Prediction

By early September, the Red Sox won't be in first place.

Look, you know I don't want this to be true. But the pitching staff has completely overachieved to this point, the bullpen, especially, cannot keep this up, and I'm not sure that the underachievers on offense are going to even out. Manny is looking old (worst season since his rookie year), V-Tek is old, Ortiz is playing hurt (worst slugging percentage since he came to Boston), Julio Lugo was never good and I will never understand why they wanted him...I do think J.D. Drew will be a little better in the second half but as I've said before, the Yankees both underachieved and were unlucky in the first half.

Just trying to be objective...

(and reverse jinx the situation, of course)