Watch what you think, they can read your mind...

It's been a rough week for this replacement-level blogger. Condensed games on MLB.TV. Missed pre-game shows. But restitution has been made, and I am ready to again be a (semi-)useful member of the blogosphere. I am still plagued by the symptoms of missed pre-game shows (impaired motor functions, Sox Knowledge Deficiency), but my trusted medical professional has assured me that SKD can be overcome. A healthy dose of NESN should do the trick.

The past week has been anything but rough for the Sox. A three-game road sweep of the Rangers, followed by two of three over Cleveland at home, extended the Sox' AL East lead to 10.5 games over 2nd place Baltimore, and 13.5 games over the Last Place Yankees. I keep expecting the Sox to stop overachieving, and regress to the mean a little bit. But they just seem to win game after game. If they continue playing over .650 ball (.692 so far this season), they'll be setting up their postseason rotation by July.

Some Soxian highlights:

Youk- He hit .402 in May. He's batting .354, with a .987 OPS, for the season. He is a speed merchant (well, faster than Pedroia, at least) on the bases, has a sweet beard, and a 1.000 fielding pct. He had one game in May where he didn't have a base hit. He's not on the All-Star ballot, but he's certainly deserving of a spot on the team. I wrote him in as an OF on my ballots, as he played 17 games there last year, and I wanted to vote for Lowell at 3B. Youk hasn't actually played the OF this season, but Papi hasn't played any 1B either.

Pedroia- Going into May, he was batting .182. Then he hit .415, with 1.072 (!) OPS in May. Are you kidding me? I was ready to demote him to Pawtucket, to the Shire, have him unceremoniusly dumped into Mt. Doom, whatever necessary to get rid of him. Now I'm mad at Francona whenever Pedroia isn't in the lineup.

Batshit Crazy- Nice move by Julian Tavarez, rolling the ball to 1B for the out on a comebacker. These are the textbook fundamentals he teaches at his baseball academy in Natick. His pitching performances have been less-than-mediocre (5.40 ERA) this season, but he is becoming one of my favorites. Perhaps he's not the only one who is Batshit.

Beckett- 8-0, 2.65 ERA. Incredible.

Papelbon- He's given up some hits, walks, even some runs (2 in his last 5 IP), lately. His WHIP has even increased to (gasp) 1.09! He needs to have another 0.00 ERA month, like he did in April. He's still the best closer in the history of the sport, but RSN holds him to a much higher standard than that.

Frede- The fact that Eric Frede is a backup for the pre-game show speaks volumes about the depth of the organization. Boston Bruins fans know what I'm talking about. He'd be a starter on just about any other squad.

Caron- Quietly approaching 3,000 hits in a long, consistent career. First ballot HOFer, with likely a long managerial career to follow.

Benjamin- Had a little trouble the second time through the lineup in her 1st two April starts, but has been almost invincible since. Between-start side sessions with pitching coach John Farrell have paid off, as Amalie was unbeaten in her four May decisions (2.16 ERA). Her writing has challenged Curt Schilling's for best on the starting staff, and her enthusiasm has endeared her to Red Sox players and fans, alike. (Though not so much to the Detroit Tigers. Her antics on the mound, after striking out the side during a May 14th start, touched off a bench-clearing brawl. If Jason Varitek hadn't intercepted a bat-wielding Gary Sheffield, as Sheffield approached Benjamin to counsel her on her behavior, this would be a very different post.) Benjamin currently trails Hazel Mae by only 1438 blogosphere post mentions. She had better get cracking on bridging that gap, as she is widely considered the frontrunner for the vacant Columbus Blue Jackets GM position. She will likely assume that role by mid-July.

The Sox play the reeling Yankees in a three-game set this weekend at Fenway. The Yankees are in such disarray right now, that a sweep for the torrid Sox is a very possible outcome. A sweep would leave New York 16.5 games behind Boston.