2011 RED SOX BATTLING

Despite not having All Star DH Big Papi Ortiz to play much in Interleague play, the team did what they could by going 10-8 versus the NL and despite falling out of 1st place have made sure they will be one of the first teams to 50 wins in 2011.
Carl Crawford, Clay Buchholz and Jed Lowrie have been missed but some guys have stepped up, including Reddick, Andrew Miller and Albers. Although Youk and Pedroia(.400 OBP), Bard(2.25 ERA in 38 APP) and Lester(10 wins) were left off the All Star team, Ellsbury(.300, 9 HR 40 RBI) Gonzo(.350, 75 RBI) Big Papi(.300, 17 HR 50 RBI) and Beckett ( 7-3, 2.00 ERA) all made the squad.
Although the Red Sox lost series to the lowly Padres and Pirates, they were able to sweep the Astros. The problem is the Yanks and Rays continue to exceed expectations, as the standings below will show:

AL EAST

1. (SK)YANKS 50-32 -


2. RED SOX 49-34 1.5


3. RAYS 47-37 4


4. BLUE JAYS 41-44 10.5


5. ORIOLES 36-45 13.5

Otherwise, with the NBA and NFL on lockout, the NHL is set to be center stage in a few months. The Bruins drafted top defenseman Dougie Hamilton in the 1st round. They let Ryder go to Dallas as well.