Tonight the Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays open up a VERY big series down in Florida. A series that has a lot on the line for both teams. As the Red Sox who are 6 1/2 back in the AL East, currently hold a five game lead over the Rays in the AL Wild Card race. As it’s do or die time for both these clubs! Since at this point in the season with just about a month of baseball left. It’s looking like the only way either of these two teams will be seeing action in October, in from the Wild Card.
For the Rays this series with Boston, basically holds their only chance of making the postseason. As the Rays are 10 back of the NY Yankees in the East, with time running out. So they can basically forget winning the East for this year. What the Rays need to focus on is making their move and trying to overtake the Sox, in the wild card. They need to win this series, and I’m not talking about 2 out of 3. They need to sweep Boston, as a sweep would move them to within 2 games of the Red Sox.
If they were able to sweep the Sox in this series, it makes next weekend’s series in Boston, much more important. Since so much can and generally does happen, in the world of MLB. That by the time the Rays and Sox meet at Fenway Park on September 11th through the 13th, it could be a whole new ballgame for either team. As the Rays could just find themselves sitting in the drivers seat, in regards to the AL Wild Card, come mid September.
As far as the Red Sox are concerned they need to win this series if not sweep, for one reason and one reason only. To prove that they can beat the teams, they’llmost likely be facing come October. Since the Red Sox have had their share of problems all season long beating the elite teams. The top teams who are the leading contenders in the American League. Like the Angels, Rays, Rangers, Tigers, and over the last month or so that list would now include the Yankees.
Boston is a combined record of 8 and 20 agaisnt the Angels, Rangers and the Rays, so far on the season. Making things worse for them, is the fact they still have to 9 games to go with these teams. As they have 3 with the Angels and 6 with the Rays. The good news is that verse the Yankees and Tigers, the Sox are 15-7 this year.
Since winning these games, and knowing that going into the postseason, you can beat these teams is a great thing. Especially if the Sox and the fans of Red Sox Nation, would like to see them still be playing, come late October and early November in the World Series. It’s time to let the best month of baseball begin this evening, with the Sox & Rays. Let’s see which of these two teams wants the postseason more!
Tags: 2009 AL Wild Card, AL East, AL East Standings, AL Wild Card, Boston Red Sox, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Angles, MLB, MLB in September, N.Y. Yankees, New York Yankees, Red Sox Nation, September Baseball, Tampa Bay Rays, Tampa Bay's Tropicana Field, Texas Rangers, World Series
Derek Stykalo
Call to the Pen
Causeway Crowd
FanSided
Hardwood Houdini
Musket Fire
Birds Watcher
Jays Journal
Rays Colored Glasses
Yanks Go Yard
