With the Boston Red Sox on the verge of clinching the AL East division title, we must now look ahead at the race for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
The Magic Number for the Boston Red Sox is down to six. That’s how many wins they need, or losses they need from the second place Toronto Blue Jays, to lock up the AL East division crown.
It’s not quiet a certainty, given that seven of their final ten games will be on the road, followed by a three-game series at Fenway Park to wrap up the regular season against that Toronto team posing as their greatest threat. However, Boston essentially only needs to play .500 ball the rest of the way to clinch the division – a goal that seems attainable given the roll they have been on of late.
A week ago the AL East was the tightest race in baseball, but a seven-game winning streak has widened the gap between the Red Sox and their competition. A win tonight in Baltimore essentially takes the Orioles out of the race, much like the Red Sox vanquished the New York Yankees with a four-game sweep last weekend.
Despite a comfortable margin in the division standings, now is not the time for the Red Sox to let their foot off the gas pedal. Instead, attention now turns to another battle of the standings – the race for home-field advantage.