Red Sox Fans Looking To Place Blame Should Not Look to the Bronx

The moment Jacoby Ellsbsury's home run sailed deep into the Bronx night on Sunday the grumblings began. 

"Sure the Yanks are playing the Rays, but they're going to use Triple A lineup."

"Girardi won't play his best players knowing the Red Sox can miss the playoffs if they lose."

Sorry Sox fans, this is just not true. Oh yes the Yankees won't be playing their best players for the entire nine innings of this current series against the Rays. Girardi won't be mirroring the fourth quarter of an NFL preseason game though. 

As evidenced by last night's starting lineup which featured Curtis Granderson, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez and Robinson Cano, the Yankees aren't playing this series to lose. They're not going to play the games all out though and playing with the Red Sox playoff hopes riding on their backs isn't likely the reason.

The reason why is that they'd be crazy to. First of all the Yankees are going to have to deal with either the Rays or the Red Sox in the American League playoff pool. The Rays are throwing their best pitchers at the Yanks for this series. James Shields went last night and Jeremy Hellickson and David Price are finishing up the series. Do you think Girardi wants the Rays heading to the playoffs able to rest their best pitchers and set their rotation? Of course not.

In addition, while rest is important so is staying sharp and in rhythm. The majority of the Yankees have been playing baseball nearly every day since April. Will three or four days off in a row help? Probably not. Plus these guys would rather play than sit on the bench and watch. 

What Sox fans should be asking themselves though is what would they be doing if the tables were turned? Suppose the Red Sox had the division and home field locked up ( Yes I know I'm dreaming), and it was the Yankees fighting for their playoff lives needing some help from the Red Sox. Can you imagine the pressure on Francona? Boston Sports Radio would be jammed with callers recommending the Red Sox start a lineup of Triple, no, probably Single-A ballplayers.

We'd want Ochocinco playing catcher, Martha Coakley pitching. Scott Brown would be in center field. Boston sports fans would probably beg Bill Belichick to allow Vince Wilfork to be used as a pinch runner. There would be nightly hell for Francona to pay if any starter appeared in a starting lineup.  

There would probably be Red Sox fans rooting for them to lose. That's how silly a situation it would be. Unfortunately this is not the situation. Sadly for Sox fans the nine-game wild-card lead is now gone. The team that entered last night on a high from Sunday's dramatic extra-inning win over the Yankees was not able to build on that momentum. The problems were the same ones that have plagued this team all month. Starting pitchers who in spite of rest are pitching as if they're tired down the stretch and hitters who just can't come up with hits when runners are in scoring position. 

This weekend the playoffs start. The Yankees will be there regardless of what they do the next two nights. The Red Sox are showing no signs of even wanting to play baseball this weekend. That's okay because it's beginning to look like they won't have to.