What do the Sox have left in them?

One has to be thinking about that question posed in the title of this entry. Really, what do they have left in them? This past series against Detroit this weekend was supposed to be one the Sox were supposed to win, especially considering that they took three of four from them on the road a little over a week ago and because Detroit has been reeling since the All-Star Break. Unfortunately, that did not happen, as the Sox lost two out of three to the Tigers, including an uninspiring 13-8 loss yesterday.

Now the Sox are entering what could be their most important series of the season, as they begin a three game set in Minnesota on Tuesday. The Sox sit three games behind the Twins entering this series, and it's not a stretch to believe that if the Sox lose this series, their playoff chances could be in jeopardy. I'm not trying to be pessimistic, I'm just being realistic. There's no getting around this one, the Sox NEED to take this series. If they lose two out of three or get swept, they could be looking at either a five or six game deficit with 41 left to play. On the flip side, if the Sox take two of three from the Twins or sweep them, they could be just one game out or tied with them with the same amount of games left.

I know a five or six game deficit with 41 left is not insurmountable. Bigger deficits have beeen overcome in a shorter amount of time (just look at last year's Twins for proof). However, when you consider how hot the Sox had to get in order to make their way back into contention, one has to wonder if they will have one more big run left in them if the worst case scenario happens. Can they reel off one more furious push toward the division crown? Especially when they still have a whopping seven games left against Boston and another three left with New York?

Even though the Sox are 3-7 in their last ten games, I'm still very optimistic about the Sox's chances of taking this series. I already like the fact that our three best starters (Danks, Floyd and Buehrle) are lined up for those three games. The Sox usually don't play well in Minnesota, but I figure they're finally due for a series win up there. Plus, they don't have to worry about that wretched dome anymore, either. So how about it? Two out of three won't be bad, but a sweep will be nice.