Sox Stumble into Wild Card

Anyone else getting a little concerned about the five consecutive losses a week before the playoffs start?

The good news is that while the Red Sox lost, so, too, did the Texas Rangers which clinched it for Boston. The Sox gave it a fine effort trying to bail out the generally reliable Clay Buchholz, but the eighth inning five-run rally fell one short, and the Sox lost 8-7 at home to Toronto.

I have a gloating Yankees fan who's been pummeling me with e-mails since July. He wrote to  me this morning to rub in the fact that the Sox "couldn't even win the wild card without help from Texas." I have two things to say to that e-mailer: First, it was the Angels who helped by beating Texas. I'm sure the Rangers did not put in an effort to lose the game. Second, I direct you the 2000 season, if you can remember that far back. There was a team that lost 15 of their final 18 games and then proceeded to win the World Series. The team? The New York Yankees.

So it just goes to show that once the slate is cleaned for the playoffs, even teams that struggle a bit at season's end have just as good a shot as a team with great momentum. And speaking of momentum, remember the 2007 Colorado Rockies who steamrolled their way into the World Series, winning 21 of 22 games? They were then swept by the Red Sox.

Sure, I'd prefer my team to be red-hot right now. But everyone's 0-0 to start the postseason.