Pennant race begins

in the AL East, which may not be the best teams in the AL anymore...Angels have added what they were missing in Kazmir to the rotation and now are clearly the best team in the American League.  The Cardinals the best in the NL by far.  Now the Yankees and Red Sox will come down to the glamor contest in late September, each will likely have 100 wins by the end of the season.  The Yanks are primed to make a run, they have all of their parts coming together at the right time. Boston has the advantage of being able to spend freely.  No one has restrained them as have the Yankees--so they can let go Smoltz and penny and add Billy Wagner, three pitchers the Yanks would love to have.  The Sox have such depth they can trade with anyone, but no one asks them for the price they ask the Yankees.  The Sox have anedge in the ownership collusion area.  The Angels have a brilliant GM and his moves are deft and effective.  Adding Kazmir has tilted the table, LAA is the favorite now to win the World Series, one star pitcher can make that difference.  Kazmir is an Ace.
30 games to go, Yanks and Sox are virtually even, the Sox have an easy schedule and the incredible home field advantage, [and the advantage of so many players who remind umpires of their children...] Ohhh the calls they get in Boston, strike zones tailored to their hitters, sooooo much more giving for their pitchers...amazing, watching baseball when the Sox play is like  watching wrestling in the WWF, you know its not a real sport...but oh, the drama and the excitement are great!

Lets go watch another walk off home run and late inning rally at the Fens... it's like clock work, the last act of a fine staged play....
Pennant race begins in earnest..should be a good one!

Race begins...

So the race is about to begin int AL East, the end of August begins the countdown time, the Wild Card option means that NY and Boston are each safe for the post season unless they essentially fall apart_ go into some slumpy four-five game losing streaks, Tampa will be the most talented team not in the playoffs.  This can change abruptly...Boston had dominated the Yanks this year, and have seven dates remaining. They can overtake New York in those games, and Tampa too will be playing for the season.  The Yankes are stronger than people seem to realize...ARod and Teixera are a load, but more important so many other weapons on offense- several guys with 20+ homers, 80+ rbi type seasons.
The bullpen has potential, young arms with high up-sides, and some players still on the way back from injury- the season could end with Rivera, Bruney, Marte, and Hughes...as a strong chance for  shutting out a quality team in innings seven through nine.  A six inning game with AJ and CC and Joba will be hard on any team in the league.
So the race is about to begin, the last 40 games.  The Red Sox have big holes which will be filled by rehab: Matsusaka, Wakefield qill join Beckett and some five game streaks of wins and easy wins will follow, but Tampa...a team that can get hot and dominate the lesser talented teams with speed and balanced pitching. Clearly, if talent rises this season, it will be Tampa and Boston; but Boston despite the two series victories in recent years, is still Boston...the team most likely to dig a hole and jump in.