The American Spectator

A little over week ago I wrote about the Boston Red Sox September swoon.

Well, the swoon has not stopped. The Red Sox are 5-16 this month with less than a week remaining in the regular season. While the Red Sox still retain the lead in the AL Wild Card they are on fumes. Their lead in the AL Wild Card over the Tampa Bay Rays and the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim is two and a half games. They have just lost three out of four games to the lowly Baltimore Orioles. Tonight, the Sox blew a 4-2 lead late in the game with ace Josh Beckett on the mound. Last night, neither Daniel Bard nor Jonathan Papelbon could get it done out of the bullpen. Meanwhile, Red Sox starter Erik Bedard was serving up runs as fast as he was being served child support papers by a Yankees fan.

I mean the Orioles were a team who back in July the Sox could beat at will. The Orioles could have been easily mistaken for their Triple A affiliate in Norfolk. The Sox could spot the O’s six runs in the second inning with the full confidence they would win. Now the Orioles are enjoying sweet revenge playing the role of spoiler.

This spectacle follows losing three out of four games to the Tampa Bay Rays last weekend. As it happened, I was in attendance for the Sox only win on my birthday on September 16th. Oddly enough, the Sox actually picked up a half game on the Rays in the AL Wild Card tonight as Tampa dropped both ends of a doubleheader to the Yankees tonight (which earned them yet another AL East Division title - more on that tomorrow.) You know it’s bad when Red Sox Nation finds itself in the awkward position of rooting for the Bronx Bombers to keep their playoff hopes alive.

But don’t worry this will soon pass. The Red Sox have the day off tomorrow. They will travel to New York to begin a three game weekend series at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. The Sox then end in the regular season in Baltimore. Can the Red Sox regroup? Or will the Orioles enjoy more sweet revenge? If revenge is sweet then perhaps the Red Sox don’t deserve a post-season berth.