39

After being swept by the Yankees in New York, the Sox are in third place 6.0 games behind the Tigers and 1.5 behind the Twins, whom they play starting tonight. We all know how successful the Sox are in the Metrodome. Thankfully, this is their last series there ever (barring a miracle finish in which the Sox and Twins tie and need to play another game in Minnesota to settle the A.L. Central title).

The Magic Number is 39, but the more important number at this point is 27, which is Detroit's Magic Number over the Sox. To put that elimination number in perspective, if the Tigers post a mediocre 16-17 record over their remaining 33 games, that will leave them with 85 wins. To reach 86 W's, the Sox would have to go 22-9 in their remaining games -- a .710 pace. That's going to be incredibly hard for a team that Ozzie said didn't play as well as the Little Leaguers he watched on Saturday. In other Ozzie words: "As a group, we all stink right now." So either Detroit will have to play a lot worse or it's wait till next year.

The Sox are just lucky they're not in any other division. They'd have an elimination number of 14 if they were in the A.L. East, 18 in the N.L. West, 19 in the A.L. West and N.L. Central, and 21 in the N.L. East.

And in other cheery news, Jake Peavy not only couldn't pitch against the Yankees on Saturday, he barely could pitch in the minor leagues. He left Saturday's rehab start after only 3. 1 innings, throwing just 68 pitches. The line drive that he took on his pitching elbow during his prior rehab start led to tightness that forced him out of the game. This might be another time to say "Wait till next year." Since the team has so much money tied up in him, there's no sense rushing Peavy back at all, let alone to join a team that's going nowhere fast.

I never thought this was a good team, but I thought they were better than this and they had a chance to steal baseball's worst division. I guess I was wrong. Go Sox!