So Close!

I mentioned not too long ago that it didn’t do the Sox any good to sweep the Rays if they were going to lose to Kansas City. Since then, they went 2-2 against KC, 2-1 against Oakland, and now 2-1 against the Orioles. 6-4 in their last ten. Not too shabby.

Interesting, by the way, how things would change. I look at that streak and think, .600 ball is a pretty good clip. Imagine, though, the Sox had pulled out yesterday’s game. I’d be talking about this ungodly .700 streak they were on. What if they hadn’t pulled out Friday’s game? I’d be discussing a rather pedestrian .500 week. Funny how numbers work like that. It’s just one game in a week and a half, and it could throw the entire feeling towards a team into a jumbled mess. Numbers, eh?

I like yesterday’s loss for one thing, though. John Lackey pitched very well. No, he wasn’t “lights out.” No, he wasn’t Pedro out there. Yes it was against the Orioles. But, if the Sox get that performance out of him every start from here on out, they’ll be in great shape. Frankly, as long as they get more of those than not, it will be a great sign for the future. Add that to the fact that Lester seems to remember that he was good, and the rotation is looking up. How ironic is it, by the way, that Lester and Ortiz were named pitcher and hitter of the month in May. They were both falling off the face of the planet in April, with concerns stacking upon concerns. Then, they both flip a switch and become the best in the AL the next month. How does that even happen?
The Sox have another weak team to deal with at the moment. The Indians are just hobbled by injuries. (Well, that and recent firesales, poor management, and bad players.) Hopefully the Sox don’t take them too lightly. I don’t expect the players to slack off at all. Hitting a major league pitcher really has nothing to do with how good the rest of the team is. Facing a major league line-up is still getting a series of hitters out. Where the problem often comes is from the manager. How often in years past have Sox fans seen a series like this, a week team right before a great team, and saw the managers take the week off. You’d see line-ups resting every starter in preparation for the Phillies. Luckily, Francona hasn’t seemed to subscribe to that way of thinking during his tenure. Besides, with all the injuries, the Sox are already featuring their bench at a pretty good frequency.

I think someone told me not to draft Ellsbury in the first round.