Boston Red Sox: Time to be Excited?

It's still mid September, but as each day comes and goes, the Boston Red Sox are inching closer and closer to claiming the American League Wild Card.

The Oakland Athletics beat the Texas Rangers again Tuesday night and the Rangers are slowly starting to fade away, now five and a half games back.

After spending what seems like 80 percent of the season on the disabled list, Daisuke Matsuzaka came back in a big way against the Los Angeles Angels as he went six innings and allowed no runs on three hits, three walks, and five strikeouts.

This is the Dice-K that the Sox have been waiting for all season long and if he can continue this trend of pitching along with the recent lights out dominance of starters Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and closer Jonathan Papelbon, Boston might be one of the scariest clubs to face come next month.

Buchholz isn't proven yet in the postseason so he is still a little bit iffy, however Beckett, Lester, and Matsuzaka know the ropes and know how to handle them.

If Boston wins the wild card they'll more than likely face the Angels once again in October while the New York Yankees will take on the Detroit Tigers, who are currently leading the AL Central division by four games over the Minnesota Twins.

And with recent history, the Red Sox want to face Los Angeles (2004, 2007, 2008).

The pitching is finally starting to glue itself together. 

Maybe it's because of the fall chill in the air? 

Maybe their bodies are just synchronized to perform better at this time? 

Whatever it is, it's working, it's exciting, and October can't get here any quicker.

It's almost "Soxtober" time.

Check out Tony Massarotti's take on this as well.