A league of their own

Among the statistical devices Red Sox management has at its disposal is a program that simulates a major league season. One thing the Sox brass has done: place American League teams as presently composed in the National League and simulate a 162-game season. The club's conclusion: There is a 10-game difference (which is considered gigantic) between leagues. In other words: An AL team that projects to win 85 games in the AL this season projects to win 95 in the NL, according to general manager Theo Epstein.

Perhaps this helps explain the Sox' remarkable run of success against the NL. They are unbeaten in six consecutive games (sweeps of Atlanta and Washington) and 8-1 overall this year vs. the NL. (They won two of three at Philadelphia last month. Going back to June 12, 2005, the Sox are 17-2 vs. the NL.)

Against the NL this season, the Sox are 7-1 with a 3.55 ERA (relievers, however, are just 1-0 with a 4.91 ERA). As a team, the Sox are batting .332 and slugging .537 with a .406 on-base percentage against NL pitching. That's a team OPS of .943. Now, Kevin Youkilis's season OPS is .943, meaning just about every Sox batter who goes to the plate against an NL pitcher is performing like Youkilis.

Only two Red Sox regulars, Manny Ramírez (.233) and Coco Crisp (.269), are hitting less than .320 vs. the NL. The rest of the lineup: Trot Nixon (.387), Mark Loretta (.375), Jason Varitek (.333), Youkilis (.333), Alex Gonzalez (.333), David Ortiz (.323), Mike Lowell (.321). Gabe Kapler is 4 for 7 (.571). Even Sox pitchers are hacking with success. Josh Beckett is 3 for 7 with a homer and 3 RBIs, helping the pitchers to a total of 5 for 16 (.313).

This is Nixon's walk year, literally (he's got 37 bases on balls in 64 games) and figuratively (he becomes a free agent at season's end). With his future unknown, Nixon is putting together an offensive season the likes of which he hasn't displayed since 2003, when his OPS (.975) was fourth best in baseball. That number slipped to .887 in '04 and .803 in '05. Over those two seasons, he played just 170 games.

But, he's hitting .333 (fifth in the AL through Wednesday), getting on base at a .436 clip (third in the AL), and slugging .500 (tied for 27th). That's a .936 OPS, better than Ortiz (.924 through Wednesday), Miguel Tejada (.911), Derek Jeter (.909), Alex Rodriguez (.899), and Vladimir Guerrero (.830).

Jason Johnson, the pitcher Cleveland sent to the Sox along with more than $1 million, should be a familiar name to anyone who attended the Boston Baseball Writers dinner in December 2001. Johnson received the Tony Conigliaro Award for overcoming adversity. The tall righthander, who was diagnosed with diabetes at age 11, began wearing an insulin pump on his hip at all times in 2001, except when he's pitching . . . David Riske, dealt by the Red Sox to Chicago last week for lefthander Javier Lopez, was suspended yesterday by Major League Baseball for ``intentionally throwing at Chris Duncan of the St. Louis Cardinals" Tuesday night after warnings had been issued. Riske was suspended for three games and fined. Riske hasn't allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings with the White Sox . . . How about the run of success for Sox shortstops? Alex Cora, in his last 17 games, is hitting .380. Gonzalez, in his last 19 games, is batting .352 (25 for 71). Remember late May, when Gonzalez was at .197? Well, he's now at .255 and climbing. ``That's why we kept playing him," manager Terry Francona said. ``People were kind of wanting to get a guy out of there because he was struggling. If I cave to that, we don't get to see the fruits of what he can do. We played Alex Cora more because he's been deserving and he gives us a nice option to have both of them. But I think sticking with people, when it's not the popular choice, is the right thing to do, or you miss out on some good baseball."

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