State of the (Sox) Nation

By ADAM WENG
The Boston Red Sox have seen their one time double digit lead in the A.L. East diminished to six games over the New York Yankees. True Sox fans are not at all surprised by the resurgent Yanks, while others my have prematurely written off the Bombers back in June. To panic or not to panic? That, as always, is the question surrounding Red Sox Nation.
Surprise. Rookie Dustin Pedroia is leading the Red Sox in batting with a .324 average and has a .990 fielding percentage in 104 games at second base. Rookie of the Year? Certainly a consideration.
Comeback Kid. Jon Lester made his 2007 pitching debut on July 23 at Jacobs Field in Cleveland and won. It was his first appearance since being diagnosed with a rare form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, a blood cancer, back in august of ‘06. In six starts, he is 2-0 with a 5.67 ERA. His best start was seven innings against Tampa Bay, allowing one run. But the story is not his numbers, it’s that he’s here — at all.
French lesson. The trade deadline saw the Sox deal pitcher Kason Gabbard and minor league outfielder David Murphy to the Texas Rangers for closer Eric Gagne. The Canadian closer holds the Major League record for consecutive saves, 84 and during that stretch over two seasons blew just two opportunities. The now setup man is 1-1 in eight games with a 12.86 ERA, blowing his only two save opportunities. In seven innings of work, Gagne has allowed 16 hits (one home run), three walks and 10 earned runs. Here’s the kicker: The French word gagne is a form of the verb gagner, which means (are you ready?) “to win”. Maybe a more accurate definition would read “one win”.
Rotation. Let’s pretend we’re not Red Sox fans, turning off that small part in our brain that knows they’re going to blow it and assume they make the post-season. Looking at wins and ERA, the top three pitchers right now in the rotation are Josh Beckett (15-5, 3.15), Daisuke Matsuzaka (13-9, 3.79) and Tim Wakefield (15-10, 4.35). In a three-man rotation, that leaves Curt Schilling out of the playoffs. That’s not going to happen, so it would most likely be journeyman Wakefield assuming a role in the pen. Thankfully Aaron Boone is on the Marlins’ Disabled List.
J.D. Who. J.D. Drew is probably not living up to expectations and certainly isn’t living up to his seven year, 70 million dollar contract. He’s no Captain Jason Varitek — or is he? Through Drew’s 109 and Tek’s 101 games, the two have nearly identical batting averages, hits, doubles and triples, and while Tek is slugging slightly better, Drew’s on-base percentage is higher. RBI and home runs favor the veteran backstop, but while everyone is throwing Drew under the bus, don’t forget to include the guy with all the protective gear on.
A.L. Playoffs. If the season were to end today, the Red Sox would face the wild card winners Seattle Mariners and the L.A. Angels would host the Cleveland Indians. The Yankees would be left out of the playoffs for the first time since 1993. Dare to dream. Comparing these four teams gives us a look at how things could shake down.
The M’s team BA ranks first, followed by L.A., Boston and Cleveland. The Sox lead in runs scored, with 643 with L.A. behind them. Home runs go to the Tribe, with Boston and Seattle tied for second and L.A. last.
Pitching categories are nearly swept by the Red Sox, leading in team ERA (3.78), wins (76) and shutouts (11). Seattle leads in converted saves with 37, thanks in large part to J.J. Putz’s 36, and fewest home runs allowed (104). L.A. comes in second in ERA and wins. Cleveland is third in saves and shutouts. The Sox also have the highest fielding percentage of these American League playoff hopefuls with a .986, and have the fewest errors.
So what does the rest of the season hold for the new-look, defense-first Sox? After a tough August, the Sox’s schedule lightens up in September, facing the likes of Tampa, Balimore, Toronto, Oakland and Minnesota — all hovering around (or far below) .500. The Sox face the Yankees in two three-game sets. The first series is in The Bronx August 28-30 and then in The Fens September 14-16. What a long, strange trip it’ll be.