The Boston Red Sox came into the four game series against the New York Yankees just 2.5 GB of first place in the AL East. This was a crucial series for both teams; the Yankees were 0-8 against the Sox this year and desperately needed a series victory in order to gain momentum in the AL East race and to prove they could beat the Sox. The Sox, on the other hand, needed a series victory in order to cut the gap between these two teams and to end their current slide.
Unfortunately for us Sox fans, the Yankees needed to get out their brooms. Not only did the Yankees sweep the Red Sox, but they did so in a dominating fashion. The Yanks have been extremely hot since the All-Star break, whereas the Sox have been ice cold, and their respective streaks continued.
It seems clear to me that New York is the favorite to win the AL East at this point. With strong pitching and even stronger hitting, they clearly look like the stronger team this season. Boston is 6.5 games back now, and tied with Texas in the Wild Card chase. Behind Texas in this race is Tampa Bay, just 1.5 games back.
In their latest series against the Yankees, the Sox didn't do anything right. Their hitting was stifled as they got shut out in two of the games. But I'm not worried about their hitting, that will come around. What I'm worried about now is their pitching. Prior to the trade deadline, most analysts would agree that the depth of the Sox pitching staff was the strength of the team.
Boston's pitching situation is ominous at best right now. All-Star Tim Wakefield has hit the DL alongside Dice-K, and pitchers like Buchholz and Smoltz couldn't look much worse. In fact, the 40-something Smoltz has been sent back down to the minors since he can't seem to get his stuff together.
If this isn't all surprising enough, how about those Washington Nationals? With a 12 and 4 record over the last 16 games and an 8 game win streak, there may not be a hotter team in baseball right now. I can't remember the last time I've said that, if ever before.
Moreover, their bullpen has been fantastic. Prior to the All-Star break, the Nats bullpen ERA was 5.71 and they had only attained 14 saves in 34 opportunities. After the break, their bullpen ERA has been 2.98. A lot of their wins can be attributed to their new closer, Mike MacDougal, who's done exceptionally well closing out ball games.
My final MLB news of the day is centered around Arizona Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds. Reynolds has been the hottest player in baseball lately. In the past ten days, he's raised his BA from .275 to .290, and he has 8 HR's, 12 RBI's, and 2 SB's. This kind of stat line is exceptional. Of course, he did singlehandedly beat me in fantasy baseball this week, which somewhat dampens his performance in my eyes.
Unfortunately for us Sox fans, the Yankees needed to get out their brooms. Not only did the Yankees sweep the Red Sox, but they did so in a dominating fashion. The Yanks have been extremely hot since the All-Star break, whereas the Sox have been ice cold, and their respective streaks continued.
It seems clear to me that New York is the favorite to win the AL East at this point. With strong pitching and even stronger hitting, they clearly look like the stronger team this season. Boston is 6.5 games back now, and tied with Texas in the Wild Card chase. Behind Texas in this race is Tampa Bay, just 1.5 games back.
In their latest series against the Yankees, the Sox didn't do anything right. Their hitting was stifled as they got shut out in two of the games. But I'm not worried about their hitting, that will come around. What I'm worried about now is their pitching. Prior to the trade deadline, most analysts would agree that the depth of the Sox pitching staff was the strength of the team.
Boston's pitching situation is ominous at best right now. All-Star Tim Wakefield has hit the DL alongside Dice-K, and pitchers like Buchholz and Smoltz couldn't look much worse. In fact, the 40-something Smoltz has been sent back down to the minors since he can't seem to get his stuff together.
If this isn't all surprising enough, how about those Washington Nationals? With a 12 and 4 record over the last 16 games and an 8 game win streak, there may not be a hotter team in baseball right now. I can't remember the last time I've said that, if ever before.
Moreover, their bullpen has been fantastic. Prior to the All-Star break, the Nats bullpen ERA was 5.71 and they had only attained 14 saves in 34 opportunities. After the break, their bullpen ERA has been 2.98. A lot of their wins can be attributed to their new closer, Mike MacDougal, who's done exceptionally well closing out ball games.
My final MLB news of the day is centered around Arizona Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds. Reynolds has been the hottest player in baseball lately. In the past ten days, he's raised his BA from .275 to .290, and he has 8 HR's, 12 RBI's, and 2 SB's. This kind of stat line is exceptional. Of course, he did singlehandedly beat me in fantasy baseball this week, which somewhat dampens his performance in my eyes.
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