Misery Loves Company: Two Guys Watch Baseball

Games 107 through 109 - Red Sox
Doing Just Enough to Eke By

Detroit Tigers 4, Red Sox 3
Red Sox 7, Tigers 4
Red Sox 11, Tigers 9
Record: 60-49
August Record: 4-3

At various points this weekend, I was incensed, bitter, euphoric, disgusted, melancholy, mildly pleased, and simply done with the 2004 Red Sox. I can't decide whether I love or hate this team. After Friday's loss (the Sox are now 7-15 in 1-run games), they were 2 games out of the Wild Card chase and I was seriously contemplating a Soxbbatical - hell, it worked last year. At the end of the weekend, thanks to the Orioles (finally!), the Sox closed back into a flat-footed tie with the Rangers and Angels - but I'm still not convinced that they've turned anything around.

The good people over at SOSH are placing bets in the Sox' standing with regard to the Wild Card at the end of August. A sizable majority of the group likes the Sox to be at least a game or 2 in front of the competition. To which I say, please ship some of what you're smoking to suburban Washington, DC. Or, more to the point, what about this Sox team gives you any confidence that they'll play up to their potential in August when they haven't come close in any other month?

I'm waiting, waiting, waiting for that singular event that defines this team's championship chase, but after a month that reads like some kind of morse code cry for help from one of Whitney's old girlfriends (Since July 10, the Sox' ledger reads L, L, W, L, W, L, W, L, L, W, L, W, W, W, L, W, L, L, W, W, L, L, W, W) I'm beginning to wonder if this season's symbol will be a treadmill. If they can't rip off at least 7 of 10 during the upcoming homestand against Tampa Bay, Chicago, and Toronto, well, then...they'll be 10 games closer to ending this maddening season. Jesus, I sound like a mental patient. I simply cannot put my finger on the things that are making me crazy about this team.

One historical note from the weekend's series (and, not coincidentally, one of the most aggravating episodes) came from Tim Wakefield's "performance" against the Tigers yesterday. Like the nursery rhyme says, when Wake's good, he's great, and when he's bad, he's awful. (You don't know that one? Perhaps you should read more.) The 6 homeruns he allowed to the Tigers yesterday placed him squarely in the latter category. He's the first pitcher since 1932 to allow that many homeruns and win a game, and only the third in history. Kudos, Timmy!

Tried to call Whitney while I watched Art Howe walk Larry Walker to get to Jadier Molina in the bottom of the 9th on Saturday. Probably better that I couldn't reach him.

Apologies for the fragmented ramblings, but at this point in the Sox season, my writing resembles their play.