By: Daniel Podheiser, YawkeyTalkies Staff Writer

Superstitions are a funny thing in baseball. Some believe in them; like the broadcaster who won’t mention an ongoing no-hitter, the fan who sits in the same chair for every game, or the slugger who doesn’t change his underwear during a long hitting streak. Gross.

There are also those who think superstitions are ridiculous; that they’re just variance in the grand scheme of randomness that is the world.

But no matter what you believe, one thing is pretty clear about the Red Sox in 2010: There’s no lucky rabbit’s foot hanging in Fenway Park.

The Red Sox have been absolutely bitten by the injury bug this year. Thanks to Victor Martinez’s broken left thumb, eight players from Boston’s Opening Day roster have made 10 different stints on the disabled list. That doesn’t even include Boof Bonser, Jed Lowrie and Junichi Tazawa, who were all placed on the DL prior to the start of the season.

This past weekend in San Francisco, the Red Sox lost a star player in each day of their three-game set with the Giants.

I don’t like to make war references, but this is almost like the second coming of the Boston Massacre.

And yet, the Sox are 47-31, just one game behind the Yankees for tops in the AL East and leading Tampa Bay in the Wild Card race by two games heading into play Wednesday night.

Resiliency hasn’t just been a motto for the Red Sox this year. It’s been engraved into every Sox player that steps onto the field.

When Jacoby Ellsbury got hurt for the first time in April, it was 31-year-old Darnell McDonald who stepped up in the leadoff hitter’s absence. McDonald hit a game-tying, two-run homer against Texas in his first game with Boston on April 20, and has been a solid contributor both at the plate and in the field since.

Then it was Scott Atchison’s turn. On June 12, the Red Sox got some bad news when they had to put Daisuke Matsuzaka on the 15-day DL for the second time, just 15 minutes before his scheduled start against the Phillies.

Atchison, a 34-year-old journeyman who had never started a big league game, filled in beautifully. The righty pitched three solid innings, helping Terry Francona manage his bullpen and allowing the Red Sox’ offense to do the rest in a 10-2 rout of Philadelphia.

On Saturday, Athchison was called to unlikely duty again, as he was forced to fill in for an injured Clay Buchholz after just one inning in San Francisco. Atchison pitched two and a third strong frames, picking up his first win of the season in a 4-2 Red Sox victory.

Now, in the middle of yet another classic AL East race — one that is even tougher nowadays because of the Rays’ success — the Red Sox face adversity of epic proportions.

Dustin Pedroia, Boston’s MVP and Gold Glove second baseman, will be sidelined for at least six weeks with a broken foot.

There is simply no replacing Pedey at second (unless you’re talking about bringing in a healthy Chase Utley or perhaps Ryne Sandberg 20 years ago). Pedroia is the heart and soul of a Red Sox team that, let’s face it, has been playing on a lot of emotions this year.

Not to mention, the Red Sox are losing a .292 average, .871 OPS, and tremendous defense at one of the premium positions on the diamond.

So how will the Red Sox be able to stay in the race without their little guy?

Surprisingly, it might not take much. The Red Sox already have the best offense in the league, leading the majors with 431 runs scored headed into Wednesday night’s game. The pitching, while shaky at times early this year, has proven to be great over the long run.

Plus, don’t forget that Clay Buchholz, Victor Martinez, Josh Beckett, and possibly Jacoby Ellsbury will all return before Pedroia makes his way back to the starting lineup.

Therefore, as long as Eric Patterson and Bill Hall — who will platoon at second base in Pedroia’s absence — play average baseball, the Red Sox will be just fine.

Trust me, Red Sox Nation: Fenway Park will still be as exciting as ever in 2010.

Let’s just hope Kevin Youkilis doesn’t get the black plague anytime soon.

And for you superstitious folks, don’t worry, I knocked on wood.

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