24 Days In First

The Red Sox took the three-game series with Oakland yesterday, 6-5, and now have a record of 14-7, and a winning percentage of .667.

They are currently tied with Texas for the best record in the American League, and only the Atlanta Braves have a better record in all of MLB.

The Sox have now been in first place every day this season (24 in all), and lead the Orioles by two games.

There are two four game-winners in baseball, and the Red Sox have two of them: Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz. Lester got his latest win yesterday, despite giving up a three-run home run to Chris Young and walking six. But he sure looked like he was being squeezed big time on pitches in the lower part of the strike zone. Overall, the starters have an ERA of 3.14, and the defense has made just 6 errors in 21 games. That combo makes for winning baseball.

Allen Webster, who the Sox got from LA last year in the blockbuster trade, looked terrific in his MLB debut last Sunday, allowing just two earned runs in six innings. He figures to be back later on in the season. (And speaking of that trade with the Dodgers last August, isn't about time Carl Crawford moved on from it? He can't keep from running his mouth about it.) One guy who probably will NOT be back is Alfredo Aceves, who was optioned to AAA last night. After a truly awful performance in the rain and cold on Tuesday, the loose cannon blamed everyone but Barack Obama for the loss after the game. With John Lackey making the start  coming off the DL this Sunday, Daniel Bard back in the pen, and with Franklin Morales and Craig Breslow on rehab and returning shortly, Aceves appears done in Boston. The Sox have unsuccessfully tried to deal him, so he will either languish at Pawtucket or be released.

The Red Sox begin a four-game series tonight at Fenway against the newest members of the American League, the Houston Astros, who currently have the league's worst record at 7-14.