The Red Sox Are Serious Contenders for the AL Pennant

Although the Boston Red Sox have dropped a few to Oakland in the last few days, they are still definitely one of the best teams in the MLB this year for many reasons. It's still early in the baseball season, and the Red Sox have started off strong and fizzled by the end in the past. But they are looking very strong and they have a great chance of making it far into the playoffs, and dare I say, to the World Series.

The proof can be found in their performance. They are ten games ahead of any other team in the American League East and have shown well against every team they have played against. They have one of the best records in MLB at the moment and will surely be a contender for the World Series.

The Red Sox pitching is top quality and led by Curt Shilling. Shilling has an Earned Run Average of 3.91 this season and has only thrown eighty-nine hits in seventy-six innings pitched. Josh Beckett is also doing fantastic this season with an Earned Run Average of only 2.95 and only fifty-one hits in sixty-four innings pitched. Rounding out the Red Sox starting pitches are Daisuke Matsuzaka, Time Wakefield, and Julian Tavarez, each with strong performances this season. And Lester is due to come back to the rotation soon.

The Red Sox also have great relievers and closers as well. Hideki Okajima has excellent so far and has an Earned Run Average of only 1.27. Rounding out the Red Sox bullpen are Jonathan Papelbon, Brendan Donnelly, J.C. Romero, and Joel Pineiro. The quality of the Red Sox pitching has made it very hard to score against them and has helped neutralize some of the strong offenses they have faced.

The Red Sox also have a very good offensive side led by third baseman Mike Lowell and designated hitter David Ortiz. Mike Lowell and David Ortix have slugging percentages above .500 and batting averages of .332 and .333 respectively. However, Lowell and Ortiz are not the only forces behind the plate. Manny Ramirez has a batting average of .286 along with eight home runs and thirty-two runs batted in. Kevin Youkilis has a batting average of .346 with seventy-three hits, eight home runs, and thirty-one runs batted in. Dustin Pedroia has been on fire lately offensively as well. If Manny Ramirez starts to bat the way we all know he can, he'll be an even more serious weapon in the lineup.

The Red Sox have had some hiccups along the way and have lost some games this season they were expected to win. The Red Sox have lost to the Yankees several times this season despite this being one of the worst seasons in recent Yankee history. They also lack any real standout players or all-stars. However, the Red Sox play good technical baseball and work well as a team. They are always doing what it takes to win and playing smart baseball.

The Boston Red Sox are a sure bet to win their division as they are leading the Blue Jays, Yankees, Orioles, and Devil Rays by ten games or more. However, they do have some competition in other divisions. The Angels, Brewers, Dodgers, Padres, and Mets are all having great seasons as well and could pose a threat to the Red Sox in the post season. However, the Red Sox have one of the most solid and consistent teams in the MLB this year and they have a great chance of holding together all the way to October.

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