Boston Red Sox have postseason home-field advantage in their sights

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Aug 20, 2016; Detroit, MI, USA; Boston Red Sox left fielder Andrew Benintendi (left) center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. (center) and right fielder Mookie Betts (right) celebrate after the game against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Red Sox win 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Raj Mehta-USA TODAY Sports /

Their current spot at the top, combined with their cupcake schedule, makes the Rangers the favorite to finish with the American League’s best record.

Finishing second wouldn’t necessarily be a total loss for the Red Sox, as it would set them up with home-field advantage in the ALDS against Cleveland’s battered rotation. That may actually be a more enviable position than facing the winner of the Wild Card game, even when factoring in the likelihood that the Wild card winner burns through their top starter to get to that point. What the Red Sox want to avoid is finishing third, as surrendering that home-field edge would help a team like Cleveland compensate for their rotation issues.

While the first-round matchup is important, the ultimate goal is the World Series, and to get there they still need to win the ALCS. If that ends up being against the Rangers, the task becomes significantly more difficult without home-field advantage.

This makes the final ten games of vital importance. It’s not only the teams in their own division that the Red Sox need to fend off, but the other top teams in the AL battling for the league’s best record.

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If they want the season to end with a duck boat parade then the Red Sox will need every advantage they can get and there may not be a bigger advantage within their reach than ensuring the majority of their playoff games are held at Fenway.

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