Just saw a stat I wasn’t aware of. For whatever reasons, it has gone totally unnoticed (guess it’s mostly because of how amazing the defense has been, coupled with our starting pitchers having some strong outings, Timlin being reliable and Papelbon just being insanely good!) – but for the month of June, the Red Sox lead the league in team batting average. .302. The team that isn’t even in the top five? You can just guess.
Hmm…how many games did the Sox play in June (not counting tonight’s, of course)? 25. How many of those were inter-league games? 12. Less than half (granted, not by much, but technically still true). Oh yes, and they led the league in May with a .306 average. And in May they only played 3 inter-league games.
We have the best team batting average, we have the best infield, we have the best closer, our one and two pitchers have ten wins each, we have a rookie in the starting rotation with a record of 3-0 and an era of 2.95, and we have the league’s best clutch hitter. I’ll take this team over any team in both leagues.
Do I think the Sox can win number 13 tonight? Sure, I do. Doesn’t mean that if they don’t win the Sox are no good. (Regardless of what my Yankee fan visitors will tell you.) Just means stuff happens. You win some, you lose some.
But right now, the Sox are winning…and for many different reasons.
The least of which, and the least IMPORTANT, being they happen to be playing lesser teams. The Sox have lost ONE game in inter-league play this year. So what they are doing is beating the teams that they are SUPPOSED to be beating. That’s something to be impressed with…especially when other teams can’t say the same.
I’m off to watch some of the Subway Series before the Sox start at 7:35. It won’t be difficult to go back to rooting for the Mets. Heck, after being swept I think I’d be cheering for them regardless of what team they’re playing.
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