A Look Ahead

All games are "big" at this point but I look at the next 12 games as an opportunity.

3 @ home vs Texas: With Texeira's power outage and no Soriano in 2006 this is not the same offensive juggernaut of years past.  With the Sox facing Wasdin, Koronka and Padilla a sweep isn't out of the question.

3 @ home vs Minnesota: Yes the Twins are playing good ball but the Sox get a break because we will miss Liriano who pitches Sunday.  Instead we get Radke, Santana and Silva.  Yes, Santana is a lot to deal with, but Conteras (Santana's opponent) can shut down Minnesota (and they are without Hunter).

3 on the road @ Baltimore: Baltimore can swing the bats, but the Sox catch a major break by missing Erik Bedard, who is pitching as well as anybody right now (just 3ER in his last 36IP).  The rest of their staff is very hittable.

3 on the road @ KC: This a better team than was on the field at the beginning of the year, but possibly veterans such as Redman and Sanders will be gone.

In summary, I think the top of the order will get healthy over the next 12, with only one ace looming (Santana).  Within the last 10 games we have faced Beckett, Schilling, Mussina, Randy Johnson, Robertson, Bonderman and K. Rogers.  Again in the next 12, 11 of the pitchers we will face will not be as good as those mentioned above.

So now the bad news...after the current 12 game stretch the Sox will play 24 days straight.

3 @ Toronto
6 against Min
3 against NY
7 against DET
1 against Anaheim
4 against KC

14 of the 24 are at home though.