Too bad though, I had a pretty good headline to go with it. Probably not original, but it worked perfect with the way I was feeling at the time.

Not bad eh?

Anyway, what good is there to talk about right now? After Tuesday's loss it finally hit me, I mean really hit me, that this team will go nowhere without Pedro. We've learned all too well that no matter how good his replacement is (Arrojo), with all the starters going 5-6 innings max, the pen is sunk. Though I think some fault has to fall on Jimy for sending Beck out there for a second inning.

No idea how he would have performed, but I would have liked to see Fossum go another. I heard that he was taken out because he may start this weekend. But who cares about this weekend when it's Tuesday? You win now and let later worry about itself.

In the back of my mind I know that there's allot of baseball left, we're only five behind the Empire and two back of the A's. But then again, if we're being swept by the teams that we'd be facing in the playoffs now (yes, Seattle will sweep us tonight), how the heck are we going to manage anything come October? Is a light switch going to magically be clicked and all of a sudden we're going to hit and Lowe is going to figure out how to pitch?

Nope, as much as the team fought hard thru the injuries there are simply too many of them. Unless Pedro can return and be Pedro, and I mean be Pedro, not an 85-90 pitch shell of himself, we're sunk.

I'm not giving up, not by any means, we've learned many times that this is a funny game and one extra bounce to the right or left can mean the difference between a W and an L. I think maybe though, that Tuesday's game and yesterday's awful rebound effort, sort of hit me with some reality. We may still reach the playoffs, but unless we start beating .500+ teams, it's going to be another disappointing October.

paul@redsox2000.com