I really hope they move on from Wakefield at the end of the season. This is what, 4 seasons in a row now where they have counted on "his 200 innings of league average ERA" and he has been hurt in the second half?
Move on.
Something to keep in mind when people mock me for being overly negative:
The next 31 games for the Sox are against the Yankees, Blue Jays, White Sox, Rangers and Rays. After two games against Baltimore, the Sox six against the Rays and Angels. They then play seven against Baltimore and KC before finishing up the season with six against the Yankees and Blue Jays, and three against Cleveland. That's 43 out of 56 scheduled games against playoff caliber teams, if you count Toronto because they'd probably be a playoff contender if they weren't in the AL East.
Really tough schedule. Yanks could really begin to pull away with the division very soon.
Update after the last series:
[table]Team|Predicted Record|Actual Record|Differential
Tampa|59-49|60-48|+1
New York|64-43|65-42|+1
Boston|63-43|62-44|-1[/table]
14-14 since July 1, with games against Seattle, Oakland, Kansas City, Toronto, Texas, Baltimore, and Tampa.
They should have had at least 18 wins during that stretch. This was the soft underbelly of their schedule and failed to take advantage.
Consider it dropped.
What makes you so certain we're making the playoffs? Rays have played better baseball since July 1.
So, what you're telling me, is this team just isn't very good and no trade deadline move could have made up for that?
I can agree with that line of thinking.
Dude, I didn't bring up the Tex thing tonight. I haven't said anything about it since it was asked of us to drop it.
This team looks just, bad against good teams. Best case scenario, we split in New York and are still 2.5 games out with a tough schedule to close.
My thread asked a legitimate question. If I was negative as you think I am, I wouldn't have even put up the "1.5 games up" option.
What?