Back to the Post-Season!!

Well, it took four years, but the Sox are officially BACK in the POST-SEASON! The year's not yet over. There are still eight games to go in the regular season, and still other goals to reach and achieve. But this clinch tonight is oh, so sweet after the increasingly sever travails of the last three years. If anyone's memory requires refreshing, 2010 looked promising--until a record string of injuries gutted the lineup and left the Hose just short of the playoffs. The next year, 2011, should be spoken of with a spit on the ground--it was the great collapse, when what appeared a 'sure thing' for the Sox entering September became a punch in the collective stomach of Red Sox Nation and no playoffs. That led to Terry's "departure" and stories of beer and fried chicken. Then, as if the aforementioned weren't bad enough, 2012 arrived and with it Bobby Valentine, who from day 1 showed the direction his reign and the team's fortunes would follow--a very steep dive into the cellar and the worst Sox won-loss record since 1965 (that's 47 years for those of you who played hooky during math class)!
But 2013 began with a hopeful move. John Farrell was obtained as manager, and he re-established the spirit that Terry had fostered during the early 2/3 of the last decade. All of this led to tonight--as a first step only--and the return to the post-season. It has been a collection of many things. Jake has played almost as well as in his 2011 season, not so much power, but all of the speed on the bases. The Dustman has been The Dustman, hovering near .300 all year in spite of a thumb injury that happened on day 1 and would have sidelined anyone else for weeks, if not months. His leadership has been all Pedey as well. Papi, in spite of missing most of the first month and change with painful heel issues, has so far produced 28 HR's and 96 ribbies, and seems likely to pass 30 and 100 even without that lost time. Also, his season BA has remained over .300, and, barring a final slump, will finish there.
Pitching: Farrell's special expertise: Lester returned to his old form, particularly down the stretch. Lackey has come back from his lost season with elbow surgery to post a mid-3 ERA and look like the hurler he used to be, including his 16th career complete game tonight, a two hit, two walk gem, in which the first O's hit didn't come until the 7th. The Sox picked up Peavey at the trade deadline, and he's also provided solid innings to help the overall effort. The pen has, overall, been awesome. Exemplifying how the Sox refused to give in to adversity, when both closers they'd acquired in the off-season went down with season ending arm injuries, they gave the job to Uehara. He responded with a vengeance, at one point running off 37 straight outs.
There are too many other stories that make up important parts of this year so far, but you get what I'm saying. They're back and it was definitely worth the wait. My brother has continued to say all year that while he's very happy, the team still looks like a bunch of "spare parts". Well, Phillip, sometimes a machine needs a few spares to get running properly again, and it certainly looks as if the mechanical team of Cherrington and Farrell have a garage that would give the folks at Porsche a run for their money.
Tonight: aside from the already mentioned complete game victory by Lackey, everything came for the Sox in the 2d. In rapid succession, JD's little brother took the first pitch he saw into the center field cheaps to score himself and Salty ahead of him. This shot was followed by Jackie Bardley getting a solid two bagger, setting himself up to his eventual score when Pedey drove him in with a base hit. That was the offense for the Sox tonight, and it was enough. With the Rays' loss to Texas, the Hose now lead by nine with eight to play.