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Very Very good article here with great points on both sides.. Here are the points made that the Red Sux will win the division..
The Matchup:
The Red Sox against the Yankees
The Question:
With only one team likely to advance to the postseason from the AL East,
will the Red Sox or Yankees be the one standing when October arrives?
By Sean McAdam
Special to ESPN.com
If ever the Red Sox were positioned to end the Yankees' reign of eight consecutive AL East titles, this is the season.
Offensively, the Red Sox are as good as ever, as evidenced by the monster first halves enjoyed by Manny Ramirez and, in particular, David Ortiz.
But the real advantage lies elsewhere. For the first time since the epic rivalry was renewed in the late 1990s, the Red Sox have clear edges where it counts: pitching and defense.
How will the Red Sox finally unseat the Yanks as perennial champs of the East? Let us count the ways.
1. Endgame solution
Finally, the Red Sox have a closer who can impact the late innings the way the great Mariano Rivera has for the Yankees over the past decade.
Rookie Jonathan Papelbon is the Red Sox's difference maker. Fearsome on the mound, but fearless too, Papelbon shortens the game for the Sox.
In the first half, he successfully converted all but two save opportunities. He's allowed a total of six extra-base hits and until the final game of the first half had not allowed a run on the road.
What's more, in the last few weeks, the Red Sox have seen the emergence of Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen, two power arms who have become trustworthy setup men, helping the ageless Mike Timlin get to Papelbon in the ninth.
Hansen pitched five times on the recent 10-game road trip and allowed two hits and just two runs over 7 2/3 innings while striking out nine. Delcarmen has been similarly impressive.
2. Good health
Although the Red Sox have had their share of pitching injuries, losing David Wells (knee), Matt Clement (shoulder) and Keith Foulke (elbow) to the disabled list, their position players have been remarkably healthy.
Only Wily Mo Pena (wrist) has missed significant time, and he's due back shortly after the break, providing the lineup with one more powerful bat.
By contrast, the Yankees are without outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield for perhaps the rest of the season, and for the moment second baseman Robinson Cano.
Even a lineup as muscular as the Yanks' can't be unaffected by the loss of two run producers such as Matsui and Sheffield.
The Yanks have gotten good output from such replacements as Melky Cabrera, Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips, but the longer they play, the more they get exposed as role players.
3. Glove work
The Red Sox remade their entire infield from last year and, in the process, improved their defense at each position.
Mike Lowell won a Gold Glove in the NL in 2005, and while this year's AL selection will likely be Eric Chavez again, Lowell's play has been superb.
Even better has been shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who made two errors in the first half.
Mark Loretta has been steady at second and adept at turning the double play while Kevin Youkilis, making the transition from across the diamond, has been a standout at first.
Alex Cora is a slick-fielding reserve, capable of playing third, short and second.
The improved infield has helped the pitching, though the top three starters (Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield) are primarily fly ball pitchers.
4. Home cooking
No team played more road games in the first half, which of course means that no team will be home more than the Sox in the second half.
Of the club's 76 remaining games, 44 are home, with just 32 away from Fenway Park. Boston has just five road trips remaining and none is longer than two series.
Why does this matter? Energized by the atmosphere at Fenway, the Red Sox are a better team at home, feeding off the fans' energy. They have a .311 home batting average, 57 points higher than their opponents, and the Sox seem to routinely score six, seven or more runs per game at home.
Moreover, Josh Beckett, who may be the key to the starting rotation the rest of the way, has a home ERA almost two runs lower than on the road.
5. Trade winds
In a season in which there's little available and what's available is grossly overpriced, the Red Sox don't have any glaring needs.
Sure, they could use a No. 5 starter since they're unsure of what they're going to get out of Clement or Wells -- if anything -- over the final 10 weeks of the season.
But they have other options, from Kyle Snyder to Jason Johnson, to fill the final spot in the rotation.
In the meantime, rookie lefty Jon Lester has been superb, winning his first four decisions. The Sox have won five of his six starts to date.
Last July, other clubs were after Delcarmen, Lester and Papelbon for a temporary pitching solution. The Sox wisely held on to all three, and together with Hansen, the four rookies make up one-third of the pitching staff this season.
6. Confidence
When the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS, it forever changed the dynamics between the two clubs. Finally, the Sox had some positive experience from which to draw when it came to The Rivalry.
Gone is the Yankees mystique, or the feeling of dread that filled the Red Sox for decades when the Yanks were the opponents.
Last year, though both teams finished with identical records (95-67), the Yanks claimed the AL East crown by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
This time, there'll be no tiebreaker necessary. The reign is about to stop.
Sean McAdam of The Providence (R.I.) Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com.
The Matchup:
The Red Sox against the Yankees
The Question:
With only one team likely to advance to the postseason from the AL East,
will the Red Sox or Yankees be the one standing when October arrives?
