Welcome to the last week of the 2007 Major League Baseball regular season. Overall, Boston’s campaign for a World Series title has gone somewhat according to plan, with the Red Sox clinching a playoff berth last Saturday with a win over the Rays and a Detroit loss, but the division is still up for grabs. The Cleveland Indians and Los Angeles Angels have clinched their divisions, but all the National League divisions and wild card spots are still in a state of flux.

Last week, we took some hits to the collective ego of Red Sox Nation when the Toronto Blue Jays swept the club out of the Rogers Centre for last meeting of the Sox and Jays this year. Tim Wakefield was still trying to find his groove after missing a start with back problems earlier this month. He was still looking for it though after giving up four runs on six hits in six innings. This included dingers from the “Big Hurt” Frank Thomas.

Game two was a crushing defeat. The Red Sox, behind a good performance from rookie Jon Lester, had a 2-1 lead after seven when Eric Gagne took to the mound and yet again gave up three runs on two hits for the loss. Manager Terry Francona needs to rest rookie reliever Hideki Okajima, it’s obvious that he was used a lot more than expected, and the result lately has been bad location from fatigue. The Sox need to get Gagne straightened out for the playoffs, but it still is excruciating to watch this guy blow wins. Let’s hope he comes around sooner than later.

Both rookie Clay Buchholz and Toronto’s Jesse Litsch battled well early in the third game of the series, with no hits in the first three innings. Buchholz was lifted after 4 2/3 innings after a couple rookie fielding blunders and a run in with men on. This was his first start after throwing a no-hitter on Sept. 1. Jonathan Papelbon gave up a grand slam in the eighth to seal the 6-2 loss.

The scenario had the Yankees winning three and moving to just a single game in the loss column behind the Red Sox for first place in the American League East, a place the Sox have held onto since early May. Panic was visibly in the air on Yawkey Way, the local nine needed a big win and got it from future 2007 Cy Young winner and Red Sox ace, Josh Beckett, Friday night against Tampa Bay at the Trop.

Beckett was dominating once again in his 20th win of the year after battling some early control issues. He ended up with 8 strikeouts and two walks in six innings and becomes the league’s first 20 game winner since 2005.

Saturday, the Sox clinched a playoff spot with another come-from-behind win in the ninth after a seesaw battle. A solo shot by Jason Varitek tied it at six all in the top of the ninth and a two run homer by Julio Lugo sealed the win 8-6 after Papelbon shut the door in the bottom of the set.

On Sunday, Tim Wakefield found the floater for a while, but in the end, he gave up four runs on seven hits in his first-ever loss at Tampa despite another late inning rally that fell just short.

The Sox return to Fenway Park for the last regular season homestand for two games against the Oakland A’s and four against the Twins. Both of these teams are out of the race for the postseason, but will want to play spoiler for the Olde Towne Team’s quest for their first division title since 1995. The Yankees only trail the Sox by a single game in the loss column as of Sunday night with series against both the Devil Rays and Baltimore on the road.

These last six games mean a lot going into the postseason, not only for the title, but also for the momentum. It’s great they were able to clinch at the end with so many guys banged up and tired. It gives them an opportunity to recover and put the playoff rotation in order. Hopefully this will not be at the expense on the division title. This should prove to be real a real interesting week.