Red Sox Nation is alive and well.....

The Red Sox are 9-1 in their last 10 games and streaking. I’m not suggesting that they catch the Yankees (they are still 5 back – well maybe I am) but clearly they are starting to fire on all cylinders and primed to do damage in the playoffs.

For you all you Red Sox Nation freaks out there, here are some interesting tidbits and reason to believe.

1. Boston has 14 games (seven home/seven away) remaining with no off-days.

2. Heading into 2009, they won 93 games or more in six of their last seven seasons, making the postseason in four of them. They currently sit at 89 wins.

3. The Red Sox are 52-22 at home and an even 37-37 on the road.

4. The Red Sox have a 99.9 certainty of making the playoffs, just behind the Yankees' 100 percent. Their all-important magic number is seven.

5. AL Central leading Detroit Tigers has a 77.5 percent chance of making the postseason, the lowest of any divisional leader by a long shot. The Anaheim Angels (the team Boston would play if the season ended today) have a 99.2 percent chance.

6. Everyone that thought John Farrell was to blame for John Smoltz and Brad Penny excelling elsewhere should have to revoke their pink Boston hats. The starters have allowed three runs or less in 13-straight games and have an 8-1 record with a 2.18 ERA during that time.

7. Josh Beckett's 201.1 innings this year are the most he's thrown since 2006, when he threw a career-high 204.2 frames. He’s healthy.

8. Since giving up five runs on May 26 in a loss to Minnesota, the highest amount of runs Jon Lester has given up has been four—which happened one time in a late-July win. He's lost just once in his last 16 starts.

9. Since joining the Red Sox on Aug. 1, Victor Martinez's batting average has jumped from .283 to .297, along with his slugging (.461 to .477) and on-base percentage (366 to .378). In September, he's batting .370 and has a 19-game hitting streak, heading into Sunday. He is just two RBI short of his third career 100-RBI season.

10. Finally, the Red Sox are just five games behind the Yankees in the AL East. Back in August after that sweep and in subsequent weeks, Boston winning the division seemed to be so far-fetched it was ridiculous.

Not anymore. - Walter Stanley

Walter Stanley is a Red Sox season ticket holder for 23 years and psyched for this year’s playoffs.

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