Sox Drawer: Welcome to the Dog Days

As the Sox slump in sunny LA, the Stanks have made the AL East officially a two team race--again
With the month of August barely a week old the one thing that nearly every baseball fan has predicted from the beginning of the season has come true: Boston and New York will duke it out over the final two months of the season to decide which team is the real Beast of the East.

New York's recent hot streak (the Stanks have won 20 of 27 games since the break and are averaging an incredible 7.8 RPG) combined with Boston's recent struggles (15-11 since the break) have every member of RSN hearkening back to the Summer of '78, when the Sox enjoyed a sizable lead late in the season only to see their pennant hopes go up in flames thanks to a 1-game playoff and Mr. Bucky Bleepin' Dent.

So the big question lingering over everyone's head like a 6,000lb. rally monkey is, will the Stanks catch the Sox/will the Sox tank the division yet again?

The way things are going right now the answer would appear to be 'yes'. But look closer and we realize that the outcome is not set in stone. While Boston has been playing playoff contenders like Seattle and the Angles, the Stanks have feasted on the likes of Kansas City, Tampa Bay and Toronto.

True Boston has played some of those teams as well since the break, but the point is wait until New York has to play some tough teams and they come back to Earth a bit. As long as Boston can maintain its current pace, New York would have to continue this blistering pace for the rest of the month just to keep up.

We will all find out soon enough when the two heated rivals hook up in the Bronx in three weeks.

Who knows which team will be in first place then.

Wily Mo wants to be traded
The Globe's Gordon Edes reported yesterday that Wily Mo Pena had been placed on waivers after the Sox failed to deal him before the trade deadline, and after clearing the waiver wire he can now be dealt to any team that wants him.

Following last night's game in Anaheim, Pena went on to say that he definitely wants to be traded so he can play every day. Problem is, with a .223 average, 5 homers and horrendous defense, who the hell is gonna want a guy who's promise has been overshadowed by his performance?

Unfortunately for him he's on the wrong team at the wrong time. A club sporting one of the greatest hitters of all time, one of the game's best defensive center fielders in the game, and an overpaid bust who still plays terrific D isn't exactly the best team to try and break into a starting outfield position.

Here's hoping the affable man child finds a home soon and blossoms into a solid major leaguer.

Maybe the D-Rays can pick him up.