Marzelli: Sox must shore up four key areas

Unlike last August’s utter collapse in the form of a five-game sweep at the hands of the Yankees, the Red Sox’ latest swoon against the Bombers is not a sign of impending doom on Yawkey Way.

Even with an eight-game lead now cut down to five, 17 of the Sox’ final 27 games in September are at home, and all but nine of them are against the also-rans of the American League East.

What these past three games are a sign of is the fact that there are still a number of things manager Terry Francona and General Manager Theo Epstein need to iron out and nail down before this team even thinks about the word “playoffs.”

The issues surrounding this team mostly question how it will hold up in certain short-term situations, the likes of which popped up at numerous times over the course of all three losses to the Yankees.

1.) A set lineup. The Sox really haven’t used one all season. When push comes to shove and the season is on the line, who will hit leadoff and subsequently ninth — Julio Lugo or Dustin Pedroia? Who will hit second — Coco Crisp, Kevin Youkilis or Pedroia? Who will hit behind Manny Ramirez — Mike Lowell, J.D. Drew or Youkilis?

2.) An ace. Who’s it going to be? Josh Beckett has proven to be Cy Young worthy, but he’s been pounded by the Yankees this season. Curt Schilling clearly isn’t what he used to be, but he’s still one of the game’s great competitors. Daisuke Matsuzaka has shown both his inconsistency and his obvious ability. Who do you want matching up with Johan Santana if things come down to that last series of the season?

3.) A spark plug. When instances arise like Ramirez going down with an injury, someone will need to step in seamlessly. Can Eric Hinske or Bobby Kielty be counted on to deliver a big hit when called upon? Will Alex Cora be the main pinch runner, or could a guy like Jacoby Ellsbury stick for the long haul in that capacity?

4.) Eric Gagne. Plain and simple. Either he becomes reliable and lets Francona build the setup staff around him, or the pen gets thinner and pressure mounts on Mike Timlin and Manny Delcarmen.

If the Sox stay hot and roll through September, you won’t notice these things and their roles in the game until the playoffs. But, if this lead is chopped down to three or less, they will become vital throughout the final month, namely in what now could be a very important weekend series against the Yankees at Fenway Park beginning Sept. 14.

Mike Marzelli is the Sports Editor of the Pine Bluff Commercial in Pine Bluff, Ark., and a native New Englander. He can be reached at mikemarzelli@gmail.com.