Red Sox Remain in Playoff Hunt… Somehow

All hope is not lost for the Boston Red Sox. Not yet.

The Red Sox enter the final stretch of the season with a chance to make the postseason, which may come as a shock for those who have tuned in to a frustrating second half.

The Sox went into the All Star break with a record of 53-43 after taking a series from the Royals that saw them leapfrog Kansas City for the third and final AL Wild Card spot. Since that day, the Sox have gone 20-28, the third worst record in the American League over that span, ahead of just the Los Angeles Angels and the historically terrible Chicago White Sox.

But despite the second half woes, a chance for October baseball is still on the table. With just under three weeks remaining in the 2024 season, the Red Sox find themselves three games back of a Wild Card spot. If those numbers are shocking to you, you are not alone.

“We’re right there. Still right there. I don’t know how.” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said following Monday’s win over the Baltimore Orioles, “They show up every day. They work hard, and they did an amazing job offensively today.”

 

 

For the last month, the Red Sox’ competition in the Wild Card race has changed from the Kansas City Royals to the Minnesota Twins, Seattle Mariners and Detroit Tigers, with the Twins currently in possession of the coveted postseason spot. As of Sunday, the Twins were 13-17 in their prior 30 games, giving the Red Sox a golden opportunity to make up ground in the race. But rather than capitalizing on Minnesota’s struggles, the Sox managed to actually fall back half a game in that span.

But thanks to the Twins’ and Mariners’ struggles in the second half (22-26, and 21-25 respectively), the Red Sox still have life.

Although Fangraphs currently gives the Red Sox an 11% chance of making the postseason, there is reason to believe their odds might be greater than that. Following the Sox’ current series with the Orioles, they are set to hit the road to play the Yankees and Rays, then return to Fenway to take on the Twins.

The three games against the Twins September 20-22nd , who currently hold the final postseason spot, could mean the season. Holding pace with the stumbling Twins between now and then means that the Sox’ three game deficit could be erased in a single weekend.

But the most important part of that formula is the first one – holding pace with the Twins. Because while the Sox are set to face Baltimore, New York and Tampa, the Minnesota Twins are about to take on the Angels, Reds and Guardians. Quite a different stretch for the two teams between now and their Fenway series in late September.

The Sox need every game they can get before they welcome the Twins to Fenway, and no one is more aware of that than Alex Cora.

“We’re running out of time. Let’s put it that way.” Cora told the media last week, “I know what the other teams are doing. They’re not playing well either. But the days that we don’t take advantage of it is a wasted day.”

 

 

 

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