Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Ticket punched!

Playoffs!

The Sawx are into the postseason, and did so in fairly dramatic fashion, taking down the presumptive AL Cy Young Award favorite, Cliff Lee, and using the oft-maligned bullpen to wiggle out of some tough jams late in the game. They had big hits and solid starting pitching as well in taking down the Indians 5-4 and clinching a spot in the 2008 playoffs.

So now we wait to see what the Angels decide to do for the playoffs, since they have the prerogative when it comes to selecting when their series with the Sox would start. I know there is still a chance the Sox can win the AL East (they are 3 games back), but after watching Tampa sweep the Orioles in a doubleheader last night (the first EVER doubleheader sweep in Rays history), it's pretty much a foregone conclusion that the Rays will take the AL East Division title.

If the Angels decide to start the series on Wednesday, the Sox will need just Beckett, Lester and Dice-K for their starters, as the games go Wed/Fri/Sun/Mon/Wed. Should the Angels decide to start on Thursday, the Sox will need a 4th starter, either Wakefield or Byrd (Colon is out after pulling a Rolando Arroyo and disappearing into the Dominican for a BBQ), which means Tito Francona will have a decision to make. My money's on Byrd, given that he's been sharper of late and the knuckleball is too unpredictable in the Fall, esp. at Fenway.

Regardless, "Mission Soxtober" is accomplished, and we can look forward to postseason baseball and some late nights in our immediate future.

Go Sawx, and congrats on a hard-won playoff spot.

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