depends on how many head to head games are left against the Yanks.

14 games left. 3 h2h with the Yanks. 5 games back at the moment.

Only four back in the loss column.