The Red Sox enter the day with a record of 88-64, placing them half a game behind the Cleveland Indians and 1.5 games behind a Texas Rangers team holding the best record in the American League. Each of those teams have essentially wrapped up their respective divisions, with a lead greater than the one Boston holds in the East. There no longer appears to be much drama in any of the division races, but these three teams will spend the next week and half jockeying for position in the league standings.
| Team | Wins | Losses | PCT | GB |
| Texas Rangers | 90 | 63 | 0.588 | – |
| Cleveland Indians | 88 | 63 | 0.583 | 1 |
| Boston Red Sox | 88 | 64 | 0.579 | 1.5 |
Clinching home-field advantage throughout the postseason (including the World Series, thanks to the AL’s victory at this year’s All-Star Game) could prove to be a significant factor. The Red Sox own the league’s best road record at 42-32, so starting their playoff path on the road won’t phase them. However, it could be a significant factor for their opponents.
Let’s start with Cleveland. The Indians have a league-high 51 wins at home, but have been a mediocre 37-37 on the road. This team already faces an uphill battle in the postseason with Carlos Carrasco unlikely to return from a broken hand and Danny Salazar‘s status still questionable as he attempts to work his way back from a forearm injury. With a pair of gaping holes in their rotation, Cleveland will need to rely on a lineup that trails only Boston in runs scored. This becomes a problem if the Indians don’t have home-field advantage. They rake at home, scoring the second most runs in the league, but have scored the league’s second fewest runs on the road this season.
Texas is right behind Cleveland for the top home record in the league, but are only slightly above .500 on the road at 40-38. The Rangers suffer from similar offensive woes away from Globe Life Park, although not to quite the extreme. They have league’s third ranked offense, but are only 11th in runs scored and OPS on the road.