Bosox head to Oak-town w/ questions & doubt trailing them

Game time: 10PM, EST Gabbard (0-2, 3.38) vs Esteban Loiza (7-7, 5.12)

This article by Shaughnessy (click title link) sums up the Sox woes much better than my mediocre writing ever could.
As usual he pulls out his scalpel and carves through what he feels is really tearing up the team right now- MannyBeingManny, injured(?) version. My man Dan makes no bones about the fact that ManRam, if not faking the injury, is using it as an excuse to bail on his mates in this dire time. With half the lineup either on the DL or banged-up (with the exception of Youk, whose two-day flu most likely resulted from too much Yager & Red Bull) now is NOT the time for Manny to be begging out of games that mean so much in the playoff race.
But let's get real here, RSN- this team is likely not even going to come close to making the playoffs, and if they miraculously did it would be a painfully embarrassing early round exit. I can see Schill starting GM1 of the ALDS and willing the team to 1 victory, but only if he goes 8 innings, gives up 1run, and throws about 150 pitches. Beckett would then pull a Clement in GM2, and Wake & Wells would have to back out of their starts due to OLD AGE, causing the Sox to forfeit the series. Or something like that.
Bt seriously, check out this injury list going into tonight's contest- WARNING, it ain't pretty:

On the roster but ailing:
LF Manny Ramirez -- Couldn't play yesterday because of contining right knee soreness
C Doug Mirabelli -- Jammed his left ankle during batting practice on Saturday
LHP Jon Lester -- Hurt back in recent fender-bender; won't make his start tonight
RHP Keith Foulke -- Back woes kept him out of Saturday night's game
1B Kevin Youkilis -- Missed two games with stomach flu; back in lineup yesterday in left
RHP Josh Beckett -- Cut finger in last start but will try to take mound tomorrow night
OF Wily Mo Pena -- Injured his left wrist at the plate Friday night and has missed two games
2B Mark Loretta -- Was in lineup yesterday but dealing with sore right quadriceps
On the disabled list:
SS Alex Gonzalez -- Right oblique strain
RHP Tim Wakefield -- Stress fracture in rib cage
OF Trot Nixon -- Strained right biceps
RHP Matt Clement -- Right shoulder strain
LHP Lenny DiNardo -- Neck strain
C Jason Varitek -- Surgery on left knee

Get the picture? Needless to say that with Manny, Boston has a chance to score some runs, because they can't walk Papi. But without Manny's bat in the lineup, the offense is a one-trick-pony: as you can see by the results of the past 1+ weeks, Papi is still hitting HRs but Boston is averaging about 3 runs/game in that span.

So we'll just see how it can get worse from here. I thought they would beat that kid yesteday in Seattle, and he nearly no-hit 'em. Who knows, tonight's emergency starter Kason Gabbard has pitched decently in limited action for the parent club this year (0-2, 3.38 ERA in 3 apps), so maybe he'll go for a no-no tonight. But will the patchwork lineup get any hits themselves?
Looks like it could be another long, late night here at the post.

Fingers crossed, RSN.