some post season baseball thoughts

I'm torn right now as I watch the drama continue to unfold in the American League Wild Card race.  Boston lost again, as their freefall continues.  They lost to Baltimore tonight.  Tampa beat the Yankees, so the Rays and Red Sox are now tied for the wild card.  The Angels remain alive 2.5 games back.  They're trailing Texas right now.  If they don't come back to back to win they'd be eliminated I believe.

As for Boston and Tampa Bay I'm torn on who to root for.  The Tigers will be taking on the Wild Card winner.  Do I root for the battered and fading Red Sox instead of the hot Rays?  My gut says yes?  But the Red Sox also have a veteran team with alot of post-season experience.  They have a bunch of clutch bats in that lineup.  They have an offense that can explode at Fenway especially.  Wounded, but they were the best team in baseball for a chunk of time so they're still dangerous.  Boston is also good at taking pitches, fouling off pitches, and running up pitch counts.  That's especially dangerous against Max Scherzer and Rick Porcello, who seem to get especially sloppy as their pitch counts go up.  Justin Verlander is capable of digging deep for big pitches, and even 100 mile an hour fastballs after the 100 pitch mark.  But Boston could potentially work him enough to get him out of the game after the  6th on a high pitch count then work over the Tigers bullpen in the 7th before Benoit and Valverde can get into the game.

The Rays are hotter.  They still have post-season experience but a good number of guys from their World  Series run are no longer with the team.  Joaquin Benoit is a Tiger.  On the other hand Matt Joyce has  pounded the Tigers, as if proving a point for trading him away to get Edwin Jackson a couple years ago.  The Rays also have Johnny Damon, another clutch hitter, who may just be extra motivated against the team that didn't want him back after last season.

So I 'm torn.  There are pros and cons to each matchup for Detroit.  In either case Detroit's pitching should be superior.  My gut says avoiding Josh Becket, Adrian Gonzalez, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, and the October aura of Fenway Park may be better, even with Boston struggling with offense, pitching, and general health right now.