If The Postseason Started Today, The Red Sox Would Be Sitting At Home...Texas 4 Boston 3

That's right, the Boston Red Sox are half a game out in the AL Wild Card race and are wayyy back of the NY Yankees for the outright AL East title. That's what going 12-17 since the All Star break will get you. Yesterday at Arlington, Texas, the struggling New England club was beaten by the Wild Card leading Texas Rangers by a score of 4-3. Junichi Tazawa started for Boston and went five innings. Unlike his previous start, he didn't have the control or the command that was at his disposal five days ago. The bullpen put up goose egs in the sixth, seventh and eighth frames but the depleted Boston lineup was not able to score more than three. Mike Lowell talked about his team's 2009 trials and tribulations...

“We haven’t played up to our capability, that’s for sure,’’ Mike Lowell said. “If today was the last game of the season, I think we’d all be crying right now. But we still have a month and a half of baseball left and a chance to turn it around. I think we’ve got to look at it as that. But we can’t keep playing the way we are. We have to improve in more than just one area. We’re not going to trade nine guys. We have to do it with the guys we have. We’re capable of it. We’ve just got to get more hits.’’

Mikey, you hit the nails on their heads, so to speak. Is there any good news? Well, I can think of a little something nice. Kevin Youkilis will be back in a couple days but one hitter will not make all the difference in the world. I still think that the Red Sox have the ammunition to eventually overtake Texas and make it into the playoffs. Catching the Yankees is another matter entirely.

Today is a nicely-timed day off so Boston can lick its wounds, heal and get ready to kick some Toronto butts. I'll have the pitching matchups first thing in the morning. Until then, leave a comment if you wish and as always, BE WELL. I'll see you...soon. Click on this post's title for more on the Red Sox. Thanks.