but the wildcard is coming back in to play.

Six games out at the end of tonight.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Good luck with that.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

6.5 is a lot to overcome. Certainly not impossible, but I would set my sights on the Twins.

Thats Cub fan level hope right there

Brain, what are you saying? Everyone knows Sock fans are the most erudite fans in the baseball universe.

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We all have private ails. The troublemakers are they who need public cures for their private ails.- Eric Hoffer

I looked earlier today. I wouldn't count on it but I added it to the list of options.

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Manny has obviously everything to do with the SOx current hot streak. Obviously. I swear.

I blame Reinsdorf for putting a team in Tampa.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

I don't know why this is considered such a long shot

The Twins (ignoring home/road) have a relatively easy schedule remaining. Toronto to finish is really the only team I'd consider 'tough' at all and they (Jays) won't have anything to play for

The Rays, meanwhile have:
2 remaining @ Boston
3 @ Toronto
3 vs. Yankees
3 vs. Angels
4 @ Yankees
3 vs. Mariners
3 vs. Orioles
4 @ Royals

The last 3 series are definitely winnable, but the next 15 games are against very good opponents (including the Angels since while they're not great they're still a tough team)

It's very possible the Rays could struggle in these 15 games. While you do have 3 head to head games left vs. the Twins you basically have to hope for one of the teams to collapse/fade a bit, and based on the schedules it seems more likely that's going to be the Rays

Do look now White Sox fans. Rather than deluding yourselves, look at the records of the teams truely contending for the Wild Card in the A.L. The Rays are leading the race at 83-54 (29 games over .500) and are on pace (.606) to win 98 games. The Sox are 2nd at 77-60 (.562) on pace to win 91 games. The Red Sox 77-61 (.558) are on pace to win 90. Fot the White Sox to win 98 games, they would have to go 21-4 the rest of the way not gonna happen. Even if the Rays were to just win just about half (13-12) of their remaining games (well below their win %) the rest of the way, they would end up with 96 wins. The White Sox would need to go 19-6 to equal that win total. If you thought the Red Sox were out of it already, to think the Sox are NOT out of it as well, is laughable. The two teams have almost identical records, with the same number of wins and the Red Sox having just 1 more loss. The best chance for the White Sox is still to win their division...BY FAR. The chances for that is very slim too though. When one team is 29 games over .500 and the other team is just 17 over, to suggest with just 25 games left that they have any realistic chance to catch the first team is

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Go Cubs!!!!

Walk into a chopper blade douchebag.

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"Nobody ever went broke underestimating the taste of the American public." ~ H.L. Mencken

So many words. So many numbers. So little actual thoughts.

Do you realize that it's at the point where people literally laugh out loud at you making the same post time and time again and trying to pretend it's actual interesting thoughts?

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

So you're saying there's a chance?

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Here are the records of the Rays vs. their remaining opponents so far this year:

vs. Bal: 8-7
vs. NYY: 6-5
vs. Bos: 7-5
vs. KC: 2-2
vs. Sea: 5-1
vs. LAA: 4-2

sorry but aside from Seattle, those are very pedestrian numbers. in addition they have lost 3 in a row.

That was actually really good.


Bagels-you are right...the Rays have lost 3 in a row to DROP to 29 games over.500 Meanwhile, the Sox having won 6 straight have climbed to 17 over .500. Still, the Rays are 29 over and the Sox just 17 over....

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Go Cubs!!!!

Also, if the Rays win their next game, theyll be 30 over.

What commonality exists here????....They have a winning record against all those teams. Boston is hurt and not the same team they were earlier in the season and K.C., Baltimore and Seattle are teams they certainly should beat, if not sweep.

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Go Cubs!!!!

The commonality is that they're playing tough teams, except for the last 3 series which I conceded were easy, but still not givens. You say the Red Sox are hurt and aren't the team they were. No one is. Injuries are mounting up. Jeff Neimann, a Rays starter who is 10-6 on the season has given up 23 RUNS in his last 3 starts. The Rays aren't the same team either.

Neither are the Twins who have been without Morneau for some time, and now without Baker.

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Tough teams except the last 3 series huh?? So you consider Baltimore a "tough team"?

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Go Cubs!!!!

Kinda like how you called the Indians a "pretty decent team"

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If they get close will ES make a shoutout thread for the Rays?

Baltimore has been playing good ball under Showalter.

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1926-1931-1934-1942-1944-1946-1964-1967-1982-2006-2011

and just keep winning.....Imagine if Morneau is able to return and play anywhere near the level he had been at? The Twins could be a dangerous team in the playoffs. Baker had been on a nice roll in getting wins in his last 5 decisions, but he's only expected to miss 2 starts and is certainly not a top of the rotation starter for the Twins. Getting Hudson and Thome back on the field has certainly helped. Kubel as well. But even when guys are hurt, their minor league system sends a guy to fill in and he plugs the hole. It's an exceptional organization.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Especially against the Sox!


Seriously...they have played better. But thats like saying the Cubs have been better under Quade. Does that mean that if the Cubs play the Reds, Braves, or Phillies that you are gonna bet on the Cubs? Yes the Orioles are better than earlier this season and can beat some teams they might have lost to earlier. But against a good team, they probably still come up short. You care to make a bet on the Rays/Orioles series??

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Go Cubs!!!!

Still waiting.

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They're 8-7 vs. the Orioles

that's basically a .500 record against a very sub .500 team. Who happens to be playing much better in the past few weeks since the managerial change. But I suppose you can extrapolate that 8-7 record to mean the Orioles will get swept.

No, but I expect it's more likely the Rays will take 2/3 than the Orioles>

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Go Cubs!!!!

So you're going to dodge this one huh?

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I did call the Indians a pretty decent team and I was wrong to do so. They WERE a fairly decent team, but traded away guys like Kerry wood, Russell Branyon and Austin Kearns. With the team depleted as it was, the Sox were able to sweep a team that still leads the season series 8-7 in their last meeting. If the Sox indeed lose the division, it will likely be in large part to losing too many games to teams like Cleveland, Baltimore and Kansas city they should have beaten more often.

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Go Cubs!!!!