Boston Red Sox: 7 Keys for Red Sox Success in 2011 Postseason

Already 128 games into the MLB regular season, the Boston Red Sox have a 78-50 record and are tied for the lead in the American League East with the New York Yankees. They also hold an 8.5-game lead over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Wild Card race.

The Red Sox have showed no signs of slowing down, and it looks like the boys from Beantown are poised to make another playoff run.

However, the playoffs are never an easy ride in Major League Baseball, and here are some keys for Boston which should make them successful in October.

A Healthy, Uninjured Lineup

The Red Sox are without two of their top hitters, David Ortiz and Kevin Youkilis. Ortiz reportedly has bursitis in his right heel and is expected to return at the end of the week. Youkilis is on the 15-day disabled list with back stiffness. 

If these two were to be injured during the playoffs, it would significantly hurt Boston's chances at making a run to become World Champions. Ortiz is one of the most clutch players on the team and Youk is considered by some, "The Greek God of Walks." The guy gets on base, and having base runners in the playoffs is a necessity.

Boston's players have been hurt late in the season the past few years, and it has prevented them from succeeding in the playoffs, if they even made it that far. If the Red Sox want to make it to the World Series this year, all of their key players need to rest up and get healthy by September 30. 

Start Josh Reddick and Bench J.D. Drew

J.D. Drew is expected to be added to Boston's active roster on September 1. He will probably end up starting several games at the beginning of the month to give Josh Reddick a break, but what happens after that?

Drew has played abysmally when he has been healthy this year, hitting for an atrocious .219 average in 79 games. In Reddick's short time with the team, the rookie has hit .291 in 60 games. In addition to Drew's poor batting average this season, he also has only tallied four home runs and 21 RBI, which are both career lows.

If Terry Francona and Theo Epstein want to be smart during the playoffs, they will play Josh Reddick over J.D. Drew. Reddick is fresh, and playing well. Drew had been sauntering along this season before he got hurt, and that kind of play just won't cut it in October. 

Limit the Play of Jason Varitek and Tim Wakefield

The picture you see in this slide is 13 years old. If Jason Varitek or Tim Wakefield were 13 years younger, I would want them to play every game in these playoffs.

But the fact of the matter is, both Varitek and Wakefield's careers are essentially over. Wakefield will hopefully get his 200th win which he has been desperately trying to earn. Varitek is finishing up what looks to be a final one-year deal with the Red Sox.

These two need to see very limited time in the 2011 playoffs. Jarrod Saltalamacchia is more consistent at the plate than Varitek, and Wakefield's knuckleball is far too unpredictable to rely on in the postseason. The only time that Varitek should be playing in October is during late-inning situations when a defensive replacement is needed. Wakefield should only come into the game if they are deep in extra innings or up by 10 runs.

Otherwise, these two need to take a seat and let the heart of this team carry them to a World Series victory. 

Keep the Onslaught of CC Sabathia and the Yankees Going

The American League team that worries the Red Sox heading into the postseason sits with them atop the AL East, is the New York Yankees.

Fortunately for Boston, they have dominated the Yankees this season holding a 10-2 record against them. The most important statistic might be that they have swept New York twice at Yankee Stadium, showing their ability to win on the road. To top things off, CC Sabathia has gone 0-4 with a 7.20 ERA against the Red Sox this season.

If Boston can continue to pound both CC and the Yankees in the postseason, they will certainly prosper in October. If they cannot beat the Yankees, it will be a long, sad offseason for the Sox. 

Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon Must Keep Dominating

No lead is safe in the playoffs.

Some of the greatest comebacks in the history of baseball have come during the late innings of October.  A strong finish by bullpen is key in preventing that from happening.

Daniel Bard and Jonathan Papelbon are one the greatest duos in the majors when it comes to closing out games. Papelbon, who has quietly had a very impressive season, has not let up an earned run since July 16.  He has not blown a save since May 9, which was his only blown save of the season. Bard has recorded a 2.10 ERA with 62 strikeouts in 60 innings pitched. 

If the Red Sox want success in these 2011 playoffs, they are going to need these two to perform like they have during the regular season.

Carl Crawford

Carl Crawford received his monster deal of $142 million for seven years this offseason, but he has struggled to find his place with Boston ever since.

Crawford has only batted .251 this season which is the lowest of his career. He has 17 stolen bases, which is his lowest total since his rookie season in 2002. He only has 40 RBI, also his lowest since 2002. Granted, he has missed a fair amount of games to injury this year, but there is no doubt that he has underperformed in 2011.

In the playoffs, there is no room for a $142 million player to under-perform; it is unacceptable. Crawford is one of the best and most talented players in Major League Baseball and a player of his caliber needs to show up when his team needs him the most.

Adrian Gonzalez, David Ortiz, Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis have all proved that they can be counted on this season. Crawford is the only one who has been inconsistent. The Red Sox need consistency out of Crawford in October if they want to win games.

Clay Buchholz Back in the Rotation

The Red Sox have their No. 1 and 2 guys in the starting rotation in Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. But who is their No. 3? John Lackey? Erik Bedard? Andrew Miller? Tim Wakefield?

The true third guy for the Sox is Clay Buchholz, who has been on the DL since June 17 with a stress fracture to the lower back. Boston needs Buchholz in the postseason if they want to win. 

What sounds better? Beckett, Lester, Lackey and Bedard—or Beckett, Lester, Buchholz and Lackey/Bedard? The answer is the latter and everyone knows it. Lackey and Bedard are both too inconsistent to have the two of them in the starting rotation during the postseason, and it is for this reason that the Red Sox need Buchholz.

If the Red Sox do make it to the World Series and have to play the Philadelphia Phillies, they are going to have to deal with Cole Hamels, Cliff Lee and Roy Halladay. Beckett and Lester can take on two of them, but neither Lackey nor Bedard would stand a chance against the third.

The Red Sox need Buchholz to even the playing field if they want to win the World Series.

Conclusion

The Boston Red Sox have looked great since their horrible start to the 2011 season, and they seem poised to win it all this year. But they still have a long road ahead of them and it isn't going to get any easier.

If the Sox can pull off all of the things on this list, they will have a significant chance of sending Beantown into a frenzy by winning a World Series title for the third time in the past eight seasons.