RED SOX WIN THE AL EAST!!!

Thanks to a win over Minnesota tonight, and some amazing help from the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox have won the AL East Division title for the first time since 1995.

The Orioles made an amazing comeback tonight, as they were down 9-6 going into the bottom of the ninth inning. They tied the game on a bases clearing triple, went into extra innings, and won the game in the bottom of the tenth on a suprise bases loaded, two-out bunt down the third base line. The bunt was perfect, the Yankees third baseman (was that A-Rod??) was playing too far back and had no chance to get the runner at the plate. Orioles win 10-9, Red Sox win the division, Yankees get the wild card.

The AL is finished. On the other hand, the NL is still quite the mess. As of tonight, there are still six teams in the playoff picture in the NL.

I wish I could see the celebration happening at Fenway Park right now. The Orioles announcers said that people were still sitting at the Park watching the O's game on the video board. I'm sure the place absolutely erupted.

A very happy TTFN, y'all.

Back To the Best

Or at least tied for the best. In spite of losing to the Twins, and the Evil Empire winning tonight, the Sox are, once again, atop the Major Leagues, tied with Cleveland for the best record in baseball. They still haven't clinched the AL East, though, with only a handfull of games left. They are two games ahead of the Yanks with three games left. The elimination number is also two.

This is simply too nervewracking.

I so wanted Josh Beckett to get 21 wins, but that just wasn't to be this year.

I'm figuring, if the standings hold till the end, the Yankees will likely play the Indians and the Sox play the Angels in the first round of the playoffs. Unless the Sox fool around and lose the division, in which case they might play the Indians and the Yanks play the Angels.

With that scenario in mind, the Yankees probably don't WANT to win the division. I promise you, they don't want to play the Angels in the first round, or any other round for that matter.

Stephie and I made it to the last home game for the Rangers. It was a fun time, and we had great seats, thanks to our friend at church. The Rangers blew out the Angels, too. Go figure. The Rangers swept the division champs for their last home series, including a 16-2 rout in the last game. I think everybody hit a home run in that game...possibly even a few of the fans. And Michael Young got his 200th hit (becoming only the third player to do that five consecutive seasons since 1940) at home, which was very cool.

We almost cried as we left the ballpark. It just doesn't seem like it's already over. It just started.

"No, it didn't," replied Christi.

TTFN, y'all.

Roll, Sox, Roll

The Red Sox continue to roll towards their first American League East Championship in this century. In fact, the first since 1995. After 1995, the East has belonged to the Evil Empire all but one year.

It's about time for that reign to be over. Am I counting my proverbial chickens? Not at all. I know what kind of things can happen. No one knows better than I after the dismal collapse of the Red Sox in 2006. I watched in horror as circumstances totally beyond their control launched them into a tail-spin that resulted in a horrific third place finish in the AL East. It all started when Varitek and Nixon went down on the same day. Then Manny got hurt. Then Papi got sick. And finally, the nail in the coffin...Jon Lester was diagnosed with cancer.

So, I don't dare begin to celebrate. But things are looking pretty good with less than a month to go in the season. The Yanks continue to struggle, and the Sox, even though they were swept by the Yankees in New York, continue to dominate. And they seem to be getting stronger as the season moves to a close.

We were all pleasantly stunned Saturday night as the rookie from Texas, Clay Buchholz threw a no-no. Then Lester shone the next night. Beckett is now one of two ML pitchers with 17 wins, and has reached a career high number of wins. I'm hoping he might make 20 wins this season.

And hats off to ex-Red Sox pitcher Pedro Martinez, who, this week, became one of the elite number of pitchers with 3000 or more strikeouts. I like Pedro and miss him being a Red Sox. He went to New York, but it was to the NL New York, so that's ok. Unlike Johnny Demon. Damon! I meant Damon! Really, I did!

TTFN, y'all!