Red Sox Diaries

I knew it, you knew it, we all knew it: the Red Sox would be OK. After spending the first two weeks in the AL East cellar, a four-game homestand against the armless Baltimore Orioles is all that the Sox needed to bust out of their slump, if you can even call it that.

A clean sweep has their record where it should be, has their confidence where it should be and has our worries where they should be. For the most part.

A couple of things still scare me. David Ortiz is battling something, whether its old age or an injury has yet to be determined. We will continue to monitor his progress. Also Dice-K’s arm fatigue could become more of an issue if he is unable to remain in the rotation and eat up at least as many innings as he did last season. Although he only recorded 174 innings in 2008, he led the AL in walks, a pattern that forced his pitch count way up. We could be seeing the effects of that this season. --- Nick Barone.

The seemingly indestructible Dice-K has landed on the DL for the first time since coming to this country, no biggie there. Maybe his arm is a little tired from the WBC, who knows. But what I do know is that the Red Sox have put some pressure on themselves in the early part of this season.

This homestand against the scorching hot Orioles (see standings and stat book) is crucial to our season. I know, I know: You're not even supposed to look at the standings until Memorial Day but you can’t help but notice that the Red Sox are not in their usual place. Last year at this time, the Red Sox led the AL East with a 10-7 mark. Even more disturbing is that you have to go before 2002 to find the Red Sox without a winning record this far into the season.

On top of all that, the Red Sox are near the bottom of the league in almost every critical category. Their putrid .242 average ranks them 12th in the American League, right above powerhouses like Kansas City and Minnesota. Laugh out loud. Look for the team to be more patient at the plate in their upcoming games. It can't hurt.

Now for the scary part, the Red Sox are ninth in the AL with ERA above 5.00.

On a positive note, I am pleasantly surprised that Kevin Youkilis has picked up right where he left off last year. He is hitting over .4oo to lead the team. Without him, the Sox would be in trouble. So buckle up, Red Sox Nation, and get ready for what may be the most exciting, for better or for worse, baseball season in recent memory. --- Nick Barone.