The N.L. East leading New York Mets and the A.L. East leading Boston Red Sox both lost major keys to their success, whether it be from hard statistics or intangibles that brought the team together, they are both worse off than they were a couple of days ago.

The New York Mets lost middle reliever extraordinaire, Duaner Sanchez, for the season after a taxicab accident near the team’s hotel in Florida on Sunday night.  This is actually the second year in a row that a New York Mets pitcher was involved in a taxicab accident with Tom Glavine getting in one last season.  In any case, because of the accident, the Mets were forced to trade starting RF Xavier Nady to the Pittsburgh Pirates for 41 year old, Roberto Hernandez, and the once dominating, but now a mysterious failure, Oliver Perez.

For the Red Sox, the news isn’t so bad as C Jason Varitek is expected to miss only 4-6 weeks with a knee injury that will have the captain and the heart and soul of the Red Sox go under the knife to remove some cartilage from his left knee.  He was placed on the 15-day D.L.  Varitek had only been on the D.L. once in his first nine years.  Backup C Doug Mirabelli will get the bulk of time catching for the Red Sox, with Ken Huckaby being called up to back Mirabelli up.

While both losses will hurt the Mets and the Red Sox, the blow could be cushioned by the fact that the Mets have a very good offense and defense and one of the better closers in the game in Billy Wagner.  Unfortunately, Sanchez was the rock that got Wagner the ball.  The Mets have to hope that Hernandez can become even more effective now that he’s on a solid contender and not in Pittsburgh.  Or, perhaps, Aaron Heilman remembers how to overpower hitters like he did in the second half of last year.  It’s a big blow, but it shouldn’t be a knockout blow as the Mets are currently enjoying a 13.5 game lead over the second place Florida Marlins and Atlanta Braves.

The Red Sox still have Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz and those two bats alone are quite scary, but it may not be enough.  And to be honest, Varitek was having a major down year this season as he was only batting .243 with 11 homers and 50 RBI, which are below the standards he’s made for himself the past few seasons.  But that’s not why Varitek is considered almost god-like by Red Sox Nation and his teammates.  Varitek’s leadership ability will be missed.  A lot.  It’ll be interesting to see with such a slim lead over the rival New York Yankees how the Red Sox will fare over the next month and a half.  Will anyone step up and fill Varitek’s jock?  If you ask me, it doesn’t look good.  Especially considering the Red Sox stood pat during the trading period and not improving themselves in any way the Yankees did with their acquisition of Bobby Abreu, Cory Lidle, and Craig Wilson.