In our town, we tend to notice the negative stuff. So we harp on David Ortiz's monstrous slump, the black hole at shortstop, and the slow start by vaunted starting pitchers.
There were some untidy moments in last night's 10-5 win over the Tigers. Boston's infield made three errors in the span of four batters. The Sox led, 10-0, in the eighth, but allowed the Tigers to put the tying run on deck in the ninth.
"It got a little messy at the end," said Mike Lowell, who made one of the errors and was ejected for arguing balls and strikes.
Still, the Red Sox and Yankees look like the class of the AL.
"We're in a good spot for a team that hasn't hit a groove yet," said Sox captain Jason Varitek. "I still think we're trying to solidify who we are. We're built on pitching and we're getting people locked in. We have a lot of games ahead of us."
One thing in Boston's advantage is the indisputable fact that the AL is having a down year.
The Rangers are leading the West and the Sox will get a look at them at Fenway this weekend. But it's hard to take Texas seriously. The Rangers are the only team in major league baseball to never win a playoff series. They will tank. Sooner or later. Always do.
Meanwhile, the traditionally powerful Angels look old and wounded. They were a .500 team going into last night. And the Sox beat them like a bongo every October.
The Tigers lead the Central, but we've just seen them for a couple of days and their lineup is decidedly underwhelming. Detroit is the only team in the Central over .500. The Tigers don't hit anymore. Magglio Ordonez is doing what Ortiz is doing, just in a smaller market. Anybody worried about the Tigers in October? No. The Twins, maybe. The Tigers, no.
That leaves the mighty AL East, where the Sox and Yankees share the top spot and figure to be there again at the end. Toronto looks like a fraud team. The Blue Jays will experience serious market correction in the coming months. The Rays are still under .500, sagging under the weight of expectations and injuries. They've already lost their second baseman for the season.
It's early. But it's going to be Boston and New York. Just like the old days.
