Happy Days.
The Sox moved into a tie in First Place in the division today, but it won't be their last day at the top.
First off, I want to give credit to the Yankees for being there in the first place. I'm no longer sure their team is good enough to finish in second, let alone first, but you have to really be impressed with how they keep winning. Freddy Garcia and Bartolo Colon are still pitching great, and every game they help the Yankees compete is nothing but gravy for these guys. Sure, you could say that maybe one of them could get hot. But both? And stay that way? Well, they made it to Memorial Day Weekend, but I'll really be kowtowing if they are still sporting sub 3.5 ERA's by July 4th. Curtis Granderson is a man reborn, and Marino Rivera is simply ageless.
And despite all that, the Sox have caught them.
No fluke either, as they are simply stomping everything in their path at this point. As noted in this very blog, the Sox bats were likely to explode just returning to the their historical averages, and with the added thump of Gonzales - who on these pages will now be referred to as TCT - Triple Crown Threat - and you have some serious run scoring going on. More Kudos to me: I mentioned that Lackey might get one of those phantom injuries in a month or so - but with the Sox winning and plenty of pitchers to try - Lackey gets the hook. Teams like the Sox aren't going to settle for a 6.00 era when then can get that out of a true prospect in AAA, and then package him up in a deal. But I digress.
You are now looking at a reasonable version of the team that was on paper in March. And they are good. Need I mention how they simply walked over the Indians, the hottest team in MLB? They came within a blown save of sweeping. And they did sweep the Yanks. Sure the Yanks were scuffling a bit, but they were at home, and it was unlike the evil empire not to save at least one game. Yankee fans: It's just not going to be your year.
I'm still not convinced that a MAJOR trade is in the works for Cashman. Not sure he's got the chips, not sure the right pitcher is out there, and not sure he's going to bet the farm against the Boston Beanetown Bashers.
But we will see. Let the real pennant race begin!
Do Good Things Today!
Matt Heisler
*All information is posted in good faith and is assumed to be reliable, but may rely on third party information sources.
