So it’s the beginning of September and the Red Sox, and their $160,257,476 payroll, seem to be putting it all together. They had the lead in the AL East by a couple games and it seemed like they’d cruise to a division championship. Then…everything went wrong. Injuries to players like Kevin Youklis and Josh Beckett along with the poor pitching from multiple Sox starters and relievers, has left the team with the situation they now face. The dreaded Bronx Bombers have the division secured, and the Tampa Bay Rays are only a game out of the wild card. The Sox haven’t just struggled over the past two weeks, they have been getting annihilated, day in, day out. Now maybe one would ask, “Is this going to be our generations first real exposure to a ‘true’ Boston Red Sox collapse?” No, this late season slide does not compare to the collapse of the Sox in the 1986 World Series, but it is certainly still depressing.

Do I think the BoSox will be able to hold onto their wild card lead? Yes, I do.

Do I think that they could make something happen in the playoffs? Yes, I do.

Do I still believe that the Sox are a legitimate World Series candidate? Yes, I do.

Everything can and should come together for this team. With the possibility of a Clay Buchholz return in time for the playoffs, the Red Sox could have three aces on the mound (Beckett, Lester, Buchholz). Youklis will be back, although he will need surgery after the season concludes. And, in the end, no other team bats four .300 hitters in a row: with Ellsbury, Pedroia, Ortiz, and Gonzalez. The Sox have the offense, defense, and pitching that is needed to win in October, the only lingering question is, “Will they still be playing in October?” They should snag two games in Baltimore and sneak into the playoffs over the Rays. Nonetheless, this month has been stressful beyond belief, but if the Sox slip into the playoffs as the wild card team, the sky is truly the limit.