Boston Red Sox Tickets – Surprising Sox Still in It

If the Boston Red Sox really want to stick it to the New York Yankees, something that everyone in Beantown would be interested in, this could turn out to be the year to do it.  Despite an unbelievable amount of injuries to key players and two stalwarts in their division, the Red Sox are still in the playoff hunt as we move into the final couple of weeks in August.  By most accounts, the Sox shouldn't even be in the running, yet here they are heading down the home stretch with two Cy Young candidates and aspirations of playing the spoiler.

Even if the Red Sox don't end up putting it all together and reaching the playoffs, in a way they still would have overachieved in 2010.  The Sox have had to endure significant D.L. stretches for a staggering group of their best players, including Dustin Pedroia, Kevin Youkilis, Jacoby Ellsbury, Josh Beckett, Victor Martinez, J.D. Drew, Hideki Okajima and Clay Buchholz.  Every team deals with injuries, of course, but the Red Sox have been bitten by injury in a way that few teams in the league could possibly withstand.

And the injuries haven't even told the whole story.  When the Red Sox got off to a poor start, a lot of the pressure fell on Boston legend David Ortiz, who had a miserable month of April.  So poorly was Ortiz playing at the beginning of the season that the franchise was reportedly considering showing him the door.  Ortiz wasn't the only one feeling the heat, however, as general manager Theo Epstein, who had ascended into the stratosphere in Boston after winning two World Series titles, was all of a sudden dealing with scrutiny that he had never previously dealt with.  All things considered early in the year, the Red Sox looked like they could be in for a disastrous season.

But as the speculation about making drastic changes started rapidly circulating, the team came together and started putting up victories – the only way to fend off criticism in today's game.  While both Buchholz and Jon Lester were expected to produce in 2010, they've picked up the slack from injured Josh Beckett and have put together Cy Young caliber seasons.  Both have ERAs well under 3.00 and have piled up the wins, particularly in the second half of the season when the Yankees and Rays were threatening to pull away.  Buchholz's 2.36 ERA is the best in the American League and his improving record, which stood at 14-5 as of Aug. 20, will give him a legitimate chance to challenge Cliff Lee for the Cy Young.  With their one-two punch at the top of the rotation, the Red Sox all of a sudden aren't just a good regular season team; they're the type of team built to make some noise in the postseason as well.

The most surprising part of Boston's season, though, has been the unexpected pop in their lineup.  Even before the season, the Red Sox were facing criticism for having a sub-par lineup for the American League East, and that was before Ortiz forgot how to hit for a month.  But flash-forward to mid-August and the Red Sox have one of the most potent lineups in the league, which certainly helps them sell loads of <a rel="nofollow" onclick="javascript:_gaq.push(['_trackPageview', '/outgoing/article_exit_link/3137527']);" href="http://www.stubhub.com/boston-red-sox-tickets/">Boston Red Sox tickets</a>.  As of Aug. 18, the Red Sox trail only the Yankees in runs scored in the entire league and lead the Pinstripes in batting average, home runs and OPS.

Much of this success, as Sox fans will tell you, has to do with the resurgence of Ortiz and the nearly shocking season of free agent acquisition Adrian Beltre.  Though much of the league assumed Beltre was a moribund ex-star after a lackluster run with the Seattle Mariners, the Red Sox took a chance that has paid off ten times over.  While other major players in the lineup have dealt with injury and inconsistency, Beltre has been solid all season, leading to a .328 batting average with 23 long balls and 83 RBI as of Aug. 18.  Beltre has provided another big bat in the lineup that has also certainly helped to get Ortiz going; heading into the final weeks of August, Ortiz is leading the team with 26 homers and a respectable 77 RBI.

Even with key players stepping up, however, it still seems like a long shot for the Red Sox to overcome either the Rays or the Yankees.  But the Red Sox have proven this year that they can get by with young talent and a few big performances from veterans.  And if they find a way to sneak into the playoffs, this frustrating season for Sox fans could just turn into a year to remember.