By Sean McAdam
Special to ESPN.com
If ever the Red Sox were positioned to end the Yankees' reign of eight consecutive AL East titles, this is the season.
Offensively, the Red Sox are as good as ever, as evidenced by the monster first halves enjoyed by Manny Ramirez and, in particular, David Ortiz.
But the real advantage lies elsewhere. For the first time since the epic rivalry was renewed in the late 1990s, the Red Sox have clear edges where it counts: pitching and defense.
How will the Red Sox finally unseat the Yanks as perennial champs of the East? Let us count the ways.
1. Endgame solution
Finally, the Red Sox have a closer who can impact the late innings the way the great Mariano Rivera has for the Yankees over the past decade.
Rookie Jonathan Papelbon is the Red Sox's difference maker. Fearsome on the mound, but fearless too, Papelbon shortens the game for the Sox.
In the first half, he successfully converted all but two save opportunities. He's allowed a total of six extra-base hits and until the final game of the first half had not allowed a run on the road.
What's more, in the last few weeks, the Red Sox have seen the emergence of Manny Delcarmen and Craig Hansen, two power arms who have become trustworthy setup men, helping the ageless Mike Timlin get to Papelbon in the ninth.
Hansen pitched five times on the recent 10-game road trip and allowed two hits and just two runs over 7 2/3 innings while striking out nine. Delcarmen has been similarly impressive.
2. Good health
Although the Red Sox have had their share of pitching injuries, losing David Wells (knee), Matt Clement (shoulder) and Keith Foulke (elbow) to the disabled list, their position players have been remarkably healthy.
Only Wily Mo Pena (wrist) has missed significant time, and he's due back shortly after the break, providing the lineup with one more powerful bat.
By contrast, the Yankees are without outfielders Hideki Matsui and Gary Sheffield for perhaps the rest of the season, and for the moment second baseman Robinson Cano.
Even a lineup as muscular as the Yanks' can't be unaffected by the loss of two run producers such as Matsui and Sheffield.
The Yanks have gotten good output from such replacements as Melky Cabrera, Bubba Crosby and Andy Phillips, but the longer they play, the more they get exposed as role players.
3. Glove work
The Red Sox remade their entire infield from last year and, in the process, improved their defense at each position.
Mike Lowell won a Gold Glove in the NL in 2005, and while this year's AL selection will likely be Eric Chavez again, Lowell's play has been superb.
Even better has been shortstop Alex Gonzalez, who made two errors in the first half.
Mark Loretta has been steady at second and adept at turning the double play while Kevin Youkilis, making the transition from across the diamond, has been a standout at first.
Alex Cora is a slick-fielding reserve, capable of playing third, short and second.
The improved infield has helped the pitching, though the top three starters (Curt Schilling, Josh Beckett and Tim Wakefield) are primarily fly ball pitchers.
4. Home cooking
No team played more road games in the first half, which of course means that no team will be home more than the Sox in the second half.
Of the club's 76 remaining games, 44 are home, with just 32 away from Fenway Park. Boston has just five road trips remaining and none is longer than two series.
Why does this matter? Energized by the atmosphere at Fenway, the Red Sox are a better team at home, feeding off the fans' energy. They have a .311 home batting average, 57 points higher than their opponents, and the Sox seem to routinely score six, seven or more runs per game at home.
Moreover, Josh Beckett, who may be the key to the starting rotation the rest of the way, has a home ERA almost two runs lower than on the road.
5. Trade winds
In a season in which there's little available and what's available is grossly overpriced, the Red Sox don't have any glaring needs.
Sure, they could use a No. 5 starter since they're unsure of what they're going to get out of Clement or Wells -- if anything -- over the final 10 weeks of the season.
But they have other options, from Kyle Snyder to Jason Johnson, to fill the final spot in the rotation.
In the meantime, rookie lefty Jon Lester has been superb, winning his first four decisions. The Sox have won five of his six starts to date.
Last July, other clubs were after Delcarmen, Lester and Papelbon for a temporary pitching solution. The Sox wisely held on to all three, and together with Hansen, the four rookies make up one-third of the pitching staff this season.
6. Confidence
When the Red Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit in the 2004 ALCS, it forever changed the dynamics between the two clubs. Finally, the Sox had some positive experience from which to draw when it came to The Rivalry.
Gone is the Yankees mystique, or the feeling of dread that filled the Red Sox for decades when the Yanks were the opponents.
Last year, though both teams finished with identical records (95-67), the Yanks claimed the AL East crown by virtue of a better head-to-head record.
This time, there'll be no tiebreaker necessary. The reign is about to stop.
Sean McAdam of The Providence (R.I.) Journal covers baseball for ESPN.com.
MY MEAT IN THE HOT DESERT.......
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