Ten things we know as Sox get a break

OK, so now that we've figured out that the American League pennant appears to be going through Detroit, let's look at what is going on with your Red Sox as the unofficial halfway point of the season is here.

Let's look at 10 things we know about the Red Sox:

1. Tigers are No. 1, not Red Sox.

The Red Sox have the best record in baseball, barely, at 53-34, a half-game ahead of the Tigers (52-34), but there is no doubt after this weekend that the Tigers are the team to beat.

They are more balanced in terms of offense and defense, and their pitching, other than at closer, matches up favorably with the Red Sox pitching.

The top of their rotation - Justin Verlander, Jeremy Bonderman and Kenny Rogers - is better than the top of the Red Sox rotation - Josh Beckett, Curt Schilling and Daisuke Matsuzaka. And Detroit's lineup is not only more powerful, but without the holes the Red Sox lineup has.

Lest we forget, the Tigers blew the World Series a year ago. They were the better team but fell apart.

They are back on track after a semi-slow start and proved it this weekend in a big series with the Red Sox.

2. Sox need to forget about Yanks.

This is not to be cocky, but instead to be realistic and mentally tough. The Tigers have the Indians on their tails and, to be honest, that will keep them on their toes the next three months.

The odds are the Sox, despite their recent malaise, have enough of a cushion not to blow this. But rather than focus on that, the Sox are going to have to focus on playing good baseball and forget about their big lead.

That means forgetting about the Yankees.

As long the Sox win 60 percent of their games, which they should with their staff, nobody will come within seven games of their cushion.

It's not easy to stay focus with out a foil, but that's what the Sox will have to do if they are champion of any kind in October.

3. Lugo and Drew are still questionable.

What would be happening around here if one of these guys was a borderline All-Star? Could the Sox be up by 15 games? Maybe.

Julio Lugo and J.D. Drew, who both were considered uninspired acquisitions when they happened this winter, have done nothing to change that perception.

While Sox GM Theo Epstein has made some great buys, including the two from Japan, these were allegedly well thought out decisions with more than $100 million at stake.

Lugo had a great game yesterday, but once is not enough. And Drew can't seem to do anything consistently well over a four-game period.

These two might be the reason the Sox are not the great team they probably should be.

4. Manny is not being Manny.

David Ortiz was going to be on this list, but Tigers manager Jim Leyland really exposed the biggest weakness the Red Sox have right now - Manny Ramirez is not Manny Ramirez.

While he appears to have his hustling spikes on this season, he has been the biggest disappointment this spring and early summer.

Lugo and Drew were slight question marks. Manny was penciled in, per the norm, for 35 homers and 130 RBIs. He isn't close to being on pace for either of those two numbers, which are just average for him.

A mighty Manny could hide a few warts - including Lugo and Drew - but not a mediocre one.

This had better change ... and quickly.

5. Wily Mo Pena experiment has failed.

Another guy who almost was a semi-hero yesterday, Pena has had a chance to be a key, intermittent contributor, but instead has followed the Lugo-Drew route.

He is not a reliable utility outfielder because his defense is subpar.

The Red Sox bench has not been anywhere near expectations, other than Alex Cora, and Pena leads the way here.

I never understood why he didn't work his tail off to become a first baseman, which is what he looks like.

About a month ago, he appeared be knocking on the door of turning the corner, but it never happened. He's an easy out and, frankly, a big risk in the outfield.

6. Okajima is okie-dokie.

As much as we want to remind Epstein of his poor free-agent pickups, this might be of the Ortiz variety.

Hideki Okajima (0.83 ERA) showed a lot of moxie in Detroit on Saturday night, overcoming a bases-loaded, 3-and-1 count against Curtis Granderson.

As many games as Lugo and Drew have lost by not coming through in the clutch, Okajima has gained back.

He has been every bit effective as Jonathan Papelbon. He has taken a lot of pressure off Red Sox secondary relievers like Mike Timlin and the injured Brendan Donnelly and Joel Pineiro.

7. Pedroia is for real.

The best part of the Red Sox' quick start, other than finding Okajima, is that it allowed the club to give a slumping Dustin Pedroia more time to develop.

On another Red Sox team, in another era (when the Yankees were close behind or in front), Pedroia would have spent May and June in Pawtucket. Instead, Pedroia found his batting stroke, raising his batting average from .180 during the first week of May to his current .319.

He is a very good fielder. He can bat practically anywhere the lineup, other than third, fourth or fifth. And he appears to be a good teammate.

If he continues on this pace, he will be one of the top three rookies of 2007.

8. Kevin Youkilis is very good.

He doesn't hit a lot of homers. He doesn't look smooth at bat or in the field. And he gets bruised every third or fourth game.

But you know what? Kevin Youkilis has been indispensable in the Red Sox lineup. It probably wasn't a coincidence the Sox offense looked so bad in Detroit this weekend with Youkilis only pinch-hitting.

He can handle playing in Boston, and we should never take that for granted.

He is hitting .328 with 44 RBIs. He would be my choice for Sox MVP for the first half season.

9. We may have written off Coco too early.

This one I'm not sure about, but he is finally playing with the confidence we expected.

Coco Crisp is lightning quick on the bases, and when he gets on, the offense is dramatically better. If he could get the leadoff spot back, by hitting close to .300 and walking a little more than in the past, I think we'd see Ortiz's number escalate to nearly where they belong.

My guess is Crisp is gone next year. But those worries are for another day.

It was not a coincidence that the Sox ended their June swoon when Crisp, unlike Lugo and Drew, started hitting.

10. Francona has done a good job.

While I believe Jim Leyland is the best manager in baseball - just look at what he has done and the respect he commands in Detroit - Francona has been the right guy for these Red Sox.

This is a psuedo-Yankees-type team, which means the manager's best work is done off the field, managing the millionaire egos.

He puts a lot of pressure on himself, especially when things aren't going right, but I never remember a manager going this long in a season without being questioned publicly about something "important."

He needs help. He needs another bat in the lineup. He needs Lugo or Drew to wake up and meet 80 percent of their potential.

But whatever happens, Francona is the right man for this job with this team.

Bill Burt is executive sports editor for Eagle-Tribune Publishing. E-mail him at bburt@eagletribune.com.

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