Panic in the Fens

Some of what I was trying to say yesterday, from Joe Sheehan (subscriber only):

There is a lot of panic in Boston this week—heck, there was a lot of panic last week after the trip to St. Petersburg—so perhaps it’s worth it to look at the bigger picture. Even after a six-game losing streak, the Sox are tied for the lead in the wild-card race and have a game-and-a-half edge on the Rays in that race. They have the fourth-best run differential in baseball, and are in a virtual tie for the fifth-best third-order record. Despite the various lineup holes, they have enough talent to fill eight lineup spots well, if they so choose, and are in talks to perhaps patch the shortstop problem. They have an embarrassment of pitching riches, going six starters deep even after a trade and the ending of the Smoltz experiment. And they have a deep and imposing bullpen. This is still one of the best teams in baseball and the favorite to win the AL Wild Card. It’s just going to be a little more dramatic than they would have liked.