Red Sox Strut: Catcher Christian Vazquez, RHP Rick Porcello

A weekly article series where we examine two players who deserve to strut their stuff for the Boston Red Sox. This week – Christian Vazquez, Rick Porcello.

If you want to fully understand what the Red Sox Strut is, it means to have reason to walk with a confident, proud air around you. Some people mistake it for vanity, arrogance, or being pompous. This incorrect assumption is not what we mean. The Strut is about knowing that your deeds showed off your amazing skills to the baseball-loving public.

The Boston Red Sox inched closer to clinching a playoff spot by going 4-2 last week, dropping their magic number to five for a postseason berth and 11 for the division title.

The stretch of seven wins over the last 10 games has been equaled by the New York Yankees, keeping their division rival within three games in the division race. The team that falls short will almost certainly still make the playoffs, although Boston must keep fighting to avoid the uncertainty of a one-game Wild Card round.

Avoiding a scenario where one off night can end your season is incentive enough to win the division, but it’s even more appealing now that the Cleveland Indians have vaulted to the American League’s best record. The Tribe’s incredible 22-game winning streak was finally snapped, yet evidence that this team is actually still capable of losing a game doesn’t make them any less dangerous. An ALDS meeting with Cleveland could lead to another humiliating sweep, which should be avoided at all costs.

With just over a dozen games left on the schedule, it’s looking like the Red Sox may avoid that fate, or at least delay it until the next round. If these Strut-worthy candidates can stay hot over the next two weeks they should be able to wrap up their second consecutive division title.