Built to win.

I know we've only seen these Sox in two playoff games this year, but it is already crystal clear that the team was constructed exclusively to succeed in the postseason crapshoot.

In Game One, we had Josh Beckett shut down the AL West champs for his sixth career complete game. In Game Two, we had our rookie hurler run into a bit of trouble, then get picked up by flawless pitching performances from the bullpen and the big bats. And today, the Sox have their opponents on the brink of elimination with one of the best big-game pitchers in the history of the game on the hill.

Not a bad little team, all things considered.

The team surely had its holes throughout the course of the year, but now that the postseason tournament has begun those holes have become much less prominent. Terry Francona's gentle handling of Jonathan Papelbon and Dustin Pedroia is paying dividends as they are both healthy and rested during this late juncture of the season. And remember that month Manny took off while the Sox were tying up the East? I don't know about you, but after that majestic homer on Friday night, I'm fairly pleased that he waited until he was 100% before returning to the lineup.

Just compare that to our neighbors to the south, who haven't had any production from their offense in the first two games of their series and found themselves calling on Luis Vizcaino in the tenth inning of a crucial playoff game because they'd already used Justin Chamberlain and Mariano Rivera in the game.

(For the record, I will not be referring to Justin Chamberlain as "Joba" because that's not his real name. He changed it to "Joba" because his little cousin called him that and everyone thought it was cute. I think its stupid, and I will only begin participating in the Yankees' Star Wars fantasy universe when they agree to refer to our rookie outfielder as "Obi Wan" Jacoby Ellsbury.)

So hopefully our boys with the bats can keep working those pitch counts and our pitchers can keep the aggressive Angels bats missing. Let's hope the Sox can put the finishing touches on the divisional series this weekend and prepare to host the Indians at Fenway on Friday.