BITTERSWEET AUGUST

Welcome back to another edition of the Boston area sports blog, or Red Sox blog for that matter. After all, the spotlight is on them until the Patriots start up in a few weeks. The story around here is the Sox are chasing the Rays, yes the Rays, the same team that was like 30 games behind the Sox less than a year ago. So let's see what happened last week.
The team defeated the White Sox 5-1 behind Josh Beckett on Monday to tie the series 2-2 and end the positive raod trip at 4-3. The team then headed home for a six game homestand with the Rangers and Blue Jays. And that is where we saw the jekyll and hide ball club, the same one that has a great record but done with an inconsistent pattern.
The good team was witnessed in the series with Texas. It started quite uniquely though. Let's put it this way; the Red Sox scored 10 runs in the 1st inning(including 2 three run homers from Big Papi) for callup Charlie Zink, and he did not get the win. That of course means the Sox blew that 10-0 lead, and 12-2 for that matter. Amazing, huh? How do you blow a 10 run lead? Well, the Sox showed everyone. Fortunately, the team found a way to avoid a devastating loss when Youkilis' 3 run shot in the 8th help overcome a 16-15 deficit en route to a 19-17 Red Sox win! The win woke the offense up as they crushed the Rangers in the next 2 contests, 8-4 and 10-0 respectively. Count it all up and you'll get a 3 game sweep in which the team scored 37 runs!
The team then invited the Jays into Fenway and another sweep occurred; for the visitor!
Albeit a 2 game sweep but still a sweep. After a rain-out in the opener, Halladay outdueled newly acquired veteran ace Paul Byrd via 4-1. Tough loss. But the following day was the stinker as Beckett got rocked for 6 runs in the 1st and 8 overall as the Jays walloped the good guys 14-5. Ouch. Bittersweet 3-2 homestand. Not good enough, not nearly enough. The Yanks won a series with the Royals this weekend and have pulled within 5 games of the Red Sox. But they are of no real concern as the Rays hold a 4 game lead over the Sox with time winding down. Losses like the last 2 games are bruising for a team in 2nd place chasing a really hot 1st place team in the Rays. They just continue to win, and win, and win. You get the point.
Let's just hope the Red Sox get the point as they head out on the road for 9 games, all within the division. And for those curious, we have a below .500 record within our division, which has to change or the team will definitely not win the division. Looking ahead, the Sox should win at least 5 of these games, probably 6. They have the Jays again next weekend and some serious revenge is needed.