There’s really not much to write about ALCS Game 4, unless I feel like writing about the Rays and I don’t. 

In short, the Sox are not doing a single thing well on the baseball field.  No pitching.  No hitting.  OK, they fielded the ball well.  But that was when the ball wasn’t sent flying out of the park by Rays hitters.

Quick thoughts:

• They’re looking like an old team
• There’s only 2 guys in that lineup doing anything (Pedroia and Youk)
• Was this the very last we’ve seen of Wakefield and Timlin on the field in a Sox uniform?

But the biggest thought I have is about the last time I felt so crappy watching a baseball game.  That would be game 3 of the 2004 ALCS. The game the Yankees crushed the Sox 19-8 to take a 3-0 lead in the series.

The silver lining?  That was the last game the sox lost that year.  Dave Roberts steal second the next night and they win 8 in a row to break the course.  And last year, the Sox were down 3-1 to the Indians before running off 7 wins in a row.

So you could argue we’ve got the Rays right where we want them.

The winning formula is still the same.  Strong starting pitching and two-out RBIs.  Sox have gotten neither since Francona decided to bring in Mike Timlin in game 2.  Add to the winning formula this:  Play ahead.  If the sox fall behind, forget about it. Have to get a lead in game 5.  That was a key part of the comeback against the Cleveland.  They took early leads in all 3 games.

Is a comeback possible?  Of course it is. The sox have an excellent team that is capable.  They have not been performing the last 2 games. And they’ve got the rotation setup to make a run.  But there are questions everywhere with that rotation.

Can Dice-K repeat his magic of game 1?

Can Beckett make anyone swing and miss?

Does Lester have anything left in the tank for game 7?

Of course none of the above matters unless David Ortiz becomes Big Papi.

As for the Rays…they’re shuffling their rotation to start Kazmir tonight.  One thought on that:  WHY?

It makes no sense.  They’re cruising.  They’re more than cruising, they’re killing the Sox.  Why screw with anything?