Bleeding 'Red'

You can never truly count the Boston Red Sox out until the final out of the final game is recorded to officially send them packing. I think they earned that respect after making history last year when they came from a 3-0 deficit to beat the New York Yankees in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series. However, plain and simple, these are not the same Red Sox. This is not the team that ran out a healthy Curt Schilling, Pedro Martinez, Derek Lowe, and an unhittable Tim Wakefield when they were down last year. This is not the same team that was healthy and hitting up and down the lineup as if the Yankee pitchers were throwing beach balls up to the plate. Instead, the 2005 season will rest on Wakefield (coming off a drudging by the Yankees), an inconsistent and underwhelming Schilling, and then Matt Clement for Game 5? Maybe they would go to David Wells on 3 days rest, if they even get to Sunday. And these Red Sox who scored the most runs in all of Major League Baseball in 2005, have mustered up just 6 runs in two games, thus far against Chicago White Sox pitching. So, they aren't scoring and they aren't pitching. On top of that, their defense has cost them all season (i.e. Edgar Renteria leading the league in errors) and now it has put them on the brink of elimination - if Tony Graffanino comes up with the routine grounder, the Red Sox probably head back to Fenway tied 1-1. There's just a lot to overcome to win 3 in a row. Not to mention the fact that they will have to beat Freddy Garcia (14-8, 3.87 ERA), Jon Garland (18-10, 3.50 ERA), and Jose Contreras (15-7, 3.61 ERA). The best starting staff in baseball (statiscally, at least). The Red Sox do go to Fenway Park for 2 games where they have the best home record in baseball, but you always have to remember that in the playoffs good pitching always shuts down good hitting. And if they aren't hitting, and we all know they aren't getting the pitching, I think the Chicago fans can start planning their Tuesday and Wednesday nights around being at U.S. Cellular Field. Sure, the Red Sox are familiar with having their backs up against the wall, but when even your own players voice concerns about their team's pitching and performance, you might have to wonder if they have the same grit and fight to climb out of the hole two years in a row. This just isn't the same team.