Dragnet Champions: Twins at Sox

Let the debate begin.

Now that the Red Sox have officially sewn up the AL East, finally, we know that they’ll be hosting the Angels in the first round. Finally, there’s no drama left to worry about you say? Not exactly.

Tito had a nice night of moves yesterday, so the question now shifts to who he’ll make moves with today.

That’s because home field advantage throughout the playoffs is still very much in play. Boston and Cleveland entered today in a tie for best overall record in the bigs, with the Tribe facing off with the Royals for the finale pairing while Minnesota plays out its string in Boston.

Finishing with the league’s best record might be a measure of pride, but it doesn’t necessarily translate into big things. Remember that 2000 Seattle team with A-Rod? Yeah, not so hot.

Still, home field advantage would be a significant factor, particularly if it swung to Boston as opposed to Cleveland. Just look at the season series. The Red Sox went 5-2 against the Indians, but both of those losses came at Jacobs Field, as part of a four-game split between the teams at the Jake in July.

So, while home field advantage might not be such a huge stick for Cleveland to wield over Boston, it would be a significant one for the Sox at Fenway Park.

Now, because of that 5-2 season series, all the Sox have to do is finish tied with the Tribe to ensure that baseball’s world title will have to go through the Fens. Tonight, Terry Francona is expected to send beleaguered knuckleballer Tim Wakefield to the mound for a faceoff with Carlos Silva a man who has been the very essence of mediocrity all year long. That would seem like a great draw, if not for Wakefield’s struggles since a back injury sidelined him early this month. He hasn’t been the same pitcher since, which means that an average outing from a hurler like Silva might be enough to get the best of Wakefield’s stuff. Or lack thereof.

Meanwhile, the Indians send middling Jake Westbrook to the mound against the one big pitching chip Kansas City has, Gil Meche. That’s about as good a KC bullet as Boston fans could hope for.

The bigger question, of course, is how Tito will draw up his lineup, whether he’ll play regulars or throw an entire B-squad out there. We’re kind of betting on the b-squad.

No matter who he throws out there, if Wakefield has a decent night it’ll be a strong sign for postseason possibilities, both in terms of playing games at Fenway and having a knuckleballer who can make an impact.

That sounds like a nice recipe to cook up a day after winning the franchise’s first divisional title in 12 years, doesn’t it?

– Cameron Smith