I guess technically the playoffs start this afternoon, but for Red Sox fans, it’s tonight. When usually calm and “not worried” Da Guy tells me that the Angels “scare him”, I’m worried. But let’s take a look at tonight’s game with a nice set of rosy Red Sox glasses.
If momentum can carry a team through the playoffs like last year’s Rockies, you have to imagine that dropping two of three in a rain soaked weekend to the Yankees would have the opposite effect. Francona was smart about getting guys rest but you figured the team would want to win as well especially with the division still on the table when the series started.
So checking out my friends on ESPN.com and I see that four of ten writers picked the Sox while on the national poll 59% think the Angels are going to win. I wonder if the Sox can play the disrespect card like the Pats do so well, or if they’ll fold under the pressure.
Tonight Lester goes against John Lackey. Now Lackey was 2-0 against the Sox this year, but last year the Sox knocked him around, including a 4-0 win in the first round of the playoffs. Let’s hope the Sox bats remember their previous success against Lackey and don’t concentrate on the recent bad times. Rock this guy’s world.
Rumor has it that Grandpa Timlin is going to be on the roster and the Sox will keep Wakefield off the roster. Really? I get the whole two starters coming out of the bullpen thing but if the starters are better than a mop up, old man, piece of garbage that’s a reliever you make it work. And you have to make it work considering the fact that Beckett may have a short outing on Sunday and they’ll need a long man to keep them in the game, opposed to a mop up guy that will make the deficit worse.
My prediction? I say the Sox win tonight. Lester has a better ERA than Lackey and like I said, until this year the Sox killed Lackey. A healthy Sox lineup with or without Lowell I think will do fine against Lackey. Back tomorrow with a recap.
