Smoltz faced the Padres and the Nationals. Please.

The Nationals' offense isn't their problem; their OPS+ is higher than league average.

Too bad the Red Sox didn't make a run at Pettitte. He'd look awfully good for 1/15 guaranteed.

This seems like as good a place as any to continue a discussion that started in another thread: How do the Sox arrange their rotation for the playoffs? The default assumption I saw in the other thread was Beckett-Lester-Buchholz-Prayforrain-Beckett. I'd argue that it would be wiser to try to get Lester the starts in games 1 & 5, based on perhipherals, recent performance, and my gut feeling that Jon Lester rules and Josh Beckett drools. Thoughts?

Voxter, outside of you trying to be the last poster on all the threads in the sidebar, I'll answer this question.
The Sox will go Lester-Beckett-Buccholz...and ta-da, the Dice-K revival tour on night #4!

I'm not trying to be the last poster on all the threads. What I'm trying to do is avoid my homework. The other thing is just a symptom of that.

Yeah, I think now they have to trust Dice a little. He's shown that he's got something in these two starts, and he's had something before. They can even just ask him to go for 5 innings given the quality of our pen. I'd prefer Lester in game 1, but the difference between Lester and Beckett isn't enough for me to care all that much.

Take this as a troll or a mosh if you will---can't blame you if you do---but IMO I can't see the Red Sox as much less than a postseason lock at this point, whether or not they win the East and get HFA.

Lester. Beckett. Buchholz. Dice-K. Fine tune the order if you want.

Who's going to match that after game 1?

Okay, maybe Burnett and Pettitte might. But those Sox starters are still looking a lot better than anyone else's starters at this point.

That Bard, Saito, Wagner, Papelbon finish isn't so shabby either