Is there a Red Sox blog in existance that has not posted this picture this morning?

Coco Crisp was the star of the night, offensively and defensively, as the Red Sox completed a sweep of the Mets for their 12th consecutive win. Bunting his way on base, Crisp showed off his electric speed by stealing second and advancing to third and eventually home on a couple of perfectly executed sacrifices.

On the other side, the Sox tied an MLB record with their 16th straight errorless game, and this one featured a handful of supurb defensive plays from Youkilis, Lowell, and, of course, a miraculous 8th inning diving grab by Crisp.

From beginning to end, it was easily the best and most well-played game of the year. While Coco might be the topic of conversation this morning, last night we saw flawless performances from every single member of the team, from Schilling to Papelbon, from Youkilis to Gonzalez.

And so, where do the Red Sox stand? It's June 30 and the Sox are 4 games up on the Yankees. We'll tread carefully here, because we understand the implications with assuming anything too early. It's only June, and we all know what the Yankees are capable of, even if they do resemble a high quality AAA team.

It is probably safe to say, however, this the last few weeks have been incredibly fun; hell, even Shaughnessy is enjoying himself. We've had brilliant starting pitching, breathtaking defensive plays, and Papi walkoffs. No one is advocating going in for a ring fitting quite yet, because we all know that things in baseball can change quicker than you can say "Rudy Seanez." But games like the one last night are the reason that we rush home from work each night. They're the reason we tune in to the games, day in and day out. They're the reason we came right back, without hesitation, after Aaron Boone played the role of hero in 2003. And they're the reason that we still live and die with the team just like we did before 2004, when the national media guaranteed a World Series championship would create indifference in Red Sox Nation.

As Tim McCarver might say, it's been eye-boggling baseball. So cue the Standells, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Because even though heroes are made in October, memories are made all summer long.