Millar on M&M: Sox can still win World Series

MLB Network analyst Kevin Millar checked in with the Mut & Merloni show Friday morning for his weekly discussion about the Red Sox.

The Sox open a three-game series against the Yankees in New York Friday night, trying to hold on to their two-game lead in the wild card race. Millar said the team needs to look inward for inspiration.

"You just keep fighting. You can't quit. No one's feeling sorry for yourself," he said. "This is where you gut-check yourself. That's the bottom line. Trust me, out there no one's feeling sorry for the Red Sox. … You have to go out there and fight. It's the mentality."

Millar said the Sox need to accentuate the positive. "Guess what, guys? You're two up. As miserable as you've played. You've stunk. You've stunk, stunk, stunk, but you're two up. So, that's the positive I grab from this scenario."

Millar said Thursday's day off might be a benefit for the Sox. "It can't be a bad thing," he said. "It's not like, Oh my God, we're going to break their momentum. Listen, they had a rough homestand. They've played bad. They've lost the most games in September. Great, all the stats are there. But this club is still capable of winning a World Series this year."

Asked where to assign blame for the September swoon, Millar said: "I don't know if there's a blame. You've had an off year by Carl Crawford. He comes out with an apology. Does he need to apologize in that way? Hell, no. He doesn't have to apologize to any one of us. Because it's not because of effort. If this man's not hustling down to first base, you'd better apologize to me. But because you have an off year statistically? That's not an apology-needed scene. That's my thing. When Manny Ramirez used to jog down the line after hitting a ground ball to shortstop, you'd better apologize to us.

"Now, where did [Crawford] fit? Theo [Epstein] gives him 140-something million dollars, where does he fit? I don't know. That was out there from the get-go. We knew [Jacoby] Ellsbury, they were going to try him ninth, where he fit in the lineup, that's another question. But no one's to blame for this."

Asked about reports of a rift between Epstein and manager Terry Francona, Millar said he had no specific knowledge despite his friendship with both men, but he didn't think it was a big deal. "It's not surprising. It happens," he said. "Terry's been there a long time, and Theo, they've done a lot of great things together. But they're going to get [in] spats, especially when you don't win. But what cures all that is winning."

Following are more highlights from the conversation.

On John Lackey: "I love his makeup. I love his mentality. I love what he can bring as far as just that big body. But he has had a bad year. That's a fact. Period. I can't put my hand on it. Once again, if it was lack of effort it would be another thing. But he cares. It's just, man, it's been over a 6 ERA from Day 1."

On Terry Francona and if he should be on the hot seat: "You're only as good as your players."

On his pick to win the American League: "I still think the Rangers are a tough club. They just kind of sleep over there with Matt Harrison and Derek Holland, two lefties in the mid-90s that no one talks about. And then you've got this [Mike] Adams kid they picked up in this trade that a lot of teams were after … I think he plays a factor. I think the Rangers might win the American League."

To hear the interview, go to the Mut & Merloni audio on demand page. For more Red Sox news, visit the team page at weei.com/redsox.