VPR’s Morning Edtion host Mitch Wertleib is among those Red Sox fans who are holding their noses as they root for the New York Yankees so that their team can make the playoffs.
To quote the great philosopher Zippy the Pinhead: "Are we having fun yet?"
The Boston Red Sox lost again Wednesday night, 6-4, at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. Josh Beckett pitched well until the 7th inning when he gave up the second of two home runs of the night to Mark Reynolds, which tied the score, and then the O’s took the lead for good in the 8th.
So, if you can stand to look at the standings, here’s how it stands:
The Red Sox have a 2½ game lead in the wild card playoff chase with six games to play.
The Tampa Bay Rays have seven left, including one with the New York Yankees tonight.
Those Yankees, who clearly don’t appreciate the drama of holding their fans hostage in the final week of the season, clinched the AL East title yesterday and again helped out the Red Sox by taking both ends of a double-header against the Rays, both by scores of 4-2.
However, while the Rays are on a losing skid thanks to the Yankees, and while I’ve been obsessed with Tampa, and behold the L.A. Angels of Anaheim are now right on the heels of the Red Sox as well. In fact, the Rays and Angels are both 2 ½ games in back of the Sox for that coveted wild card playoff berth.
So while the Red Sox are off today and the Rays are in New York, the Angels play north of the border against the Blue Jays in Toronto. Which means Sox fans must be Yankees fans for at least one more day and chant "Go Jays!" as well, because without some help it’s looking more and more like the Sox are headed for an historic and ignominious collapse.
But let’s peek at the schedule the rest of the way. How tough can it be, right? I mean, they rest today and then tomorrow head to. The Bronx. For three games. Against the Yankees. Well, OK, but they finish the season with three against Baltimore – the team that just took three-out-of-four in Boston.
When does hockey season start? Ah, yes, October 9th – Bruins vs. Flyers.