'My Dinner With Bobby' And The Next 9 Games

Their Dinner With Bobby?

Keep in mind, this is the man who brought us "Roseanne", "Third Rock From the Sun" and "The Cosby Show"—so he knows how to make people laugh. Key "NOG" in the Red Sox Wheel Tom Werner said on Monday that we shouldn't worry all that much about discord in the clubhouse. After all, he said, "I don't think everything was perfect in 2004 or 2007 either." Another example of things being pretty much OK around the .500 Carmine Hose? Tom and Larry and John had dinner with Bobby V. on Friday night. So, obviously, that communication thing isn't a problem.

In fact, no matter how much stardust Werner sprinkles over the situation, the next nine games at home will likely make or break this 2012 squad. Amazingly, they are only four games out of Wild Card #2—which, of course, would offer them the opportunity to condense 162 games of effort into one winner-take-all contest (Thanks, Bud!). But, even that scenario is dicey unless they kick posterior on this upcoming nine-game homestand. They will face the Marlins (3 games), Braves (3 games) and Blue Jays (3 games).

Miami has the exact same record as we do (33-33), but has lost eight of their last ten and scored 47 fewer runs than they've allowed this year. Atlanta is hanging around in the suddenly tough NL East (4.5 back of Washington), but they just dropped three straight to the Evil Ones at the Concrete Bunker On 161st Street. Toronto—one-half game ahead of us at the moment—just lost three of their starters to injury. So, Boston should be able to take at least 7 of 9—which would put them at 40-35 and restore some legitimacy to the season.