[quote name='ryanbph']while i still don't think the sox will make the playoffs if varitek isn't back soon (the young pitchers are really struggling with mirabelli/lopez tandom) I do think the red sox will win the 5 game series upcoming with the yanks. The red sox have an offday going into it, the yanks haven't had one off since the 7th. Torre isn't know for handeling the bullpen well to begin with, and they got killed today. Wright only lasted 3ip. There is 2 games tmro, which under normal circumstances will kill your bullpen, but then they have 3 more in the next 3 days. To kick both team in the nuttz even more, (the yanks more due to the amount of games played w/o day off) they both have a shitty I hope I get to 5ip starter going with johnson for the redsox and ponson for the yanks. Neither team really has an innings eater outside of mussina and schilling. Both randy johnson and beckett can be dominat but neither have shown it consitently all season. Wang is impressive, but he is getting up there in ip, and looks to be loosing some gas as his last 2 starts did not make it out of the 5th. IMO, the sox will win the series, maybe even 4 - 1 but most likely 3 - 2. The yanks could steal the series if there starters go deep, but if they don't I think the bullpen will be more shaky this weekend with the yanks then with the sox.[/quote]
A 4-1 series in favor of the Sox would be nice, as they'd come out with a 1/2 game lead.
But either way, they Sox don't have an off day after this series for atleast a few weeks, IRC. So its a tough stretch coming up.