'Strange' September For Red Sox
BOSTON (CBS) - It's been a strange September for the Boston Red Sox.
We've seen them go just 5-16.
Their wins came on the 3rd, 6th, 13th, 16th, and the 19th.
That's it. Amazing.
We've seen just about everything under the John Henry, Tom Werner, Larry Lucchino, and Theo Epstein regime: the bitter 2003 ALCS Game 7 loss, the historic comeback and World Series win in 2004, the repeat in 2007, a first round exit in 2005 and 2009, and the injury-plagued season of 2010.
But, we haven't seen one of these.
A collapse.
It's painful to watch.
Wednesday night was bizarre. The Sox had a 4-1 lead over the Orioles with Josh Beckett on the mound and Tampa Bay in the process of getting swept by the Yankees in a day-night doubleheader. But, again, it fell apart with the lowly Orioles getting five unanswered runs.
It's painful to watch post game interviews too. You can see how much this is killing David Ortiz, Dustin Pedroia, and Jason Varitek. They don't know what to say or do.
Meanwhile, Terry Francona may look OK when you see him, but this is killing him. He's not sleeping and is practically living at the ballpark. He's trying everything he can.
Nothing works.
I know it sounds like an excuse, but you get the sense this is just how it is. There doesn't seem like there is much the Sox can do. They need quality starts and can't get them. The bullpen is gassed. I'm waiting for Alfredo Aceves' arm to fall off.
So what now?
The Sox have three games in New York and three more in Baltimore. Six games and a two-game lead in the loss column. The Sox should win, however facing that Yankee line-up will be a tough assignment for this shaky Sox pitching staff.
You just don't get a good feeling. But, the beauty of the game tells us that you just don't know how this will all play out. All that matters is that Boston gets in. After that, it's four teams with an equal chance to move on.
Enjoy the ride.
Or, at least try to enjoy the ride.
