This Could Be Fun!

I actually heard someone on the radio say that as much as they didn’t want to say it, the Sox had to cheer for the Yankees this week. What? What? Why on earth would I ever do that? Now, I admit. I have wished for the team the Yankees are playing to lose before. I have never wished for a Yankees win. I know. It’s semantics. But, I feel better. This isn’t one of those cases. I want the Yankees to lose, and lose big the rest of the season. An eleven game losing streak would be perfect. The Sox just need to play decently.

The Sox have ten games left. The Rays have ten games left. The Yankees have eleven. The Rays and Yanks play each other seven times! So, let’s assume the Sox go a rather pedestrian 6-4 against the Orioles and Yankees. That puts them at 93 wins. In order for the Rays to catch them, they would need to go 8-2. But, in order for them to go 8-2, the Yankees would need to roll over for them…remember those seven games. So, if the Rays are 8-2, the worst they could have done against the Yankees is 5-2. Which means the Yankees were 2-5 against the Rays. That puts the Yanks, Rays, and Sox all within a game or so depending on where the Red Sox wins come from. If the Sox 6-4 includes three wins against the Yanks or zero against the Yanks. The math, I admit, gets a little nutzo.

What does all that crazy math mean? There’s no reason to cheer for the Yankees. Not now. Not ever. The Sox just need to play their game. They need to win more than they lose the last ten games. Lester and Beckett should each pitch twice more. The Red Sox offense gets to play Baltimore. The Sox just need to play their game. After all, even with the moronic start to the season and this incredible slump at the end, the Sox have played .572 ball. That’s the six wins they need out of ten. Just go a do what they’ve been doing all season.

The rest will take care of itself.