Red Sox In The Playoffs ? How Boston Tops Their Record Comeback Of 2004

Don't look now, but that team that stood playoff history on its ear a few years back is mounting another charge, with the Yankees once again playing the foil. In the run up to their first World Series title in forever and a day, the Red Sox became the first and only major league team to bounce back from a 3-0 deficit, sweeping away the Yankees and the Cardinals to cap an improbable run. But if you think that was a once in a lifetime event, you haven't been paying attention.

Don't worry; most of New England feels the same way. The leaves are turning; the swimming pools are being put to bed, pumpkins dot the neighborhood stoops, and the Patriots are grabbing headlines. The Red Sox? They've been left for dead since the day Dustin Pedroia checked out. But a funny thing is happening on the way to the finish line. The Yankees are taking more days off than Barack Obama, and the schedule just might be catching up with them.

Not only are they suddenly in a heated battle with the Tampa Rays for first place;(they play 5 more times), but they also have 6 more games with the Red Sox, including the last 3 games of the season in Fenway Park. And the Yankee rotation is having a worse September than Tiger Woods.

While all this still doesn't put Boston in the driver's seat, it DOES give them this glimmer of hope; THE RED SOX CONTROL THEIR OWN DESTINY ! Granted, they might have to run the table, but with this year's staff ace going for the sweep in Seattle tonight, the schedule sets up nicely for Boston. They get Toronto and Baltimore at home, followed by 3 in Yankee Stadium. And you only have to look back to last year when both teams took turns winning 8 straight against each other to realize that this thing isn't over until Boston says it's over.

By the time Boston hits Chicago, they'll have the Yankees more nervous than Ben Roethlisberger at a cotillion, and the White Sox will be in full shut down mode. That brings us to the final 3 game set in Boston and you just know Curt Schilling will be on hand to throw out the first pitch. And if the Red Sox really want to rattle the chains of destiny, and put some old ghosts to bed, they'll have Mike Torrez do the honors the next day, October 2nd. 

The naysayers will point to their AAA outfield, their shaky bullpen, the regulars lost to injury, and a manager so afraid of Josh Beckett, he won't dare pull him 'til he's given up 7 runs. Nonsense ! The kids are alright, the starters will pitch into the 8th, there's no crying in baseball, and it will soon dawn on Tito that you build confidence through August, but September is for results.(Note to Tito: use a quicker hook; I'm running out of televisions here...) 

In a lost season where the breaks have been beating the boys, it is time for the Red Sox to just block out the negative and follow one simple rule........win tonight. Do that, and it won't matter what anyone else is doing. Facing insurmountable odds, I figure the Red Sox have the Yankees right where they want them. Like Yogi said, "It's deja vu all over again."